Gala Italia 2009 Event at the Marriott Marquis
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Gala Italia Fashion Show 2009 – Photos by Lorenzo Esquivel
Cognac interviews at the Gala Italia 2009 – Video by Mauro Botero and Lorenzo Esquivel
I had the marvelous opportunity to be invited to the Gala Italia 2009. Before the event kicked off I had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Lucio Caputo who is the president of the International Trade Center of New York, a promotion and public relations company created to expand the presence of Italian products and services in the U.S. A former Italian Trade Commissioner in New York and expert in international trade and marketing, Dr. Caputo’s background also includes considerable experience in the field of journalism, economics and law.
Cognac interviews at the Gala 2009 – Video by Mauro Botero and Lorenzo Esquivel
Dr. Caputo is also founder and president of the Italian Wine & Food Institute, a non-profit organization established in 1984 to promote and further improve the image of Italian wines and foods in the United States. Dr. Caputo is also founder and president of the GEI (Gruppo Esponenti Italiani), an association of major Italian businesses in the U.S.; U.S. Representative of the Verona Fair Authority; Chairman of the “European Wine Council”; V. Chairman and member of the Executive Committee of the “National Wine Coalition”; Chairman of the “Italian Business Advisory Council”; member of the board of the Association of the Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations and Chairman and member of the board of the Society of Legions of Merit; member of the Advisory Committee of the Princeton University.
Cognac interviews at the Gala Italia 2009 – Video by Mauro Botero and Lorenzo Esquivel
In recognition of his outstanding work in favor of Italy in all his activities, the President of the Italian Republic awarded Dr. Caputo with the title of “Cavaliere Ufficiale” in 1972, of “Commendatore” in 1981, of “Grande Ufficiale” in 1996 and of Cavaliere di Gran Croce in the Order to the Merit of the Italian Republic in 2003. Dr. Caputo also has received many other awards and recognitions from private and public organizations both from Italy and the United States and is honorary member of numerous associations.
Born in Monreale, Italy, Dr. Caputo received a doctorate in Law followed by a degree in Journalism and a doctorate in Political Science from the University of Palermo. He was an editor of the “Giornale di Sicilia”, one of Italy’s major daily newspapers, and was correspondent for numerous other newspapers and magazines in Italy. He completed special courses in public relations, was admitted to the bar and began a legal career with a major law firm.
After attending the Air Force Academy in Florence and completing his tour of service as a lieutenant in the Italian Air Force, he joined Italy’s Foreign Trade Institute in Rome. He initially conducted market surveys in foreign countries such as Cyprus and Libya and then served as managing director of the magazines, “Italy Presents” and “Quality.”
In 1964 he was appointed deputy director of the London office of the Institute. In 1967 he lead a year-long study and market research mission in Southeast Asia, spending much of his time in Hong Kong. He also traveled extensively throughout Africa and Europe.
During this period, Dr. Caputo’s abilities as a negotiator were put to the test when he was selected to head the Italian team in a political and trade dispute, the “Liming” ship case, which threatened to jeopardize trade between Italy and the People’s Republic of China. He was able to defuse the situation and was responsible for signing a mutually beneficial agreement between the two nations.
During his over three decades of activity, Dr. Caputo has traveled widely in the United States promoting Italian products and establishing numerous contacts with personalities and authorities in business, in the media and with journalists.
He is also active on the lecture circuit as a specialist on economic topics and as a spokesperson on hundreds of radio and TV programs. He served as executive chair on numerous committees in charge of organizing the programs for visits of foremost Italian Government representatives to the United States, among them the Italian Premiers and the Presidents of the Italian Republic, Pertini, Cossiga, Scalfaro and Ciampi.
Dr. Caputo has been listed for many years in the “Who’s Who in the World” and “Who’s Who in Finance and Industry”; he is a member of many organizations and has traveled in Europe, Africa, America and Asia, meeting with economic, business and press representatives in order to promote the image of Italy and Italian products in the world.
On the morning of 09/11 Dr. Caputo was inside his office on the 78th floor of the North Tower of the World Trade Center from where he was able to reach safety (www.google.com, search: Lucio Caputo). Even though he lost his office and all his working records, Dr. Caputo restarted immediately his activities and opened a new office in the prestigious Lincoln Building in midtown Manhattan.
The Italian Wine & Food Institute, headquartered in New York, is a non-profit organization, founded in 1983 for the enhancement of the image and prestige of Italian wines, gastronomy and food products in the USA.
To this end the Institute organizes educational and promotional events and carries out public relations activities to educate the American consumers about the high quality of Italian wines, food products and gastronomy.
The promotional activities of the Institute consist in a series of initiatives directed at the professional media, the operators in the specific sectors, at every level of distribution, the opinion leaders and the most qualified American consumers.
The promotional activities of the Institute comprise seminars and tastings; it provides detailed information on the Italian gastronomy and wines; it distributes information materials and gives press interviews for the American radio and television; it carries out an intense public relations program; it participates in the most important local promotional initiatives and events; it maintains contact with the American and Italian authorities in this sector; it carries out market research and surveys and publishes a bimonthly newsletter, “Notiziario” about the American market.
The Institute has also organized, in the decade 1985-1994, the Gala Italia Dinner & Awards Presentation. This was the most elegant, prestigious and much awaited for promotional event for Italian wines and gastronomy, fashion, music and the arts in the USA.
The Institute started also a series of initiatives based on seminars and tastings, among them the Italian Wine and Food Gala and theme seminars, in order to emphasize Italian wines, food products and gastronomy.
The Institute has in addition published a book on Italian cuisine and booklets on Italian wines and food products such as “Discovering Italian Wines” and “Gala Italia” with the goal to educate the American consumers. The Institute publishes, moreover, detailed information on its various initiatives on its Web Page.
The President of the Institute, Dr. Lucio Caputo, has been active in the promotion of Italian wines and gastronomy for over twenty years, first in his position as Italian Trade Commissioner, and later as the President of the Italian Wine & Food Institute, of the European Wine Council, of the International Trade Center and of the Italian Representative Group–G.E.I–and as US representative of the Verona Fair Authority.
Among recent events was the second edition of the International Organic Wine Expo held in New York in May under the Patronage of the Italian Ministry of Agriculture and under the auspices of the Consul General of Italy in New York, and jointly organized by the Italy-America Chamber of Commerce West and the Italian Wine & Food Institute.
To learn more please visit http://italianwineandfoodinstitute.com
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