More than 300 companies from across Asia will take part in the next edition of Alimentaria + Hostelco, Spain’s leading platform for the food, beverage, foodservice and hospitality equipment industries and a key international meeting point for the sector. The event will return to Fira de Barcelona’s Gran Via venue from 23 to 26 March 2026. Asian participation will increase by 20% compared with 2024, occupying more than 3,000 sq.metre of exhibition space.
The number of confirmed Asian companies now exceeds 300, representing a 20% increase in exhibition space and reaching a total of 3,000 m². The most strongly represented countries include China, South Korea, Japan, Thailand, Taiwan, Indonesia, Vietnam and Malaysia, with a particularly significant presence in categories such as canned foods, spices, meat products and vegetable oils. China consolidates its position as the third‑largest international exhibitor at Alimentaria + Hostelco, behind only Italy and Poland. Leading Asian participants include BidFood (Asia), TME (Malaysia), Big Basket (India) and the Lotte Mart retail chain (South Korea), among others.
In this edition, Alimentaria + Hostelco strengthens its international positioning with a 41% increase in the number of foreign exhibitors compared with 2024. Of the more than 3,300 companies expected to participate, nearly 1,000 will come from outside Spain, representing over 70 countries. Asian markets will have a particularly strong presence, alongside a broad representation from Europe and Latin America.
According to J. Antonio Valls, General Manager of Alimentaria Exhibitions, the Fira de Barcelona company that organises the event, “Asia is today one of the main drivers of growth in the sector, both due to the strength of its production and the evolution of its consumption. In this context, Alimentaria + Hostelco is consolidating itself as a key bridge between Europe, the United States and Asia, facilitating commercial exchange, innovation and the international projection of companies”.
Asian importers
Asia will also play a prominent role among the buyers attending the event. Alimentaria + Hostelco expects that 25% of the nearly 110,000 professionals visiting the show will come from outside Spain, including a significant number of importers from Asian markets interested in the business opportunities offered by the fair across Spanish and international products. In this context, 22% of all international buyers will come from Asia, making it the third‑largest region of origin for Alimentaria + Hostelco buyers, ahead of North America, Africa and the Middle East, and surpassed only by Europe and Latin America.
To support exhibitors in expanding their business in foreign markets, the trade fair platform operates a buyer invitation programme that will bring together more than 1,500 importers, distributors and purchasing managers from over 80 strategic countries. This initiative will facilitate more than 14,000 business meetings between buyers and participating companies throughout the event.
Beyond Asia, other major international presences will include Italy, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Germany. Special attention will be given to Poland, this year’s guest country, which will showcase its agri‑food industry through a delegation of 100 companies.
Alimentaria + Hostelco also strengthens its international reach through the ongoing work of a network of 30 overseas agents and delegations operating in nearly 80 countries. This network plays a key role in attracting high‑value exhibitors and buyers from strategic markets. Their efforts are complemented by an extensive programme of roadshows and promotional activities carried out by the organisation in Southeast Asia, China, Brazil, the United States and several European countries.
Connecting the industry and hospitality of the future
Alimentaria+Hostelco, organised by Alimentaria Exhibitions, a Fira de Barcelona company, expects to have the participation of around 3,300 exhibiting companies, which will occupy 100,000m2 net and 7 pavilions, practically the entire Gran Vía venue of Fira de Barcelona. The event, which celebrates its 50th anniversary, expects to receive more than 110,000 professional visitors, 25% of them international, reaffirming its leadership as one of the main world fairs in the sector, a platform for promoting business, internationalization and networking.
