Foodexpo 2028: a professional food-industry meeting place

Foodexpo takes place from 26–28 March 2028 at MCH Messecenter Herning, Herning, Denmark. The trade fair serves the food and beverage sector across foodservice, retail, hotels and restaurants, connecting professionals with food products, equipment solutions and industry knowledge. It is more than a product showcase: buyers can compare options, operators can explore supplies for their businesses, and exhibitors can meet professional audiences across several parts of the food economy.

Foodexpo 2028 at a glance

The 2028 dates and visitor hours are published. The precise 2028 programme and visitor-registration arrangements were not available in the reviewed event information; check the organiser’s latest updates before planning specific activities.

Why Foodexpo matters to food-industry professionals

Discover products across connected sectors

Foodexpo brings food and beverage into the same professional setting as foodservice, retail, hotel and restaurant suppliers. That combination helps visitors consider a product not only for its features but also for how it might fit a menu, shelf, service model or purchasing plan.

Compare and ask practical questions

Use conversations with suppliers to compare product formats, availability, handling needs and the support offered for professional use. For equipment and service solutions, prepare questions about capacity, operating requirements, maintenance and compatibility with your existing operation.

Follow ideas and build relationships

The organiser describes talks, debates, workshops, activities and networking as part of Foodexpo’s knowledge and events programme. These formats can help attendees follow food-industry developments and make time for conversations with suppliers and peers. The specific 2028 sessions should be checked when published.

The organiser-published 2026 figures list 20,547 visitors and 463 exhibitors. They indicate the scale of the most recent edition with figures shown on the event’s current site; they are not a forecast for 2028.

Exhibition sectors and product groups at Foodexpo

Food and beverage products

• Packaged food and ingredients
• Fresh and prepared food products
• Bakery and confectionery products
• Dairy, meat, fish and produce categories
• Non-alcoholic and other beverage products

Foodservice and catering supplies

• Products for professional foodservice operations
• Ingredients and supplies for catering businesses
• Food presentation and service items
• Solutions for institutional and workplace kitchens
• Products for cafés, restaurants and other food outlets

Professional kitchen and catering equipment

• Commercial kitchen equipment
• Food preparation and service equipment
• Refrigeration and food-storage solutions
• Dishwashing and cleaning equipment
• Equipment for professional catering operations

Food packaging and packaging solutions

• Food packaging formats and materials
• Packaging for retail and foodservice products
• Packaging equipment and related solutions
• Food-contact materials and packaging documentation
• Display-ready and transport packaging

Retail food and shop solutions

• Products for grocery and specialist food retail
• Food displays and merchandising solutions
• Retail equipment and shop fittings
• Point-of-sale and payment-related solutions
• Product information and retail-service tools

Hotel, restaurant and hospitality supplies

• Products and supplies for hotels and restaurants
• Professional service and dining equipment
• Hospitality interiors and operating supplies
• Food and beverage products for hospitality operators
• Solutions for visitor-facing food businesses

These groups reflect Foodexpo’s published focus on food, foodservice, retail, hotels, restaurants and equipment solutions. The exact exhibitor mix and product listings can change by edition; use the organiser’s exhibitor information when planning a targeted visit.

Who should visit Foodexpo Herning?

Food retailers, wholesalers and buying teams

Useful if you are assessing products and suppliers for a shop, supermarket, specialist retailer or wholesale assortment. Focus your visit on product fit, packaging, supply arrangements and the information needed for an assortment decision.

• Compare products against your category and customer needs
• Ask suppliers about pack formats, ordering conditions and availability
• Record follow-up questions for products that merit a closer review

Foodservice and catering operators

Foodservice professionals can explore food, supplies and equipment relevant to commercial service. Operators from restaurants, cafés, catering businesses and institutional kitchens should connect each product discussion to menu, service volume and operational requirements.

• Compare food and beverage options for your service model
• Check equipment capacity, workflow fit and support requirements
• Discuss practical product handling and delivery questions

Hotel and restaurant professionals

Hotels and restaurants may use the fair to review food products, service supplies and operational solutions across their food and beverage offer. Bring priorities from the relevant teams so that product conversations address purchasing, kitchen operations and guest service.

