Roberto Pellegrini, long-standing president and CEO of Riva del Garda Fierecongressi, Italy, has passed away at the age of 76. He had been associated with the company for almost twenty years and had led it since 2007. The news, announced on 8 August, prompted widespread condolences from the economic, institutional and trade fair communities of Trentino.
Pellegrini was a key figure in the development of Riva del Garda’s exhibition and congress centre and in its progressive expansion beyond the local area. The mayor of Riva del Garda, Alessio Zanoni, paid particular tribute to his long presidency of Fierecongressi, highlighting his public and professional role and his close ties with the city.
During his presidency, Riva del Garda Fierecongressi consolidated its role in the Italian trade fair system, developing events capable of bringing together different sectors of hospitality and tourism. Among these, a central role is played by Hospitality – Il Salone dell’Accoglienza, organised by Riva del Garda Fierecongressi.
The link with Hospitality and the open-air sector
Pellegrini’s role is particularly significant also because of his connection with Hospitality – Il Salone dell’Accoglienza, an event that in recent years has devoted increasing attention to open-air tourism and has become an important meeting point for the hotel, food service and outdoor hospitality sectors.
The 50th edition of the event, held in February 2026, marked an important milestone for Riva del Garda Fierecongressi, with more than 750 exhibitors and almost 20,000 visitors, alongside a programme featuring more than 150 training sessions. The outdoor sector was also represented, described by the organisers as a growing and increasingly cross-sector segment spanning different forms of hospitality. Pellegrini personally attended both the presentation and the opening of the 50th-anniversary edition.
A commitment that shaped Trentino’s economic system
Pellegrini’s presidency spanned a period of profound transformation for the trade fair sector and the tourism economy. Before taking the helm of Fierecongressi, Pellegrini also held positions within Trentino’s cooperative movement, including that of vice president of the Federazione Trentina della Cooperazione from 2010 to 2013. His death therefore leaves a void not only within the company he led for so many years, but also across Trentino’s economic and trade fair system, as highlighted by local and provincial institutions in the messages of condolence issued in recent hours.
“These photographs tell a story. They tell the story of you, of us, and of so many years we shared together. All of us at Riva del Garda Fierecongressi – the company you led for twenty years, transforming it with vision, determination, courage and, above all, humanity,” wrote Alessandra Albarelli, General Manager of Riva del Garda Fierecongressi, in a LinkedIn post accompanying several photographs. “You and me, holding the globe on the occasion of the 100th edition of Expo Riva Schuh. We were smiling. But behind those smiles, we already knew about your illness. […] You and us – your team. We are deeply hurt by losing you. But each one of us carries something of you inside […] The newspapers will write a lot about you. They will tell your story, your achievements, your career. For us, perhaps, it is much simpler”.
The Camping Business editorial team joins the condolences following the death of Roberto Pellegrini and extends its sympathy to his family, his colleagues at Riva del Garda Fierecongressi and everyone who shared his professional and personal journey over the years.
Photo; courtesy of Alessandra Albarelli
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