HostMilano 2025: The countdown to the world's leading hospitality and catering trade fair begins.

Over 1,900 exhibitors from 54 countries will foster connections and anticipate global trends in eating out and food retail, under the banner of "creative fusion of flavors." This is also the case at HostMilano 2025, the global trade fair for the restaurant and hospitality sector, taking place from October 17 to 21 at Fiera Milano in Rho. Today's consumers aren't just looking for products or locations, but also experiences. This morning at Palazzo Castiglioni, the headquarters of Confcommercio di Milano, the event " The Taste of Hospitality" previewed what's to come during the trade fair: synergies between bread and chocolate, desserts and coffee, reinterpreted with a gourmet twist to offer visitors unique sensory experiences and businesses new business opportunities.

A previous edition of HostMilano which this year will take place from 17 to 21 October in the Fiera Milano pavilions in Rho

The event promoted with the associations Altoga, Assofood, Epam Fipe Milano and Panificatori had as its focus Four major strands that symbolize Made in Italy— coffee, chocolate, pasta, pizza, bread, and ice cream, as well as the role of catering —and their growing ability to cross-pollinate to give rise to new and surprising ideas and projects.

"HostMilano 2025 is a strategic event to promote key sectors such as bread, coffee, gelato, chocolate, and catering, excellences of our organization and our region that contribute decisively to the country's growth," says Simonpaolo Buongiardino, vice president of Confcommercio MiLoMB. "These supply chains represent not only a tradition to be protected, but also a hub for innovation and new business opportunities. Confcommercio Milano," he continues, "has always supported businesses, guiding them on a path of growth and innovation, creating synergies, such as with Fiera Milano and HostMilano, that can strengthen their role as key players in Milanese and Italian hospitality."

Four associations, four food sectors capable of creating connections, engaging institutions, associations, and local communities, and supporting businesses through the ongoing transformations that will be prominent in the HostMilano pavilions. "HostMilano," comments Francesca Cavallo, Head of Hospitality Exhibitions at Fiera Milano , "stands out for its ability to bring together diverse worlds in an integrated system where innovation, sustainability, and collaboration are central. In the future, we want to further strengthen the bond with all stakeholders and the local community, making the event an increasingly strong point of reference for hospitality, even beyond the days of the trade show." This dynamism is also reflected in the numbers. Despite a complex international context, in the first half of 2025, global exports of the sectors represented by HostMilano grew by 2.9% (source: ExportPlanning). The most significant performance was in ice cream and refrigeration equipment (+8.6%), followed by coffee machines (+2.5%), while professional catering grew by 1% and bakery and pastry equipment recorded a +0.3%. These data confirm the solidity and vitality of supply chains that continue to drive Italian hospitality in international markets. From bread to chocolate, from coffee to gelato: HostMilano will be the ideal showcase to present all the latest innovations in these sectors, alongside great masters such as Davide Comaschi, award-winning master chocolatier, and Matteo Cunsolo, president of the Bakers' Association of Milan and Province and secretary of the Richemont Club Italia. Master chocolatier Comaschi will bring "Sciock, cioccolato in movimento," an innovative hub that transforms chocolate into a contemporary language of culture, fusion, and innovation. An experiential and interactive arena that connects diverse worlds: from pastry to haute cuisine, from hospitality to design. A multisensory project where professionals, companies, and enthusiasts meet through masterclasses, inspirational talks, workshops, and technical demonstrations. "The very name Sciock is a play on words that combines 'chocolate' with the creative shock of movement," says Comaschi. "I wanted to create an open space where knowledge meets flavor." Cunsolo will bring his experience and vision of a booming industry, where bread is once again a centerpiece of innovation and culture. "We're living in an extraordinary moment for breadmaking. On the one hand, there's craftsmanship, which for me remains an essential value for differentiating bread and conveying authenticity. On the other, there's innovation, which allows us to improve quality, reorganize workshops, and manage production more efficiently," comments Cunsolo. The events featuring the protagonists of the art of baking will be held in the Bakery Square arena. "They're an opportunity to share our profession with a wide audience and engage with colleagues from around the world. But they're also a wake-up call: while the industry is rapidly evolving abroad, we risk being left behind. We must continue to innovate to remain a point of reference." With Host 2025, bread becomes a symbol of an industry that is both a custodian of tradition and a laboratory of innovation. And one that finds the event the ideal place to share visions, experiences, and the future. And finally, coffee, which is much more than a cup. It's culture, innovation, sustainability, and the future. From this belief , Beyond the Cup - Host Talks was born, the new format that, within Host 2025, will focus on the entire coffee supply chain, with a fresh, inclusive, and multidisciplinary approach. "There are already many events in the coffee world, but we believe an event like Host Talks was missing," says Luigi Morello, who coordinates the initiative with M25 Consulting. The idea is to offer a platform that allows professionals along the entire supply chain to share the most interesting emerging topics, highlighted by careful international research. This is why we chose the subtitle "Beyond the Cup": the goal is precisely to go beyond the cup.