• Identify products relevant to menus and service needs
• Review kitchen or hospitality equipment options
• Coordinate procurement and operational questions before meetings

Food producers, manufacturers and suppliers

Companies presenting products or equipment can use Foodexpo to introduce their offer to professionals from foodservice, retail, hotels and restaurants. A clear product story and a defined target customer help make exhibitor conversations more useful.

• Clarify which buyer or operator is the best fit for each product
• Prepare concise specifications, packaging details and supply information
• Plan follow-up around the questions raised by interested contacts

Food-industry associations and professional organisations

Foodexpo is organised with 13 industry associations and organisations. Professionals involved in sector networks can use the fair to exchange perspectives, follow industry themes and connect with businesses relevant to their work.

Relevant roles may include owners, buyers, procurement and category managers, foodservice and catering managers, chefs and kitchen managers, hotel and restaurant operators, product managers, equipment specialists, sales teams and distributor representatives.

Why visit Foodexpo Herning?

1. Review products for a defined need: compare food and beverage products against your retail, menu or service requirements.
2. Identify potential suppliers: use the fair’s multi-sector mix to find companies whose products fit your business priorities.
3. Compare equipment solutions: discuss operating needs, capacity, workflow and support with relevant suppliers.
4. Explore foodservice and retail ideas: look for products and approaches that could suit your customers, outlets or institutional service.
5. Build a focused buying shortlist: record product details, supplier contacts and next actions instead of collecting information without a decision in mind.
6. Follow sector developments: use talks, debates and workshops when they appear in the published programme to explore issues relevant to your work.
7. Develop professional relationships: use supplier and networking conversations to understand whether a follow-up discussion is worthwhile.

Why exhibit at Foodexpo Herning?

Food and beverage companies, foodservice suppliers, retail-facing brands, hotel and restaurant suppliers, and professional-equipment businesses may consider exhibiting when they want to present products to audiences across the food sector. The organiser’s 2026 figures list 463 exhibitors and 20,547 visitors; these are organiser-published figures for that edition, not a guarantee of 2028 attendance or commercial outcomes.

Exhibitors can prepare to:

• Explain which professional customer groups their products serve
• Demonstrate relevant product features and answer operating questions
• Strengthen dialogue with existing customers
• Assess interest from foodservice, retail and hospitality businesses
• Identify potential distributor or supplier conversations for follow-up

Before committing, confirm the 2028 stand offer, costs, technical requirements and application conditions with the organiser. Companies entering the Danish or wider European market should also assess relevant food, packaging and product-compliance requirements, distribution arrangements and after-sales needs before making commercial plans.

How to prepare before Foodexpo Herning

1. Set a clear reason for attending

Choose a practical outcome such as reviewing a product category, comparing equipment, finding suppliers for a defined need or learning about a food-industry issue. Write down the questions that would help you make a decision.

2. Identify the companies and product types you need

Use the organiser’s exhibitor information and company directory as they become available. Separate priority contacts from useful alternatives and companies to explore if time allows. Match each company to the product or operational need that brought it onto your list.

3. Prepare sector-specific questions

• What product formats, pack sizes or service applications are available?
• What are the storage, handling or preparation requirements?
• For equipment, what capacity and operating conditions should be considered?
• What cleaning, maintenance or technical support is available?
• What food-contact or product documentation can be provided where relevant?
• What are the minimum order, delivery and lead-time arrangements?
• Which customer types and business settings is the product designed for?
• What information should be reviewed before a sample, quotation or follow-up meeting?

4. Arrange your time and meetings

Foodexpo’s visitor hours are 10:00–17:00 on Sunday and 09:00–17:00 on Monday and Tuesday. Prioritise the companies and programme items most relevant to your objectives, and leave time to compare notes between conversations. The organiser’s events and networking information describes ways to find company contacts; confirm what tools are available for the 2028 edition.

