The first edition of the Science, Policy and the Public in Italy (SPP Italy) conference was held in Cambridge in October 2019. Organised by the Cambridge University Italian Society together with the Association of Italian Scientists in the UK, the conference invited UK based Italian researchers and policymakers from Italy to discuss policy issues that could benefit from expert scientific advice. Covering topics such as infrastructure monitoring and machine learning bias, the conference was one in a series of events promoting an initiative to set up a scientific advisory office for the Italian Parliament. This article reviews the contents of the thematic panels and keynote speeches, and suggests improvements and expansions for future editions of the event.