Every autumn someone asks me which shows they should do next year. My answer is usually “fewer than you think”, followed by a long conversation about follow-up. But you need the dates first, so here they are.
This is my calendar of food trade shows in Europe for 2027, plus a few packaging and manufacturing ones. I checked every date on the organiser’s own website on 27 October 2026. Shows do move sometimes, so check again before you book anything non-refundable.
Early 2027: the busy German stretch
February in Germany is a lot. If you sell ingredients, processing equipment or packaging into the food industry, there’s a good chance at least one of these is already on your list.
Anuga FoodTec is the one I’d look at first if you make machinery or process technology for food and drink. It doesn’t run every year, so 2027 is a bit of an occasion. Gulfood isn’t in Europe, I know, but plenty of European exporters treat it as part of their season, so it stays in.
Spring and autumn: Barcelona has a moment
Three of the spring shows are in Barcelona, at Fira Gran Via. Handy for us. Slightly less handy for hotel prices.
Hispack is the one for packaging, process and logistics, and it doesn’t happen every year either, so if packaging is your market, 2027 matters. Anuga in October is the big one for food and drink overall: huge, a bit overwhelming, worth it if you go with a plan.
Not on the 2027 calendar
A few big names skip 2027, which is worth knowing before you set the budget. Alimentaria, the big Barcelona food show, is next on in March 2028. interpack and Expoquimia are both back in 2029.
For general manufacturing, Hannover Messe is the obvious one. Its 2027 dates weren’t on the website when I checked, so look there before you plan around it. Same for Fi Europe (food ingredients): this year’s edition is in Frankfurt from 17 to 19 November 2026, and the 2027 details weren’t out yet.
How I’d choose which shows to do
Not by size. By who’s going to be there that you actually want to meet. One question I like: if we only had ten good conversations at this show, who would they be with? If you can’t answer that, it’s probably not your show yet.
Walk a show as a visitor before you exhibit, if you can. It tells you more about whether your buyers are there than any media kit.
And manage your expectations about the stand. You can spend months on the messaging and the biggest crowd still turns up when someone puts free chocolates on the counter. I’ve seen it more than once.
Plan the before and after, not just the stand
What I see quite often is companies spending a huge amount on a trade show and almost nothing on what happens before or afterwards.
Lot, Lum Collective
The show itself is a few days. The work that makes it pay off happens in the weeks around it.
We worked this way with a private LTE company at one show and it led to 19 qualified sales meetings. Not a food client, but the approach is the same: invitations beforehand, a clear way to log conversations on the day, and fast follow-up afterwards.
Two more things from experience. Some of the best conversations happen by chance, with people who weren’t on any list, so leave room for that. And test the machine twice. It’ll still pick the exact moment your most important prospect walks up to stop working, but at least you tried.
For the “after” part I’ve written a whole post on following up on trade show leads. If you’re exhibiting abroad, the export content marketing checklist covers the website side.
Frequently asked questions
Anuga in Cologne (9–13 October 2027) is the largest food and drink show on the 2027 calendar. For food technology, there’s Anuga FoodTec in Cologne (23–26 February 2027). Others include Fruit Logistica, BIOFACH, ISM, Seafood Expo Global, Vitafoods Europe and PLMA’s World of Private Label.
No. According to its website, the next Alimentaria in Barcelona takes place from 20 to 23 March 2028.
Hispack 2027 runs from 4 to 7 May 2027 at Fira Barcelona Gran Via.
Book the stand as early as the organiser allows, which for big shows is often a year ahead. Start the marketing about 12 weeks before: goals and target accounts first, invitations around six weeks out, and a team briefing in the last two weeks.
Got a show coming up in 2027? Talk to Lum Collective about the campaign around it, before and after.
