Every two years, hospitality players and professionals from around the globe gather at HostMilano for four intense and rewarding days of exhibitions, talks, competitions, showcases and networking. It’s where you come to check the pulse of the industry, explore how different parts of it intersect and catch up with colleagues on what their concerns and hopes are for their businesses – and how you can help each other get there.
Click here to read the HostMilano 2025 preview supplement
This year, the theme ‘New Shapes of Hospitality’ reflects the ongoing transformation in the way hospitality is conceived, delivered and experienced, according to Francesca Cavallo, head of hospitality exhibitions at the event venue, Fiera Milano.
“Today’s market is influenced by hybrid lifestyles, technological innovation (especially AI and automation), sustainability imperatives and increasingly conscious consumers,” she says. “This year’s theme allows us to create a narrative that connects all areas of the show ‒ from equipment and foodservice to design and digital solutions ‒ offering visitors a 360-degree look at how the industry is evolving,” she explains.
Organizing HostMilano is always a complex, collaborative effort ‒ and that has perhaps been even more so this year, due to the increasingly interconnected nature of the industry. “We’re seeing convergence across sectors ‒ food meets design, equipment meets AI ‒ and that demands a much more integrated layout and content strategy,” Cavallo says.
It’s also meant that the finished product will give exhibitors ‒ who this year are expected to number more than 1,700 from 54 countries ‒ a platform to showcase not just products, but new formats, business models and visions for the future of hospitality.
A more immersive experience
The 2025 event will see the return of many popular elements of HostMilano, including the Smart Label – Host Innovation Award, which recognizes products and solutions that demonstrate excellence in functionality, technology, environmental sustainability, ethics or social impact. Reserved exclusively for exhibiting companies, Smart Label has seen over 950 applications and more than 280 products awarded across six past editions.
The organizers are also excited to bring back Design Talks, a curated program of discussions that explores the intersection of design, technology and user experience in hospitality. In addition, the usual wide variety of live events, competitions, championships and show cooking demos will all return.
This year will also see HostMilano deepen the experience in key verticals through dedicated spaces and more immersive formats. On the coffee front, this will take the form of the Salone Internazionale del Caffè (SIC), which brings together the entire coffee supply chain under one roof – from raw materials and roasting to equipment, service and culture. This year, SIC will also host the World Barista Championship. Plus, the organizers have introduced the ‘Beyond the Cup’ series – a curated program of conversations and expert panels that will explore innovation, sustainability and trends in the world of coffee.
For Cavallo, Bakery Square is another must-visit area – a dynamic space that will be animated by talks, workshops and show-cooking events, including ‘Bread and Wellness’ and ‘Cultures of Fermentation’. There, 12 countries will also compete in the Panettone World Championship, completing challenges in highly specific areas including decorative leavened products and circular mono-portions.
There will also be a new area dedicated entirely to chocolate. One focus will be the art of fine praline making – from fillings to decorations – with attendees given the chance to attend masterclasses, demos
and storytelling focused on ethics, sustainability and conscious consumption.
A place to retreat
If that already sounds like a lot to take in, don’t worry. For FCSI members, there will always be somewhere to retreat to, courtesy of FCSI EAME. “There’s a lot to do, a lot to see, a lot to celebrate, so what we’ve created is a kind of safe space for consultants and FCSI members where you can have a coffee, maybe a bit of cheese, you can sit, relax and meet with your colleagues or clients, network and talk freely,” explains Frank Wagner FCSI, EAME chair. “It’s neutral; you don’t have to buy a dishwasher. We’re all people and this is a space for people.”
The FCSI booth will take a new and exciting format this year. The 100m2 space will also host a program of panels and presentions, with topics including reducing the carbon footprint of kitchens and the place of AI in the future of foodservice. As Elonique Dalhuisen, executive director of FCSI EAME and the owner of administration and operational support agency ABCS, who has been in charge of much of the planning of the FCSI booth, puts it, “The role of a consultant will change ‒ but it’s not going to disappear.”
AI will, of course, be a key theme throughout the whole event. “From predictive kitchen systems and smart appliances to AI-powered customer experience tools, the impact of AI will be visible across every facet of the show – from automated food preparation to advanced back-office solutions,” Cavallo says. “It’s clear this technology is not just enhancing operations; it’s redefining the rules of the game.”
Back at the FCSI booth, the program of panel sessions and presentations will cover a mix of people, projects and products. Dalhuisen expects members to drop into the space throughout the day – taking a moment for themselves, sitting in on a talk, then heading back into the fray once they’ve recharged. Non-members are also welcome to enjoy the program and discover what FCSI has to offer.
Alexander Hofer FCSI, CEO of the H44 Team in South Tyrol, is particularly excited to connect with his international colleagues again. “We all face different challenges, depending on the country and continent, and we have totally different approaches to finding solutions,” he says. “Exchanging experiences with our global colleagues allows us to learn from each other. Often, during these discussions, you’ll find a good solution for your own problem, challenge or situation. There aren’t many occasions in the year where you can have this in a short time with so many people – where you can find this collective power. HostMilano is a very established meeting point.”
Spotlighting the younger generation
Hofer and other FCSI EAME members also plan to use the event as an opportunity to discuss how to bring to life an EAME version of EPiC, the Emerging Professionals in Consulting initiative that is fast gaining momentum in FCSI The Americas, to help the younger generation of consultants support each other and contribute to the future direction of FCSI and the foodservice industry.
“We thought this would be a good moment to sit together in an afternoon and discuss what we want this to look like in EAME. We’ve made some great progress in Germany and Austria in the last two to three years and we’ve met with colleagues in Barcelona, Madrid and London where there is also excitement about taking some steps forward in this initiative,” Hofer says. “We want to use this positive energy to build a clearer picture and think about how we can approach this better in the future. It’s a process; we must define that together.”
For Dalhuisen, one of the biggest hurdles is the range of languages and cultures that make up FCSI EAME. “The Americas division is more centralized, but we have a lot of local units,” she explains. “But FCSI Worldwide is one big organization, so we are trying to learn from each other and make innovations together – thinking on a worldwide level but acting on a local level. We all have the same goal: to attract
young people and learn from the new generation.”
Shaping the future of the industry
Cavallo will be satisfied if attendees leave HostMilano 2025 with a clear vision of where the hospitality industry is heading ‒ and how they can actively help shape its future. “Innovation, technology and shifting consumer behaviors are rapidly transforming the global landscape, and this year’s event will highlight how these forces are converging to create more personalized, immersive and sustainable experiences,” she says. “Our ultimate goal is for every attendee to leave inspired, better informed, connected to a dynamic international community and ready to lead innovation in their own business.”
Hofer has little doubt that will be the case for him personally. “HostMilano is never tired; it’s always fresh. It’s one of the best exhibitions I’ve been to, even outside the foodservice business. I think because it’s every two years people have more resources to bring new, innovative solutions, making it more powerful,” he says. “Usually, even though I always stay for the full four days, at the end of the event I always wish there was another day because I haven’t managed to see everything.”
There’s a challenge for 2025.
HostMilano will take place at Fiera Milano, 17-21 October 2025. For information visit www.hostmilano.com
