Beyond all expectations. There are no other words to define the return to face-to-face events at HostMilano, which took place from 22 to October 26th at fieramilano in Rho and represents the reference exhibition for Equipment, Coffee and Food, as well as the absolute leader in the Ho.Re.Ca., Foodservice, retail, GDO and hotel sectors. The importance of HostMilano is confirmed by the satisfaction of buyers, exhibitors and visitors, and by the more than 110,000 professional operators who arrived in the Rho Fiera pavilions, with a geographical subdivision that sees Europe in first place (76%), followed by the Middle East (12%), Asia (5%), North and Central America (3%), Africa (3%) and South America (1%).

The numbers relating to exhibitors are also exceptional: they were 1,345 in total, 32% of which came from countries such as Germany, France, Spain, USA, Portugal, Holland, Belgium, Switzerland, Greece, Austria, and the United Kingdom.

Never before has the role of Fieramilano been consolidated as a European exhibition hub and a driving force for internationalization for Italian (and foreign) companies of all sizes. This is demonstrated, among other things, not only by the success recorded by MyMatching, the virtual agenda that favored the meeting between supply and demand in the weeks preceding the event, but also by the constant increase in international buyers (900 hosted by 80 Countries), arrived at the fair both thanks to the collaboration with ICE Agenzia, and to the agreements made with the main associations of the Horeca universe.

HostMilano is a business platform as well as a hub for exchanging skills, and  has always been the ideal place to discover new trends destined to change the future of the Horeca sector.

In the foreground, and it could not have been otherwise, the great issue of sustainability: there are many companies that are working to reduce waste and improve energy efficiency, using more performing machinery or adopting the logic of the circular economy. Innovation has seen an increasing use of the Internet of Things, from catering to the hotel sector, passing through food equipment, thanks to equipment for the preparation and storage of food equipped with the most advanced technologies.

On the other hand, there are new consumers who have come out profoundly transformed by recent years, and now are more and more attentive to the customer experience and the personalization of the service. They have become supporters of a real culture of food and drink, between natural and genuine solutions, but with a gourmet touch.

A trend that is not lacking even in the transformation of environments: functional spaces created with the collaboration of architects, designers and art directors (characteristic is the choice of new, refined and eco-friendly materials) now prevail, but they must, above all, be versatile, original and potentially ideal for any consumption occasion.