The leading trade fair platform for the food, beverage, foodservice, and hospitality equipment industries concludes today with resounding success in terms of both attendance and business. This edition was marked by its highest number of international exhibitors and significant participation from both domestic and international buyers. The event, which celebrated Alimentaria’s 50th anniversary, also highlighted the prominence of the HORECA sector and its promotion of product and solution innovations for the industry.
During the four-day event, the show welcomed 109,600 professionals, 25% of whom were international, representing 120 countries, primarily the United States, Latin America, and Europe. Buyers and industry professionals were drawn by the extensive offerings presented by more than 3,300 exhibiting companies, 1,200 of which came from 70 countries. The event fostered internationalization, business growth, and competitiveness in sectors that are strategic for the economy.
In this regard, the number of participating international companies increased by 30% compared to the previous edition in 2024, with a 40% increase in exhibition space dedicated to international presence. Europe, with Poland as the Country of Honor, along with Latin America and North America, accounted for a significant portion of this business representation.
Furthermore, during the four days of the event, 14,500 business meetings took place between participating companies and the more than 2,700 buyers and importers from 120 countries invited to the show.
According to Antoni Llorens, president of Alimentaria, “The great success of this edition demonstrates the strength of the sector, even in an international context as complex as the current one. Thanks to its 50-year history, Alimentaria continues to be an essential internationalization tool for our industry.”
Boosting the Horeca Channel and Innovation
One of the most successful areas of this edition has been the one dedicated to the Horeca channel, which, in line with the event’s strategic focus on foodservice and hospitality, has grown by 40% this year, bringing together more than 600 companies from the sector. The large audience turnout, along with the program of activities and the innovations presented, reflect, according to Hostelco President Pere Taberner, “the dynamism and transformative capacity of both the food industry as a whole and the Horeca sector in particular.”
In this regard, new products and developments have once again taken center stage at the event. The trade show has become a showcase for pioneering proposals, especially those offering the market healthier solutions with a lower environmental impact, and artificial intelligence applications geared towards increasingly personalized nutrition.
Thanks to the collaboration between Alimentaria+ Hostelco and the Fundació Banc dels Aliments (Food Bank Foundation), a hundred volunteers from the NGO plan to collect more than 20,000 kg of food and beverages donated by exhibiting companies.
The next edition of Alimentaria+Hostelco will take place from March 20 to 23, 2028, at the Gran Via venue of Fira de Barcelona.
