Exhibition News February 2020 | Page 29

Sector Focus KEY EVENTS AND ORGANISERS 1. International Food and Drink Event: The International Food and Drink Event (IFE) is organised by Fresh Montgomery and brings together 1,350 food and drink manufacturers. The event has been going on for four decades, and has always aimed to showcase the latest advances in technology, trends, buying strategies and consumer demands to its attendees, whilst reflecting what those in the industry want. IFE also aims to create a space where food and drink buyers can ‘discover emerging trends and products, meet their peers, and witness relevant content’. The event will next be held at ExCeL London from 17-20 March 2020, and will be co-located with sister events Hotel Restaurant & Catering (HRC) and IFE Manufacturing Solutions. The joining of this shows is to ‘meet the ever-growing industry demand for solutions across the full food and drink supply chain’, and antricipates over 40,000 attendees. 2. Imbibe Live and The Snack Show: Organised by Reed Exhibitions, Imbibe Live is an annual event for anyone who sources, buys or serves drinks in the licensed on-trade, from sommeliers, buyers and managers to publicans and bartenders. The show has seen brands like Fever Tree launch and grow into household names through exhibiting Exhibitions, Imbibe Live is an annual event for anyone who sources, buys or serves drinks in the licensed on-trade, from sommeliers, buyers and managers to publicans and bartenders. » Genre: Drink » Editor of Imbibe, Robyn Black: “Imbibe Live has established itself as the UK’s leading on-trade drinks event. It attracts customers from across all drinks categories.” there. Running concurrently is The Snack Show, which showcases snack innovation, launches new products and facilitates discussion on the latest trends in the snack food sector, as well as enabling visitors to meet with a range of suppliers and gain insights from experts leading the change in the snack sector. The shows are held at Olympia London, with the next edition on 29 June 2020. 3. European Coffee, Tea and Soft Drinks Expo: The European Coffee, Tea and Soft Drinks Expo is currently in its third year as an exhibition, and is the only trade show devoted to the professional sales of soft beverages across the food service industry, from cafes, coffee shops and hotels, to restaurants, contract caterers, leisure outlets, those in the travel sector, pubs, bars and offices. The event was started when CEO John Bednall saw a gap in the market for a dedicated show, after seeing no or limited beverage options at other food and drink trade shows. Since starting, the show has grown by 30% each year, and now attracts 200 exhibitors. Organised by Quinic Events, the event is held at Olympia London, and includes key features such as live demonstrations from the London School of Tea at the Tea Workshop Theatre, a live roastery and a barista masterclass. The next edition will be from 19-20 May 2020. The Snack Show » Dates: 29-30 June 2020 » Venue: Olympia London » About: Organised by Reed Exhibitions, and co-located with Imbibe Live, The Snack Show showcases snack innovation, launches new products and facilitates discussion on the latest trends in the snack food sector, as well as enabling visitors to meet with a range of suppliers and gain insights from experts. » Genre: Food » Editor of Imbibe, Robyn Black, said: “Over the past few years we have seen more demand for complementary products found across the hospitality industry, which is how The Snack Show evolved.” International Food and Drink Event » Dates: 17-20 March 2020 » Venue: ExCeL London » About: The International Food and Drink Event (IFE) is a B2B food and drink event organised by Fresh Montgomery. IFE aims to help visitors network with one another, discover new trends, and try out new products. » Genre: Food and drink » Portfolio director for Montgomery Food, Drink February — 29