Alessandro Barbisotti on Purpose, Partnership, and the Power of Showing Up
At 17, Alessandro Barbisotti found himself on a plane to Moscow, headed to work as a waiter in a VIP restaurant inside a tradeshow pavilion. It was a favor to his former boss, but it marked the beginning of a global career in hospitality.
Now the founder and president of Backstage Catering, Barbisotti runs a company that delivers full-service catering and exhibition support in more than 20 countries. From Milan and London, he leads teams across Europe, Asia, and North America, helping exhibitors focus on clients while his crews handle equipment, staffing, and fresh meals cooked on-site.
“I don’t just want to send food,” Barbisotti says. “I want to solve problems.”
A Career That Started in Moscow
For Barbisotti, that means creating hospitality that feels familiar no matter where a client is exhibiting. His goal is to make customers feel at home anywhere in the world, pairing highly professional service with flavors and menus that reflect the client’s own culture.
Barbisotti started Backstage Catering in 1994 after years of working internationally, from Germany and the United Kingdom to Australia and the United States. By the time he was 24, he had worked on six continents and realized he wanted a business that would keep him globally connected while remaining rooted in his home country.
“I wanted to keep traveling,” he says. “But I also wanted to build something that let me bring value wherever I went.”
More Than Food Service
The company specializes in exhibition hospitality, supporting everything from 70-square-meter booths to sprawling 5,000-square-meter pavilions. Services include kitchen staff, service personnel, hosts and hostesses, logistics, beverages, equipment, and fresh ingredients. Barbisotti’s teams cook on-site each day to ensure quality and flexibility, especially when attendance spikes without warning.
More than logistics, Barbisotti sees his work as building long-term partnerships with clients.
“The people who understand what we offer keep coming back,” he says. “We make it easier for them to succeed, not just feed their guests.”
One Contact, Global Support
His approach is rooted in the idea that tradeshow hospitality should not be stressful. By providing centralized catering support and global connections, Backstage Catering helps clients avoid coordinating separate local food, beverage, staffing, equipment, and service providers in each market. Clients work with one point of contact who understands local regulations, cultural expectations, menus, and exhibition timelines.
“Every hour we save them is time they can spend on strategy or with their families,” Barbisotti says. “That matters.”
Hiring for Mindset
That belief in purpose runs through his leadership style. Barbisotti says the most important thing he looks for in a new hire is not their résumé but their mindset.
“I tell everyone: if you’re here just to collect a paycheck, this may not be the right place,” he says. “But if you want to grow, there is space for you.”
A Team That Thinks Like Owners
His team spans continents, but he stays closely involved. Barbisotti describes Backstage Catering as a large family, where each employee is part of the project and takes responsibility for its success. He says team members are encouraged to think like entrepreneurs, sharing goals, finding solutions, and taking ownership of the client experience.
Sustainability on the Menu
Backstage Catering is also known for its commitment to sustainability. The company offers biodegradable materials, customizable organic menus, and even furniture made from recyclable cardboard. Barbisotti says that while some clients initially hesitate, many grow to appreciate the value of more ethical and environmentally responsible options.
“It’s about doing things the right way, not just the easy way,” he says.
Still Driven by the Next Problem
Despite a travel schedule that takes him to more than 140 cities a year, Barbisotti still lights up when talking about the places he’s worked, from Australia’s Great Ocean Road to the human connection he finds in Asia.
“In some parts of the world, the approach to people and business is more genuine,” he says. “It reminds you why you started in the first place.”
After three decades, what still excites him most is solving problems and making each client’s life easier.
“I’m not interested in just showing up,” he says. “I want to leave things better than I found them.”
Founded in 1994, Backstage Catering provides full-service catering and exhibition hospitality support for tradeshows and events around the world. For more info, visit en.backstagecatering.com.
This story originally appeared in the Q3 2026 issue of Exhibit City News, with the original magazine layout available here.
