IATH Academy students take the field from October 1 to 4 in Cernobbio, turning the prestigious Orticolario event into a high-level experiential training ground.
Cernobbio (CO), September 2026 The prestigious collaboration between IATH Academy and Orticolario—the international event dedicated to landscape culture and garden design, scheduled at Villa Erba from October 1 to 4—is officially renewed for 2026. Following the success of the previous edition, these two institutions of excellence from the Lake Como area team up once again under deeply shared values: attention to detail, enhancement of local heritage, and a vision of hospitality as a true art form and social responsibility. This year’s edition, titled “En Rêverie”, will guide visitors on a dreamlike, immersive journey through dreams, illusions, and fantastic plants, offering the perfect backdrop to celebrate this partnership.
For the occasion, 15 selected students will be directly involved in prominent operational roles, working side-by-side with industry professionals and operators. The students will be at the heart of the event’s complex logistical machine, performing crucial duties to guarantee top-tier hospitality for an international audience:
- Welcome and Ticket Office Management: Staffing the Visconti, Galoppatoio, and Lakeside Dock access points, managing visitor flow, and providing initial assistance—a fundamental touchpoint that shapes the initial perception of the event.
- Hostess Service:Welcoming exclusive guests during institutional meetings in the historic setting of Villa Antica, alongside direct assistance during the exclusive Charity Dinner evening.
- Program Assistance and Surveys: Logistical coordination of the rich schedule of workshops and cultural events in the park, while simultaneously conducting customer experience surveys to gather real-time visitor feedback.
«Orticolario continues to prove itself as an extraordinary immersive experience, where beauty and nature are inextricably intertwined with the culture of hospitality, which forms the pillar of our Academy’s educational program,» comments Anita Longo, Director of IATH Academy. «Renewing this strategic partnership for the 2026 edition allows us to offer our students an irreplaceable field experience. Our students will have the extraordinary opportunity to engage with an international clientele and highly prestigious corporate events, developing the problem-solving skills, flexibility, and relational intelligence required to become future leaders in high-end tourism.»
For the Cernobbio Academy, the synergy with Orticolario perfectly embodies the philosophy of learning by doing. Their involvement in front-line and logistical coordination roles at Villa Erba serves as a true experiential field laboratory. The young students not only test the theoretical knowledge acquired in the classroom, but also refine their interpersonal style and intercultural skills, concretely preparing themselves for their debut in the most prestigious luxury hospitality and global tourism enterprises, historic partners of the Foundation.
IATH Academy and Orticolario: Two Lake Como Excellences
IATH Academy is a Foundation established in 2014 in Cernobbio, on Lake Como, through the alliance of the most qualified entities in the tourism training and business sectors, in collaboration with prestigious national and international hotel chains. With around 360 students enrolled in two-year advanced training courses (roughly 50% of whom attend courses taught entirely in English) and two 3-to-6-month internships in Italy or abroad, the Academy prepares motivated young people to successfully step into roles as junior managers in world-class hospitality facilities.
Orticolario is the cultural event dedicated to those who live nature as a lifestyle. The venue is the historic park of Villa Erba in Cernobbio (CO), a 19th-century residence overlooking the shores of Lake Como and the childhood summer home of filmmaker Luchino Visconti. Its distinctive feature is the presentation of themed gardens and installations inspired by the theme of the year, highlighted by the creations selected for the “Spazi Creativi” international competition. The event is enriched by a wide array of rare, unusual, and collectible plants, artistic craftsmanship, and design from over 250 rigorously selected exhibitors, a dense schedule of talks, numerous educational-creative workshops for children and youth, as well as performances and experiences. Throughout the four days and the rest of the year, donations are collected for the Fondo Amici di Orticolario, which supports projects promoting landscape culture and five local charitable associations.
