Associazione Italiana Food & Beverage Manager

What Associazione Italiana Food & Beverage Manager does

AIFBM (Associazione Italiana Food & Beverage Manager) is an Italian non-profit professional association founded in 2012 and headquartered in Milan. It serves Food & Beverage Managers working in Italian hospitality, primarily in 4 and 5-star hotels, both independent and chain-operated properties. The association was founded to elevate the professional standards, recognition, and prestige of the F&B Manager role, which historically lacked formal certification in Italy. AIFBM operates through a membership model with two tiers (Junior at €90/year and Senior at €150/year) and provides members access to training events, the annual Hospitality Management Forum, observatory benchmarking data, and the monthly Hospitality Management Review trade magazine, which is positioned as the only publication of its kind in Italy for this professional niche.

The core commercial offering is an Academy portfolio delivered via an e-learning platform compatible with major browsers and operating systems. The catalog includes individual modules priced at €139 (covering F&B Manager tools, F&B Lab cost analysis, Menu Engineering, Service Recovery, Warehouse Management, Breakfast operations, and Restaurant Marketing), a comprehensive base course in Food & Beverage Management at €699, and a premium 18-day Executive Program in F&B Management priced at €5,000 + VAT, co-delivered in partnership with LIUC Business School and offered in both in-person and live streaming formats. Courses feature video lessons, downloadable materials, exercises, and automated self-assessment tests. AIFBM additionally launched a Certification Program in 2025 designed to create internationally recognized managerial credentials.

AIFBM's go-to-market is event-driven and direct-to-consumer: the association acquires members through the annual Hospitality Management Forum, AIFBM Day training days, course offerings, and the Executive Program with LIUC, while distribution runs primarily through the aifbm.com e-commerce website. The organization is led by President Francesco Sagliocco (elected 2024, succeeding founding President Claudio Di Bernardo) and a seven-member board serving until December 31, 2027. With 9 employees and operations focused exclusively on the Italian market (notably Lombardy), AIFBM is a small, mission-driven professional association whose revenue is generated from membership fees and course/program sales.

Name

Associazione Italiana Food & Beverage Manager

Legal name

AIFBM Associazione Italiana Food & Beverage Manager

Website

https://aifbm.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

AIFBM is an Italian non-profit professional association, founded in 2012 and headquartered in Milan, that provides membership, training courses, and certification for Food & Beverage Managers working in 4- and 5-star hotels across Italy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Milan

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Course Sales (Online & Classroom): AIFBM generates revenue through the sale of individual online course modules (€139 each), comprehensive base courses (€699), and the premium Executive Program in F&B Management (€5,000 + VAT). Courses are sold through the organization's e-commerce website with full online delivery for digital products.
2. Annual Membership Fees: AIFBM charges annual membership fees ranging from €90 (Junior) to €150 (Senior). Membership provides access to networking, training events, the Hospitality Management Forum, AIFBM Day sessions, observatory data, and the monthly Hospitality Management Review magazine.
3. Executive Program Partnership: Revenue is generated through the collaboration with LIUC Business School for the Executive Program in Food & Beverage Management (€5,000 + VAT). AIFBM provides curriculum development, industry expertise, and instructors while LIUC provides the academic infrastructure and certification.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

AIFBM is a non-profit professional association that sells annual memberships, individual online training modules, a comprehensive base course in Food & Beverage Management, and a premium Executive Program co-developed with LIUC Business School. It also issues the AIFBM Certification, publishes the monthly Hospitality Management Review magazine, and runs the annual Hospitality Management Forum and AIFBM Day events for the Italian F&B Manager community.

