Alimentaria & Hostelco stands as the premier international trade platform for food, beverages, hospitality equipment, and food service. It returns to the Gran Vía venue at Fira de Barcelona from March 18 to 21, 2024, building on a year of strong momentum. The event saw a 15% rise in international offers versus the previous edition, underscoring its growing global appeal. Among the 3,200 exhibiting companies, about 900 are international, with a notable emphasis on Italian participants and a welcome resurgence of Asian exhibitors, particularly from China and Hong Kong.
With just two months to go before Alimentaria & Hostelco 2024, exhibition space bookings have surpassed 96% occupancy. The growth in net international participation, reaching about 900 foreign firms and representing over 28% of total participants, highlights the event’s expanding global footprint. The program continues to emphasize cross-border opportunities within the Horeca channel, especially across Europe, and strengthens the strategic fusion of Hostelco’s International Equipment and Machinery for Restaurants, Hospitality, and Communities with Restaurama. The fair centers on catering as a core pillar, aiming to generate synergies across one of Spain’s most dynamic economic sectors and to solidify the event as the largest international platform for Horeca globally.
Information dissemination areas
Innovation remains a central driver for the food, dining, and hospitality industries. This year’s knowledge hubs, Alimentaria Hub and The Horeca Hub, will showcase a multidisciplinary and experiential space designed for Horeca professionals. The areas will share insights on sustainability, digital transformation, talent attraction, and internationalization, while featuring demonstrations and talks from renowned chefs and industry experts on the latest gastronomic and restaurant trends.
Antonio Valls, managing director of Alimentaria Exhibitions, emphasizes the fair’s distinctive international scope and broad crossover between food, beverage, and Horeca channels. He notes that the event consistently receives strong backing from leading Spanish companies and associations, reinforcing its credibility and global influence.
Maximum representativeness of the sector
Leading brands across diverse categories will participate in Alimentaria & Hostelco, including Unilever, Coca-Cola, DAMM, Nestlé, Danone, Europastry, Adam Foods, Aneto, Casa Tarradellas, El Pozo, Noel Alimentaria, Grupo Jorge, Argal, Grup Vall Companys, Coosur, Estrella Galicia, BonÀrea, GB Foods, Vicky Foods, Bridor, CBG, Monbake, Maheso, Garda Import, García Baquero, Grupo TGT, Calvo, Conservas Dani, Grup Balfegó, Torrons Vicens, MammaFiore, EPTA Iberia, Mibrasa, Iberital, Pujadas, Epson, Fagor, and Wiesheu. All Spanish autonomous communities will be represented, with Catalonia, Castilla y León, Andalusia, and Galicia playing important roles in the showcase.
International projection is growing
Alimentaria & Hostelco 2024 will feature the world’s second-largest exhibition footprint in the sector, following Spain. Italy remains a major focal point, with strong participation also anticipated from Turkey, China, Hong Kong, Poland, Portugal, France, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, and Argentina. Asian representation is set to rebound strongly, led by China and Hong Kong, while Taiwan, Thailand, South Korea, Indonesia, and Japan will contribute significant presence as well.
Visitation is expected to attract more than 2,200 buyers including importers, distributors, and purchasing managers, with over half hailing from abroad and representing 80 countries. The program prioritizes key markets such as the United States, Mexico, China, Canada, the United Kingdom, and South Korea, alongside major European and Latin American import origins. Notable confirmed attendees include initiatives from World Market and Fresh Market (USA), Walmart México, City Super (China), and Sodexo (UK), among others.
Full occupancy
The exhibition footprint will span seven pavilions and nearly 100,000 square meters of net area at Fira de Barcelona’s Gran Via. The program will be organized into 13 sectors. Eight verticals will address core demand areas: Intercarn (meat and derivatives), Interlact (dairy), Expoconser (canned goods), Restaurama (food service) and Snacks, Biscuits and Confectionery (snacks and desserts). New segments have been added to reflect market demand, including Fine Foods (gourmet products), Organic Foods (organic products), and Coffee, Bakery and Pastry (cafeteria, bakery, and patisserie). These additions respond to evolving formats, trends, and consumer expectations and represent a strategic emphasis for the competition.
In addition, five cross-exhibitions will showcase a broad mix of offerings: Alimentaria Trends featuring Plant-Based, Vegan Foods, Free-From, Functional Foods and related categories; Halal and International Pavilions highlighting foreign participation; Lands of Spain representing all Spanish regions; Grocery Foods with major brands; and FoodTech dedicated to food and beverage equipment. Premium will again be the most exclusive area, hosting renowned haute cuisine brands and showcasing premium gourmet products. The overall event, organized by Alimentaria Exhibitions and Fira de Barcelona, is expected to bring together about 3,200 participating companies, span the entire 100,000 square meters of net space, and attract more than 100,000 professional visitors, reinforcing its leadership as a premier platform for business, internationalization, and networking across the sector.