To say that the Ho.Re.Ca sector is eager for everything to open up again is putting it mildly. It understands how crucial, indeed vital, it is to get things going again, and is more interested than ever in what its leading trade fair, HostMilano, has to offer. A road map is now in place – the government has set 15 June as the date when trade fairs can start to operate again – and never before has it been so important to showcase innovation, sustainability, technology and safety. Host2021 has now confirmed that it will be taking place as a live event. The two-yearly show will be held at Fieramilano from 22 to 26 October 2021.

The fair, which brings together all the very best that the hospitality, retail and catering sectors have to offer, and now in its 42nd edition, will be attended by leading companies from Italy and abroad, and 1,000 exhibitors from 40 countries have already confirmed they will be there. And to make things even more interesting, this year’s fair will be held in conjunction with TUTTOFOOD, the fair that focuses on the agri-food ecosystem.

Great attention will be paid to the safety of exhibitors and professional visitors, with all  the protocols that were successfully put in place last September being used once again. The live event will be further extended through the digital Fiera Milano Platform, devoted to the entire community and their respective supply chains: a “touch point” will improve the experience by simplifying meetings between exhibitors, visitors and the event’s stakeholders.

Visitors to Host2021 will find all they need to restart their businesses, from the Internet of Things, energy saving, eco-awareness and the circular economy, to security, hygiene, and the new materials and layouts needed for eating out. The ways in which establishments will be sanitised will be a central theme, with all the most innovative solutions involving ozone, photo-catalysis and UV-C on display. All of which will help those involved in the hospitality sectors and associated trades – hoteliers, restaurateurs, bartenders, bakers and pastry makers – to make that all-important leap forward in quality.

This year more than ever, Host2021 will be the place to find out not just about new products, but also about marketing trends and digitisation processes. There will be hundreds of events, championships, show cooking sessions and seminars with the experts. The SMART Label–Host Innovation Award, the competition organised by Fiera Milano and HostMilano showcasing ideas from innovative companies, will be held once again between 22 and 26 October 2021, in collaboration with POLI.Design Consorzio of Politecnico di Milano, with the support of ADI, Italy’s Industrial Design Association.

Fiera Milano has also made it easier for exhibitor firms to access credit, through investment financing programmes. Agreements have been signed with various credit institutes to give concrete support to SMEs and enable them to take part in these events. Exhibitors can also take advantage of subsidies granted by Sace Simest for participation in fairs and exhibitions in Italy.