Congresso PASS 2026 6th Edition: “Beyond Service – The Value of Hospitality” Campidoglio, Rome

Monday, September 21^st

PASS (Passion-Hospitality-Team-Service)

The first Congress conceived by Noi di Sala in 2019 with the aim of raising public awareness on the issues of the sector, bridging the gap and being the link between the dining room and the kitchen within a restaurant. 

Congresso PASS 2026 marked the 6^th edition of the national convention and this year’s theme was titled “Beyond Service – The Value of Hospitality”. Organized by Noi di Sala, Intrecci & ALMA, restaurant and hospitality professionals from all over Italy and abroad gathered in the Aula Giulio Cesare Senatorial Palace in Campidoglio Rome – a symbolic and strategic location of choice.

The event focused on the value of hospitality, training, perspectives and professionalism with various discussions around the topic - including the evolution of the sector. The conference was split into two panels moderated by renowned RAIO journalist Gianluca Semprini alongside Rudy Travagli, Founder of Noi di Sala (also of Enoteca La Torre Villa Laetitia) and Co-Founder Davide Merlini (of Hotel De Russie).

Also on stage were the people who represent and are in essence the actual face of the restaurants aka the front-of-house staff. The first panel interviews included those young professionals who shared their experiences living and working abroad, without ever forgetting Italy or their Italian roots, traditions, and heritage, who eventually returned to their native home to help elevate the sector.

The second panel featured some of the most esteemed and well known figures, leaders and experts in the restaurant and hospitality industry, whose efforts and presence literally transform the dining room on a daily basis.

It is in this way that hospitality goes beyond service. Those people working in the sala are just as important as their counterparts in the kitchen. Each element of the restaurant working in unison creates an unforgettable journey from beginning to end. An experience that is more of an emotion and the first-line F&B not only play a crucial role but set the tone for the entire evening.

The front-of-house excels at combining client needs and etiquette, makes for an appealing career path that is as personal as it is rewarding, Semprini noted at one point. A profession which is becoming more respected is also attracting more and more people wanting to join the hospitality sector. And contributing to the continuous growth are the educational efforts of ALMA and Intrecci – two culinary and hospitality schools of excellence, helping to support Noi di Sala in a shared vision.

The awards presented at the conclusion of the panel showcased some of the best in each category:

·       Best Wine Service: Oscar Mazzoleni of A Carroponte, Bergamo

·       Best Room Service: Vittorio Gentile of Zuma, Rome

·       Dining Room Masters: Luca Costanzi of Mirabelle, Rome

·       “Just Like Home”: Flavio de Maio of Velavevoddetto & Stecca, Rome

·       Best Young Actor: Luis Diaz of Piazza Duomo, Alba

·       Best Food Promoter: Luigi Cremona of

·       Best Cocktail Bar: Palazzo Talia, Roma 

With special Sponsors: Acqua Panna S. Pellegrino, Fondazione Birra Moretti,

Partesa for Wine, Piper- Heidsieck Champagne, and Gran Torino

The 6^th edition of the PASS Congress was inspirational as always, showcasing the progress made and the promise for an even greater future – especially when we all work together.  During the PASS Congress, Alessandro Onorato (Counciler for Major Events, Tourism, Sports, and Fashion of the City of Rome) also made an appearance with some significant words of inspiration:

“Five years ago, we decided that my responsibilities had to be the drivers for reviving Rome. At the time, Rome had just lost the Olympics, and no one wanted to invest in the city anymore. Now, things have substantially changed. 330 hotels have opened, the result of a precise strategy that has created many jobs. If there’s one recognizable trait of Italians, it’s definitely style. It can be expressed in various ways – through design, fashion, and cars – but a large part of it around the world is represented by the extraordinary dining and catering staff, usually Italian, present in hotels around the world. All this doesn’t happen by chance, but by knowing how to raise the level of training, research, and professionalism. This know-how is in our DNA because it’s inherent in the history, food, raw materials, and hospitality of Itay’s 8,000 municipalities. For five years, we’ve been breaking records for tourist arrivals. Segmented and professionally managed tourists generate economic returns, but if we get the reception wrong, no strategy can hold up. Every year, around 53,000 people visit Rome, millions of tourists who over time have increased their average stay in the city to 4 days. Anyone who creates hospitality in restaurants, hotels, and bars is an ambassador of tourism. We must therefore reflect on professionalization, stability, and awareness, creating feasible working conditions. Tourism is born in Rome and we must be able to continue attracting it”.

And my own thoughts and observations after living in Italy and Rome these last 10 years echo those of Doctor Onorato in that Italian Hospitality is the gold standard which can be seen all over the world. So it’s nice to see first-hand that this industry is growing stronger with each year and finally getting the recognition it so rightfully deserves.

Personally and professionally I have been both an ambassador and advocate for this incredible industry and community - from my Davvero Italy Travel Service (where I create tailor-made itineraries for visitors to discover the truly authentic side of Rome and Italy), my Bevi Italy bar and spirits promotions and customized cocktail tours (where I take tourists around some of the best Italian bars), the countless articles I wrote for prominent books and publications in the area of restaurants, travel, food, wine and cocktails AND most recently with Rome CocktailBar & Restaurant Week – the first dining and drinking event combining the world of food, cocktails, hotels, bars, restaurants, and wine in Roma – which I launched last year in 2025 and will take place annually every February and March.  

With so many prominent people, places and countless new openings in Rome and all over Italy, I think the best is yet to come…