After many months of uncertainty, the Host Milano 2021 international exhibition took place! Over 3 weeks ago, the catering & hospitality industry gathered in impressive numbers, with representatives and companies from around the world. Numbers of 1291 exhibitors and 435 participants from 45 foreign countries including promising international markets made this the biggest catering exhibition in the world. Taking place every two years, it offers everything needed to build a successful business, from raw materials to semi-finished products, from machinery to equipment, from furnishings to tableware, with one eye firmly focused on trends, technologies and innovation. This biannual fair gave us the opportunity to reconnect with our clients, suppliers and friends, as well as meeting some new faces. During these five days, we’ve gained detailed insights on the rapidly changing food-service industry.
Day 1:
12 Pavillions of fieramilano (Rho) have been filled once again with the most-awaited moments of networking, ideas and discovery. With show-cookings, tastings and talks by the most renowned chefs from all over the world, we were able to see how certain equipments can create consistently delicious foods. In Day 1, we explored halls 5 and 7, viewing display fridges and bread slicers, taking notes of exhibitors that caught our attention and setting up meetings for the jam-packed days ahead.
Day 2:
On Day 2, we connected with exhibitors and witnessed live demonstrations of cooking with special commercial catering equipment. We had a great conversation with the salespeople at FMIndsutrial, discussing demanding features and requirements for the products we will be selling. Fascinated by the design of stands, we took some more time to tour around and chat to exhibitors.
Day 3:
By Day 3, the Caterglobe team explored different areas of HostMilano. We and our friends at Infrico had a great chat over a glass of wine and cream cheese crackers, negotiating on service offerings and required products. We were truly inspired from discussing with like-minded individuals about the business we love the most, and it gave us a strong insight to how our business will develop over the next few years. What’s more, we brought our attention to the most original and innovative tableware solutions.
Day 4:
Another thrilling day filled with the latest trends in the catering industry! We attended the UNOX demonstration where they broke down how their new way of technological innovation has made their equipment more user-friendly, fast-cooking and increased durability (self-washing feature).
Day 5:
Our last day at Host Milano was pretty emotional. Being in an atmosphere with thousands of people in the same working industry was honestly vitalising, and to know it was our last day had us missing it before we left. We watched the World Coffee championship in Hall 13. Experiencing the live contestants drown their faces with coffee was unusual for us to watch, but definitely fun and stimulating to see. Congratulations to all the coffee wizards who won a spot on the podium, and a big round of applause to the winners. We also attended the Tiramisu world championship (one of the best known Italian recipes) and cheered for the winners Elena Bonali and Stefano Serafini!
Over the past few days, we’ve gained in-depth insights, knowledge and ideas of the future of commercial catering equipment. We’ve roughly walked 80k steps over the five days. We gave ourself a pat on the back thinking we lost a few pounds, but little did we know that we’ve gained it back overtime from indulging in delicious Italian cuisines (especially the mouth-watering pizza). Getting on board with future trends and connecting with professionals in the industry from all over the world has given us an advantage to predict not only where the industry will be, but what Caterglobe will achieve as well. The joint happening of HostMilano, TUTTOFOOD Milano and MEAT-TECH allowed us to explore all aspects of Food & Beverages. Overall, HostMilano hosted a great opportunity for industry members to connect, create ideas and progress further into the catering industry.
We rounded off a great week with a scrumptious dinner and caught our flight back in the early AM of 26th October. What a positive week in Italy, reconnecting with colleagues new and old. As always we’re looking forward to the next event taking place on October 2023! The future is now.
