· The appointment with Host will be in person in October

· Trend: focus on product and environmental safety

· Host welcomes “Luxury Confectioners around the World” by Iginio Massari, in the presence of the world's leading pastry chefs

· The innovators’ Smart Label Innovation Award is back

Innovation, sustainability, technology and safety. Thanks to the easing of restrictions and the new measures decided by governments regarding trade fair structures, the HoReCa world will meet “live” at fieramilano for its restart, from 22 to 26 October 2021, at HostMilano, the global equipment hub capable of bringing together all the most important Italian and international companies (to date there are already more than 1000 exhibitors from 40 countries).

The 42nd edition's menu not only promises to be even richer thanks to the simultaneous holding of TUTTOFOOD, the reference exhibition for the agro-food ecosystem, but will also, as always, act as a trendsetter for the entire 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.

The October appointment will be in person

From the Internet of Things to energy saving, from green awareness to the circular economy, from security to hygiene, 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.

A series of digital processes will allow companies to benefit from the advantages offered by HostMilano, a trade fair capable of maintaining ongoing synergies between the various sectors, by holding webinars on the most topical issues, sending out newsletters, 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. Two key words that concern not only the products, but also the environments in which the offer is enjoyed. Because, 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’.

But that's not enough, because 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, starting to consider security not as a cost, but as an investment for the future, to be invested upon through 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. Always the ideal marketplace for all business opportunities, the next edition of HostMilano will be enriched with an additional tool, Fiera Milano Platform, a new platform dedicated to the entire community of the reference sectors.

The SMART Label Host Innovation Award, the competition open to all "innovative" companies held in collaboration with POLI.Design, Consortium of the Milan Politechnical University, and under the patronage of ADI - the Italian Industrial Design Association, will also return to the Rho Fiera pavilions. In the last three editions of the award, 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 and 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, the return of an event such as “Pasticceria di Lusso nel Mondo” (Luxury Confectioners around the World) by Iginio Massari (in the presence of the world's most renowned pastry chefs) and, in the field of ice cream and pastry, the 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 ("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.

Who will be there: 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.

As far as Made in Italy is concerned, the companies already include names 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,...

Among the international companies, 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…

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 3 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.