Thanks to the easing of restrictions and new measures decided by governments regarding trade fair structures, the HORECA world will meet live at fieramilano when premier event HostMilano returns onsite from 22–26 October 2021. The global equipment hub is set to gather all the most important Italian and international companies, with over 1,000 exhibitors from 40 countries already confirmed. 

The 42nd edition's menu promises to be even richer thanks to the co-location of TUTTO FOOD, a reference international expo for the agro-food ecosystem. In continuation of the premier show’s long-held mandate, HostMilano will serve as a trendsetter for the entire HORECA sector, multiplying business opportunities and anticipating the most current trends. This is demonstrated by an agenda already packed with events organised by all the main sector associations, ready to bring the know-how and best practices of their members, exhibitors, buyers or speakers to the halls of fieramilano.

Celebrating the world of professional hospitality

This October, HostMilano will explore and showcase an array of considerations and corresponding innovations for the HORECA segment – from the Internet of Things to energy saving, from green awareness to the circular economy, from security to hygiene, and from rethinking formats and spaces to adopting new materials and new approaches for the out-of-home world. 

“While the HostMilano machine has never stopped in recent months, accompanying companies and operators from behind the scenes, now the time has come for the Fiera Milano event to celebrate the world of professional hospitality through a physical exhibition held in complete safety, thanks to the protocols already in place and tested last September,” the show’s organisers said in a statement.

A series of digital processes will allow participating companies to benefit from the advantages offered by HostMilano, a trade fair capable of maintaining ongoing synergies between the various sub-sectors, by holding webinars on the most topical issues, issuing newsletters, and updating the event websites and social channels.

Trend: focus on security

In its role as trendsetter and place-to-be for anyone who innovates in the world of hospitality, the next edition of HostMilano will take a special look at the Next Normal's priority for companies in the sector: safety and quality. “These are two key words that concern not only the products, but also the environments in which the offer is enjoyed,” the organisers said in a statement. “According to experts, consumers in the next few years will decide to direct their choices towards those out-of-home professionals (from restaurants to bars, from bakers to pastry shops) who will conquer people's trust not only because of their products, but also thanks to the technologies adopted to keep their spaces ‘safe’.”

However, the first step for the professional hospitality sector will be a cultural one. “In other words, operators must be able to change their view of security and safety, and begin to consider security not as a cost, but as an investment for the future, investing in continuous training and compliance with certified sanitation protocols.”

Business and innovation triumph at Host

Immersive, personalised, multi-channel and capable of combining business opportunities and innovation, HostMilano has long been the premier event for the HORECA segment. However, the next

edition will be enriched with an additional tool: Fiera Milano Platform – a new platform dedicated to the entire community of the reference sectors.

Meanwhile, the SMART Label Host Innovation Award is a competition open to all innovative companies participating in HostMilano. Held in collaboration with POLI.Design, Consortium of the Milan Politechnical University, and under the patronage of ADI (the Italian Industrial Design Association), the competition also returns to the Rho Fiera pavilions. In the last three editions, over 150 awards and 20 special recognitions have been presented, and this year's award has a single objective: to assess the level of innovation and the most intelligent solutions of the competing companies, judged by a jury made up of seven professional university lecturers, alongside national and international experts in the field of hospitality design and energy saving.

Events: Maestro Iginio Massari returns

From contests to show-cooking, from in-depth seminars to training sessions, the 2021 edition of HostMilano will feature a menu of over 800 events covering all the macro-areas of the exhibition. In the foreground will be the return of the event ‘Pasticceria di Lusso nel Mondo’ (Luxury Confectioners around the World) by Iginio Massari, in the presence of the world's most renowned pastry chefs. Meanwhile, in the field of ice cream and pastry, the show will host international championships organised by the  FIPGC International Pastry, Ice Cream and Chocolate Federation. 

There will also be events and competitions in the world of coffee bars, organised by ALTOGA, the National Association of Coffee Roasters and Importers and Food Wholesalers.

Within the Bread, Pizza, Pasta macro-area, in addition to the Bakery Academy, the Maestri del Lievito Madre (Mother Yeast Masters) will take the field for the Panettone World Championship. 

Finally, on the catering front,  FIPE will present Ristorazione 4.0, a privileged Observatory on digital innovation in the sector, which will share the stage with the seminars of the Horeca Digital Academy, organised by APCI Associazione Professionale Cuochi (the Professional Chefs' Association), and with those organised by FCSI on the future of Hospitality. 

Current events and tomorrow's trends will also be the focus of the Design Talks, in collaboration with POLI.design, opportunities for professional updates on highly topical issues applied to the professional hospitality and design sector.

From Italy and the world

Like every edition, HostMilano will feature a line-up that knows no boundaries, with top exhibitors from the five corners of the globe.

Flying the ‘Made in Italy’ flag at HostMilano will be home-grown companies such as Gruppo Cimbali, Simonelli Group, Hausbrandt, Gruppo Ima, Pregel, Babbi, Imperia & Monferrina, Tagliavini, Ali Group, Rational, Berto's, Costa Group, Calligaris, Abert-Broggi 1818, Bormioli Rocco, and more. 

Among HostMilano’s international participants, the following have confirmed their participation:

Welbilt, Hobart, Salva, Wiesheu, Josè Julio Jordao, Valmar Global, WMF Group, Schaerer, Curtis, Marco Beverage Systems, Probat-Werke von Gimborn Maschinenfabrik, Ahlstrom-Munksjo, Steelite International, Rosenthal, and many more. 

Fiera Milano has also streamlined access to credit for exhibiting companies by supporting investment financing. In order to provide tangible support to SMEs and facilitate their participation in these events, agreements have been signed with various credit institutions. 

From 3rd June, it will also be possible for companies to access the Simest portal, with new applications for subsidised loans from the 394/81 fund. This is a new opportunity – proposed by Simest – to support the participation of Italian companies in international trade fairs in the internationalisation of companies, also with a non-repayable co-financing share from the fund's resources for integrated promotion.

Host Milano – co-located with TUTTOFOOD – returns to fieramilano from 22–26 October 2021. To exhibit, participate, or to learn more about the premier upcoming HORECA event, visit: https://host.fieramilano.it/en