Alimentaria 2018 prepares for their biggest edition in recent years

Like every other year, the time comes for Alimentaria, the International Food, Drink and Hospitality Exhibition, one of the most relevant trade shows, considered today as the place to be in terms of business relations and internationalization for the Spanish food industry. The organisers have just announced the content of the new edition, which is expected to bring together over 4,500 exhibitors and over 150,000 visitors.

This edition, which will take place between April 16th and 19th at the Gran Vía Fira de Barcelona precinct, will be held along with Hostelco, the International Hospitality, Food & Restaurant services Equipment and Machinery exhibit, which will multiply synergies with catering and restaurant business, becoming thus an unmissable sector event.

At the presentation attended Isabel García Tejerina, Minister of Agriculture and Fishing, Food and Environment, along with other members of the Administration, and other entities and governing bodies. It was highlighted above all the international scope of this fair, which is especially conceived to facilitate contact between exhibitors and international buyers, coming from more than 150 countries from all around the world.

With the aim of promoting exports, the exhibit has increased this year the investment in the Hosted Buyers programme in order to invite 800 key international buyers – of which over half will attend the fair for the first time –, prioritising importers and large distribution and Horeca channel actors. The organizers foresee that these professionals, along with other visitors with purchasing power, participate in around 12,500 meetings with the exhibitors.

The wide offer of this show is structured around 6 sector fairs: Intervin, Intercarn and Restaurama, which can be considered the benchmark shows regarding wine, meat and Food Service respectively, Expoconser, the showcase for Spanish preserves and semi-preserves, Interlact, with a huge offer on dairy products and derivatives, and Multiple Foods, oriented towards retail. On top of them we must add Alimentaria Premium, an exclusive zone dedicated to high end food and wine.

There will be over 200 activities programmed at the fair, many of which will be within two large themes: The Alimentaria Hub and The Alimentaria Experience. Aside from promoting business opportunities, the intent is to promote sector innovation and leverage or multiply the connections between the food, gastronomy and tourism industries, which together account for 25% of the country´s GDP.

For more info on the exhibition, click HERE.