- The main industry associations are partnering with the trade fair platform that will bring together the entire HORECA ecosystem in its next edition
- The hospitality industry will play a more prominent role than ever in an international event that is preparing new spaces and activities to address its major challenges
Absolute support from the sector for the ambitious commitment of Alimentaria + Hostelco 2026 by the channel HORECA. Spain’s leading business organisations representing its entire ecosystem have signed collaboration agreements to promote commercial opportunities, innovation and knowledge in an edition that will bring together the entire foodservice, catering and hospitality equipment industry. The fair, which will take place from 23 to 26 March at Fira de Barcelona’s Gran Via venue, will feature new spaces and activities and will include an international conference programme to anticipate trends and respond to the challenges facing the hospitality industry of the future.
Partnerships with leading industry associations —Hostelería de España, FACYRE, Marcas de Restauración, FEDIS HORECA, AECOC, CEHAT – ITH, and FSI, among others — contribute to Alimentaria + Hostelco 2026 comprehensively representing the entire HORECA ecosystem, from producers and distributors to restaurateurs, hoteliers and major brands.
Among these associations, Hostelería de España, which brings together more than 300,000 companies in the hospitality sector, and FACYRE, which represents 8,000 chefs and pastry chefs, stand out for their significant representation in the sector. Both will provide a direct insight into the needs of the market and reinforce the gastronomic and innovative dimension of the fair. As for FEDIS HORECA, which brings together more than 920 distribution companies, will hold its National Convention for the first time within the framework of Alimentaria + Hostelco, consolidating the fair as the major meeting point for the channel. These organisations are also part of the Hostelco & Restaurama Organising Committee, participating in the strategy and definition of content, as well as in the orientation of the areas of work, thus ensuring that the programme is fully aligned with the reality of the market.
According to J. Antonio Valls, managing director of Alimentaria Exhibitions, “Alimentaria + Hostelco not only gives visibility to the sector, but is born from the sector itself. Our mission is to accompany companies in their growth, to be their platform for international projection and their meeting point for innovation and business’.
New spaces for innovation
Of relevance, the 2026 edition will feature spaces specifically designed to meet the needs of the HORECA industry, catalyse innovation in hospitality and discover future trends in food, gastronomy and food service, such as The Horeca Hub, the largest innovation and business platform for professionals in the HORECA channel. This space seeks to anticipate trends, analyse challenges and generate new operating models that inspire the entire industry.
The Horeca Hub will host debates on the transformation of the sector with content tailored to specific audiences within the channel, as well as various show cooking events, international meetings and high added-value activities on sustainability, digitalisation, food safety, product innovation and new consumer demands. Within The Horeca Hub, the big news this year is The Shift: a space where industry leaders will meet to analyse and anticipate the changes that are transforming the industry.
Top-level international line-up
One of the key features of the next edition will be its strong international focus, widely reflected in the Imagine Foodservice Europe conference, developed in conjunction with Marcas de Restauración, an organisation representing more than 170 restaurant brands in Spain.
International experts will address the major challenges facing the Horeca channel and the value of brands. Among them, experts such as Alexandre Simon, CEO of Burger King France, and João Almeida, Market Leader Iberia & Head of M&A Pan Europe at YUM! Brands (KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell), will delve into the evolution of quick service. David Portalain, Vice President Food Industry Advisor at Circana USA, will present the trends that are redefining the international restaurant market, while Henry McGovern, co-founder of the investment firm McWin, will address the keys to scaling a brand globally.
For his part, Luis Comas, CEO of AMREST, will discuss the evolution of the organised full-service restaurant (FSR) market and its trends. The future of the delivery channel and the application of AI in organised catering will also have their own space at the Imagine Food Service conference tables with speakers such as Zhong Xu, Global CEO of Deliverect, and international trends and technology expert Silvia Leal, respectively.
Another new feature of this edition will be the First International Food Cooking Championship, sponsored by Alimentos de España. It will be the first international professional team cooking competition organised in Spain under the global standards of the World Association of Chefs Societies, which brings together more than 12 million chefs in 110 countries. The HORECA Awards 2026 will also be presented. Now in their eighth edition, these awards have established themselves as the leading recognition of the horeca, foodservice and retail ecosystem in Spain, bringing together the main developments and innovations in the industry.
Connecting the industry and the hospitality sector of the future.
Alimentaria+Hostelco, organised by Alimentaria Exhibitions, a Fira de Barcelona company, expects to welcome around 3,300 exhibiting companies, which will occupy 100,000 m2 of net exhibition space and 7 pavilions, practically the entire Gran Vía venue at Fira de Barcelona. The event, now in its 50th year, expects to welcome more than 110,000 trade visitors, 25% of whom will be international, reaffirming its leadership as the main platform for promoting business, internationalisation and networking.
Barcelona, 11th December 2025