Product overview

AIFBM is an Italian professional association for Food & Beverage Managers offering a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core offerings include an Executive Program in partnership with LIUC Business School, a comprehensive base Course in Food & Beverage Management, and seven specialized online modules covering F&B Manager Tools, F&B Lab, F&B Lab 2, Service Recovery, Warehouse Management, Breakfast, and Marketing. Additionally, the association provides annual Junior/Senior membership tiers and an AIFBM Certification Program. All courses are delivered via e-learning platform with video lessons, assessments, and certificates.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Corso Executive in F&B Management in collaborazione con LIUC Business School (Executive Program in Food & Beverage Management 2026) Premium 18-day executive course plus business game and closing event covering Hotel Operations, Bar Management, Wine Management, Kitchen Management, Decision Making, Lean Management, Pricing & Costing, Marketing, Soft Skills, and Project Management. Co-delivered with LIUC Business School. Targeted at hospitality and restaurant professionals seeking strategic, managerial, and operational F&B skills.
• Corso base in Food & Beverage Management (Base Course in Food & Beverage Management) Comprehensive online course covering operative, technical, and managerial competencies for leading profitable hospitality companies, including all foundational modules with video lessons, assessment tests, and certificate issuance.
• Quota Associativa Annuale AIFBM - Junior/Senior (Annual Membership) Annual membership with two tiers: Junior (€90/year, for those new to F&B Management) and Senior (€150/year). Membership includes access to the AIFBM network, training days, the Hospitality Management Forum, observatory data, and the monthly Hospitality Management Review magazine.
• Certificazione AIFBM (AIFBM Certification Program) Formal certification program designed to create internationally recognized managerial leaders capable of managing complex F&B structures and guiding high-performance teams.
• Online Course Modules for Food & Beverage Managers (Moduli 1a–7a) Seven standalone online training modules (each €139) covering F&B Manager Tools, F&B Lab costing, Menu Engineering, Service Recovery, Warehouse Management, Breakfast operations, and Marketing in the restaurant sector. Sold individually via the e-commerce shop and delivered through the e-learning platform.

Quantifiable outcome

• The Executive Program provides 72 hours of instruction over 12 sessions with 10 industry professional instructors, covering both technical and management skills for F&B leadership.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• LIUC Business SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAIFBM collaborates with LIUC Business School for the delivery of the Executive Program in Food & Beverage Management. The partnership combines AIFBM's industry expertise and professional instructor network with LIUC's academic infrastructure, campus facilities, and certification capabilities. The program runs for 18 classroom days plus business game and closing event sessions.
• HospitalityManagement.itminorOthersHospitalityManagement.it is described as a sister brand/publication that appears alongside AIFBM branding on the website. The two entities share branding elements and cross-promotional relationships.
• RistogolfminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRistogolf (Associazione Ristoratori Albergatori & Co. Golfisti) is listed as an Official Supplier of AIFBM. Ristogolf organizes golf events combining gastronomy and hospitality professionals, with AIFBM serving as a supporting association. The partnership involves cross-promotion and shared participation in industry events.
• Fede GroupminorOthersFede Group is a partner company of hotels and hospitality groups in the F&B sector, managing over 70 properties across Italy. Founder Marcello Forti serves as an instructor for AIFBM courses, demonstrating the link between industry practitioners and the association's educational programs.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• CAST Alimenti: Italian culinary arts and hospitality training institute offering professional certification programs; overlaps with AIFBM on the training and certification axis for hospitality professionals.
• ALMA - Scuola Internazionale di Cucina Italiana: Italian culinary and hospitality training school offering professional courses, events, and credentials; competes for the same pool of aspiring and mid-career F&B professionals AIFBM serves.
• Gambero Rosso Academy: Italian food & wine media and training brand offering professional courses; comparable content-plus-education model targeting hospitality and food-service professionals in Italy.

Broad incumbents

• Federalberghi: Italy's principal hotel industry trade association representing lodging operators; operates in the same buyer base (Italian 4-5 star hotels) but as a broad employer/lobby group rather than a specialized F&B credentialing body.
• HOTREC: European umbrella federation for hotels, restaurants, pubs, and cafés; broader industry-level body relevant for context on EU-level hospitality professionalization influencing AIFBM's expansion runway.
• Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne: Globally recognized hospitality management school delivering degree programs and executive education; relevant benchmark for AIFBM's LIUC-partnered Executive Program in scope, format, and audience.

Direct peers

• Associazione Italiana Sommelier (AIS): Italy's leading professional association for sommeliers, offering membership tiers, training courses, certification, and events — the closest structural analog to AIFBM's model applied to beverage professionals in Italian hospitality.

Regional players

• Les Clefs d'Or Italia: Italian chapter of the international concierge association, organizing members from luxury hotels; comparable professional-association model targeting a related but distinct hospitality role within Italian luxury properties.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCdZQroE9DfYzmkiRnvlbADg
• Facebookfacebook.com/associazioneitalianafoodbeveragemanagers
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/associazione-italiana-food-beverage-manager
• Instagraminstagram.com/aifbm

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Associazione Italiana Food & Beverage Manager