MILAN – World Ho.Re.Ca and Retail industry leading International Professional Catering Fair Host 2013 continues to grow and become more international.
The overall figures as at 15 September bear this out: a total of around 1,600 exhibitors will meet with 1,500 high-profile buyers and an audience of more than 120,000 professionals at a fair that spans 12 pavilions.
More than 350 new exhibitors have already signed up, half from outside Italy: the already large group of international enterprises – some 40% of the total – is up by an average of 50%.
Eleven new flags will be flying at Host 2013 from attractive emerging economies – Bahrain, Brazil, Japan, Kenya, Israel, Romania, Singapore, Slovakia, Hungary, Venezuela and Vietnam – to take the total number of nations represented to 46.
Traditionally strong markets have also registered growth, led by a 177% increase from the US, 100% from France, 70% from Germany and 39% from Turkey. Significantly, Host 2013 is also seeing an increased presence from economies in difficulty: 14% more exhibitors from Spain and 1.5% more from Italy.
Indeed, more than 60 enterprises are coming from the US, a figure that increasingly confirms Host’s key position as a Ho.re.ca and Retail industry driver.
Fiera Milano Exhibitions Division Manager Marco Serioli says: “Anybody around the globe who wants to know where Ho.Re.ca. and Retail are heading looks to Host, which is the undisputed leader not because it is made up of slogans but because it’s all about hard facts, numbers and results.
No other event can boast our expertise in technological innovation, trendsetting and formats, nor our partnership with academia and our focus on lifestyle and design.
Alongside our unwavering support for industry players and a particularly high level of internationalization, these assets make Host a must-attend business platform for premium Made in Italy products that target global markets, as well as for international players for whom Italian Style is a point of reference, the capital of which is Milan”.
In addition to top industry players presenting their latest developments, Host 2013 offers a vast panorama of special areas, events and initiatives in partnership with leading associations and universities.
Headline events include HOSThinking and Smart Label, two prestigious awards that Host 2013 has set up in partnership with POLI.design, a consortium from the Politecnico di Milano – the world’s 28th-best technology university according to the authoritative QS World University Rankings – with the patronage of the ADI – Associazione per il Disegno Industriale.
Technology leads the way in Smart Label, a prize for the most groundbreaking proposals in terms of functionality, technology, environmental sustainability and the ethical and social impact of products and companies attending Host 2013: close to 200 applications to take part have been received from a broad swathe of market sectors. HOSThinking focuses on new formats.
Design Award, a prize for the most innovative new customer experience enhancement formats, has received 71 candidate projects from 180 designers around the globe.
Host 2013 has strengthened its position as the global focal point for this premium Made in Italy sector thanks to its reliance on idea-driven leadership as well as hard numbers.
Centro Studi Confindustria projections forecast 0.3% Italian GDP growth in Q4 2013: the export-led hospitality industry will make a significant contribution to this, as shown by data that leading Italian trade associations have shared with Host 2013.
According to Confindustria CECED Italia, exports of professional catering and restaurant equipment to emerging economies are up by between 10% and 15%.
The Ufficio Studi ANIMA reveals that Espresso Coffee Machine turnover is up 1.4% and exports up 6.3%. Exports are also on the rise for Machines and Ovens for Breadmaking, Biscuits, Pastries and Pizza and Commercial Refrigeration Equipment.
For the latest information on Host: www.host.fieramilano.it, @Host2013 #Host2013
