SIGEP World 2027 in Rimini: a practical guide to staying in Rivabella

SIGEP World fills Rimini like no other event of the year. For five days at the end of January the town belongs to gelato makers, pastry chefs, bakers, pizzaioli and coffee roasters from all over the world, and finding a room at the last minute becomes a real problem. We have hosted SIGEP visitors and exhibitors for years, and this is the practical guide we send to anyone who writes to us: the dates, how to get from Rivabella to the Expo Centre, what changes at the hotel on fair days, and what is worth knowing before you book.

The dates and what to expect

SIGEP World 2027 takes place at the Rimini Expo Centre from Saturday 23 to Wednesday 27 January 2027. It is the 48th edition of the show organised by Italian Exhibition Group, covering gelato, pastry, chocolate, coffee, bakery and pizza. The 2026 edition filled 30 halls with around 1,300 exhibiting brands and professionals from 160 countries, and for 2027 the organiser aims to double the number of hosted international buyers (source: Teleborsa, 14 September 2026). Put simply: it is a large, trade-only fair, and seeing it properly takes at least two full days.

Opening hours are normally 9:00 to 18:00, but please check them, together with the registration rules for trade visitors, on the official SIGEP World website: they change from one edition to the next and we would rather not hand you stale information.

When we are open for SIGEP

From October to April we open for every event at the Rimini Expo Centre. For SIGEP World 2027 the hotel is open from 21 to 27 January, so exhibitors can arrive two days before the opening to set up. The minimum stay on these dates is 4 nights. The fair rate, breakfast included, is booked only by WhatsApp or email: it is not published online, because we prepare it according to your dates and room. One detail that matters to many companies: changing the guest’s name is free, even with a different person every night, which helps when colleagues take turns on the stand. The fair rate is non-refundable and requires a 50% deposit.

Breakfast from 7:00 and the other things that change

Breakfast normally runs from 8:00 to 10:00. On fair days we bring it forward to 7:00, because we know that by 8:30 many of you already need to be wearing your badge. The buffet is the usual one: freshly squeezed orange juice, scrambled eggs made on the spot, cold cuts and cheeses, bread, cakes, warm croissants, fruit, yoghurt and coffee. WiFi is free throughout the hotel, and every room has a fridge with a small freezer, a safe and heating, which in January you will want.

Check-in is from 14:00, check-out by 10:30. If you arrive late after set-up, no problem: reception closes at night, but after 21:00 a WhatsApp message to +39 375 704 9900 gets you the instructions to let yourself into the hotel and the garage. On your last day you can leave your bags in our luggage room, go to the fair and collect them before you leave.

Getting to the Expo Centre from Rivabella

The fairgrounds are 2.2 km from the hotel. Three ways to get there:

• By bus: the stop is 20 metres from our entrance and the direct bus takes about 5 minutes. We are the last stop before the Expo Centre and the first one on the way back, so you leave with a seat in the morning and board first in the evening. Tickets are sold by Start Romagna, the local transport company.
• By car: about 7 minutes in normal fair-morning traffic. The hotel has a covered garage with CCTV, subject to availability: tell us when you book, because during SIGEP the spaces run out. Right in front of the hotel there are 4 public EV charging points (not ours, but handy).
• By train: Rimini station is 3 km from us. In past editions IEG ran a dedicated shuttle between the station and the fairgrounds together with Start Romagna; the details for each edition are on the how to reach SIGEP page of the official site.

Where to have dinner in January

At the end of January Rivabella is a quiet neighbourhood, and for anyone working a fair that is an asset: you sleep well. We are not in the middle of nowhere, though. A few minutes’ walk from the hotel there are restaurants open in winter too, serving fish and Romagna cooking: La Posada, Le Ruote, La Brace and Cavalieri. If after the fair you feel like the old town, the bus gets you to Piazza Cavour in a quarter of an hour, or a taxi in 5 to 7 minutes. Ask us at reception: we know who is open on which evening and we are happy to book you a table.

The sea, after the stand

This is why many of our SIGEP guests come back every year. When the day is over, ten minutes later you are on the seafront, empty and silent the way it only is in winter. A walk to the harbour or a run before dinner does more than any espresso. If you prefer two wheels, our bicycles are free to use and the cycle path runs the whole length of the coast.

In short

• SIGEP World 2027: 23–27 January, Rimini Expo Centre, trade visitors only.
• Hotel open from 21 to 27 January, minimum stay 4 nights, fair rate on request.
• Expo Centre 2.2 km away: direct bus from the stop 20 metres away (5 minutes), 7 minutes by car.
• Breakfast from 7:00 on fair days, covered garage subject to availability, public EV charging in front of the hotel.
• Free name changes on company bookings; arrivals after 21:00 with self check-in via WhatsApp.

The full fair calendar is on our exhibitions and events in Rimini page, and the other answers are in the FAQ. For the SIGEP rate or any question, write to us on WhatsApp at +39 375 704 9900 or by email at info@rivaemare.com: we answer ourselves, the same day.