CampaniAlleva Expo

The largest livestock fair in Southern Italy

Established in 2023, CampaniAlleva Expo has quickly become the benchmark livestock event in the Mezzogiorno. It takes place at the CECAS exhibition center in Contrada Olivola, on the outskirts of Benevento. For three days, the site transforms into a bustling hub dedicated to animal husbandry, complete with competition rings, animal stalls, marquees, and commercial pavilions. The fair is promoted and organized by the Campania and Molise Breeders Association (AACM), led by President Davide Minicozzi and Director Augusto Calbi.

A thousand animals, dozens of breeds

The heart of the event is the livestock exhibition. In 2025, the CECAS hosted nearly a thousand animals and almost five hundred exhibitors from eleven Italian regions, turning Benevento into the capital of Southern Italian animal husbandry for an entire weekend.

• Cattle and Buffalo: The National Marchigiana Breed Show, Charolaise and Limousine beef cattle, and Italian Mediterranean buffalo.
• Equines: The Central-Southern interregional Haflinger show, Maremmano horses, and rare breeds, featuring performance trials.
• Sheep, goats, poultry, and rabbits, with morphological judging and presentations of native breeds.
• Dog and bird shows, ranging from Maremmano-Abruzzese sheepdogs to Lagotto Romagnolo truffle dogs.
• Agricultural machinery, feed, and services for livestock farms.

Conferences, research, and training

CampaniAlleva is more than just a showcase; the program includes technical conferences and training sessions for breeders every year. In 2025, highlights included a meeting on the 'Big' project—focused on the genomic selection of the Italian Mediterranean Buffalo—in collaboration with Coldiretti, Filiera Italia, and AIA executives, as well as an AACM conference on the future of beef farming, balancing economic sustainability with quality. During the event, the Association signed three cooperation protocols covering professional farriery training, herd management, animal welfare, and scientific research in mountain regions.

Gastronomy and local products

A significant portion of the venue is dedicated to food and wine excellence. The food area, tastings, and cooking shows highlight the link between farming and cooking, including sensory analysis of cheeses and demonstrations featuring the Vitellone Bianco IGP. It is a direct way to show the public the origins of their milk, meat, and cheese in a province—the Sannio—where agriculture, livestock, and viticulture remain central economic pillars.

An event for families and schools

Alongside the professional side, the fair offers a program designed for the general public: educational farms, craft workshops, the biodiversity parade, and evening equestrian shows, including the Grand Equestrian Gala curated by the AIA, directed in 2025 by Nico Belloni. In 2025, the gates remained open from 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM for all three days, attracting tens of thousands of visitors.

Benevento and Campania

The event takes place in the Municipality of Benevento, the capital of the province of the same name in Campania. The local administration views the exhibition center as a stable asset; Mayor Clemente Mastella has publicly called for CampaniAlleva to become a permanent annual fixture, while Regional Councilor for Agriculture Nicola Caputo has emphasized the agricultural and livestock importance of the Sannio area. Following the success of the first editions, the organizers have announced plans to establish their own fair authority to further develop the Contrada Olivola district with additional events throughout the year.

The 2026 edition

The fourth edition has been confirmed. In March 2026, President Minicozzi announced on social media that "CampaniAlleva 2026 will take place" in Benevento. Official dates have not yet been announced; those planning a visit should follow the campanialleva.it website and the fair's Facebook and Instagram pages, where schedules, programs, and competition regulations are typically published.