The 5 OTHER Major Trade Fairs for the Food and Drinks Industry You Can’t Afford to Miss

We had to make hard decisions in the creation of our last list of essential trade fairs for the food and drinks industry, but the result is that we left out many exciting events that deserve their spot in the limelight. What are the trends specifics for sweets and snacks? How are the wine markets changing throughout the world? And what about health-centric foods? We can dive deeper in those subjects and expand our professional network at the following five trade fairs.

Our first stop is in London, UK – the home of IFE. This international trade fair arrives once every two years and handles all business aspects surrounding the food and drinks industry. It’s the best platform in the UK to meet with senior buyers and decision-makers in your particular sector.

The opportunities to sell are excellent and you have a robust support frame – 70 talks, interactive workshops, panels, advice to go hubs. The product groups covered at IFE include bakery, snacks, confectionery, drinks, grocery and wholesale, chilled and frozen, health and wellbeing, vegan and plant-based, international pavilions and speciality food.

Now let’s head to a more specialized trade fair. ProSweets targets the needs and challenges of the confectionery industry. This international trade fair takes place in Cologne, Germany every year and is interested not just in the finished products, but the whole process from raw materials to the actual processing technology, then packaging, storage and logistics.

This careful observation of the production chain is what makes ProSweets Cologne so important. The trade fair is co-located with ISM and delivers comprehensive benefits. Visitors have really come to appreciate what the Robotic-Pack-Line has to offer in terms of robotics and automation technology. There’s also the cutting-edge innovations at the FutureLab.

In Dusseldorf, trade visitors are able to enjoy incredible wine tasting at ProWein. This is one of the definitive events for the wine and spirits industry and an effective platform in introducing the supply to demand. The trade fair is an annual occurrence and gathers together big names from hotel, retail, wholesale and foreign trade, gastronomy and manufacturing industry. Discover the future of wines, while celebrating established wine regions and wineries. The assortment remains one of the richest in the world from organic labels to regional specialties.

Good wine can’t be served without pairing with delicious food and ProWein doesn’t disappoint with its themed tastings and culinary events that run throughout the entirety of the trade fair.

In France, SIAL is the food fair that commands market trends and is the heart of the French food and drink industry, but it’s also so much more – it’s a world leader with a broad appeal for local and international decision makers. Naturally, the trade fair is organized in Paris and arrives once a year. The main function of SIAL is to act as a business platform and there’s interest from food wholesalers and retailers all the way to institutional and commercial catering.

After all, one of the biggest highlights is the La Cuisine area. This is a special area made for the food-service industry and it’s a source for much inspiration, instruction and networking. Trade visitors can attend a VIP restaurant and a culinary photo exhibition, as well as experience, live culinary demonstrations.

Vitafoods Europe & Finished Products Expo are a pair of events that serve the nutraceutical food industry and to this day are considered industry leaders and the go-to marketplace to generate sales. The international trade fair is held in Geneva, Switzerland and editions are held every single year. Trade visitors attend in order to meet all their needs – gain access to experts, survey products and ingredients and tap into new markets.

What you should know about Vitafoods is that it actively works towards eliminating malnutrition and hunger. The trade fair has partnered up with the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition to exact change not just economically, but also socially and environmentally