Alimentaria will generate an impact of 180 million and expects 100,000 visitors

Countdown to the start of a new edition of the Alimentaria Show, which will once again be held at Fira de Barcelona between April 4 and 7 after a four-year absence due to the pandemic. Once again, the largest fair in Southern Europe dedicated to the food sector will be organized jointly with Hostelco, the International Exhibition of Equipment and Machinery for Restaurants, Hotels and Collectivities, bringing together an offer of nearly 3,000 exhibiting companies that will occupy almost the entire Gran Via venue.

With an exhibition area of 85,000 square meters, Alimentaria & Hostelco expects to generate an economic impact of 180 million euros for Barcelona, which hosts its second largest fair of the year after MWC. The show expects 100,000 professional visitors and significant participation from foreign buyers and companies is anticipated, which will help strengthen the internationalization of Spanish food companies.

According to the organization, 400 international firms from 52 countries have confirmed their presence and will occupy some 15,000 square meters of exhibition space, representing 18% of the total footage offered at the event. In the international pavilions area, the participation of new countries such as Brazil, Slovakia, Australia, Canada, United Arab Emirates and Puerto Rico stands out. On the other hand, Russian companies will not be present due to the sanctions imposed by the European Union. Another significant fact is the strong commitment made by Alimentaria & Hostelco Greece and Turkey, which double the space contracted compared to the last edition, especially the Ottoman country, which will occupy an area of nearly one thousand square meters.

The international character of the event is completed with the hosted buyers program, that is, large buyers (representatives of supermarket chains and importing companies) who will attend the show to meet and establish negotiations with Spanish manufacturers. Specifically, the presence of 1,400 buyers from 68 countries invited by Alimentaria Exhibitions in collaboration with ICEX is expected. 12,500 business meetings have already been scheduled for them during the four days of the fair.

"We are very satisfied with the trust that, once again, many companies from other countries have placed in us. We are proud that, in a context like the current one, almost a fifth of the total offering of the show comes from international firms, a fact that consolidates the role of Alimentaria and Hostelco as a global benchmark", said the president of Alimentaria, José Luis Bonet.

As is traditional, Alimentaria is organized by subsectors, with a significant weight of meat companies and also of the various foodservice brands. Dairy products, snacks, oils, beverages, preserves, organic foods or machinery for hospitality and kitchenware are other of the many categories represented in the show. In addition to touring the stands, visitors will also be able to enjoy the multitude of parallel activities programmed by The Alimentaria Hub, a space in which more than 200 experts will participate and which aims to be the main showcase for the analysis of trends and the future of food.

'Foodtech' will be protagonists

Some of the central axes that will be addressed are related to innovation, sustainability, digitalization, new consumption habits, nutrition and new booming segments such as alternative protein or halal products. In the new Digital Food Arena space, startups that want to revolutionize the food sector will also be given prominence. Thus, eight foodtech companies chosen by the Food Hospitality Startup Revolution program, promoted by Alimentaria & Hostelco, will be presented. In parallel, another eight emerging companies for the hospitality sector will also have their space in Hostelco Startups Area.

Another of the great attractions of the show is The Experience Live Gastronomy, that is, the program of gastronomic activities, which foresees the participation of more than 30 reference chefs with more than 36 Michelin stars who can be seen cooking live in one of the six large kitchens that this gastronomic space will include.