There is still a whole year to go until the next show, but the wheels of the HostMilano machine are already turning, and indeed things are heating up on the international markets. The Road to Host is a series of initiatives which will take HostMilano to various hotspots where the best in hospitality is to be found and useful connections can be established.

Around the world in 100 days: in the last four months alone the International Hospitality Exhibition has already taken part in an initial event in Chicago, where it got to know more about that market, before flying off to Abu Dhabi. From there it returned to Milan for the highly successful Chef Coffee Lab, at which leading chefs from partner organisation Ambasciatori del Gusto were busy preparing some highly innovative, mouth-watering dishes involving coffee in its various forms, under the HostMilano banner.

Another month, another continent: HostMilano flew into Mexico City, where it presented its smart approach. And the event was also showcased further north, in San Diego USA, at the convention of FEDA, the Foodservice Equipment Distributors Association.

Finally to the Jordanian capital Amman, where the first semi-final of The Dates Connection was held (see separate news item). Not just a chance to meet and interact with a range of different culinary cultures and creative minds, but a major opportunity for networking and business development, in a way that reinforces relations between the two worlds of Food & Beverage, and Hospitality + Out-of-Home Foodservice represented by TUTTOFOOD and HostMilano, which will be held from 8 to 11 May and 13 to 17 October respectively.

A programme, then, that criss-crossed the globe, aimed at bringing supply and demand closer together, creating opportunities for meetings between potential exhibitors and buyers on their own markets, and also forging partnerships with leading associations locally.