5. Make practical arrangements early

Confirm visitor registration, travel requirements and the latest event information before departure. International visitors should check entry conditions that apply to their nationality and arrange accommodation and transport suitable for their itinerary. ilikevents can assist with visit planning and related arrangements.

How to make the most of the exhibition

A busy trade fair can produce more brochures than useful decisions. Keep a simple record for each relevant contact:

Company → Product or equipment → Why it fits → Questions still open → Next action

For a retailer, this might mean recording a product’s category fit, pack format and the follow-up needed to assess it for an assortment. A catering operator might note the equipment’s capacity, workflow fit and maintenance questions. Capture the information while the conversation is fresh, and distinguish a product worth evaluating from one that merely caught your attention.

Use the official exhibitor and contact information to prepare conversations. If the organiser publishes a programme for 2028, review it before the visit and select sessions that address a specific business question.

Foodexpo visitor profile and business opportunities

Practical information for international visitors

Check current travel and entry requirements for your circumstances, and confirm the organiser’s visitor arrangements before travelling. Visa requirements depend on nationality.

One day or several days at Foodexpo?

One day may suit visitors with a short list of priority suppliers, a narrow product category or a specific programme interest. Plan the route and meeting priorities in advance.

More than one day may be useful if your work spans several parts of the fair, such as food products, retail, foodservice and equipment, or if you need time for both supplier discussions and programme activities. Use the published layout and schedule when available rather than assuming the same priorities across all days.

After Foodexpo: turn conversations into next steps

Sort contacts by what you need to do next: immediate product or supplier review, a possible future discussion, or information useful for market understanding. Follow up with specific requests such as product specifications, packaging details, equipment capacity, delivery terms or technical documentation. For purchase decisions, compare each supplier against the same requirements and involve the colleagues who will use or approve the product.

Exhibitors can prioritise follow-up according to the visitor’s stated need, the fit of the product and the next information required. A prompt, relevant follow-up makes it easier to continue a useful discussion; it does not guarantee a sale or partnership.

Foodexpo visitor checklist

Before

• ☐ Define your sourcing, equipment or learning priorities.
• ☐ Review the current exhibitor information and identify priority contacts.
• ☐ Prepare questions specific to your products or operational needs.
• ☐ Confirm registration, visitor hours and travel requirements.
• ☐ Arrange meetings where the organiser’s tools allow.

During

• ☐ Compare products and equipment against your written requirements.
• ☐ Record supplier details, open questions and a next action.
• ☐ Attend relevant sessions only after checking the published programme.
• ☐ Leave time to review notes and adjust your priorities.

After

• ☐ Sort contacts by immediate, potential and information-only follow-up.
• ☐ Request the specifications or documents needed for evaluation.
• ☐ Compare options with relevant purchasing and operational colleagues.
• ☐ Agree a clear next step with each contact you choose to pursue.

Is Foodexpo Herning worth visiting?

Foodexpo is most relevant to professionals whose work connects with food and beverage, foodservice, retail, hotels, restaurants or related equipment. Its cross-sector format can help buyers and operators compare products and discuss practical needs, while suppliers can present their offer to a professional audience. The greatest value is likely to come from setting a clear purpose, selecting relevant contacts and following up on useful conversations; an unplanned walk through a trade fair is less likely to support a specific business decision.

Closing thought

Before you attend Foodexpo, ask: Which product, supplier or operational decision do I want to move forward? Discover. Compare. Ask. Decide. Follow up.

Food and beverage opportunities in Denmark

Market size and demand

Statistics Denmark reports organic-food retail turnover of DKK 16.0 billion in 2024 and organic-food sales to food services of DKK 3.9 billion in 2025. These figures measure specific organic-food channels, not Denmark’s total food market. Statistics Denmark also records 2024 organic-food imports of DKK 4.4 billion and exports of DKK 3.6 billion; these are external-trade values for organic foods, not total food imports or exports.

• Organic-food retail turnover: DKK 16.0 billion, 2024; sales in supermarkets and department stores.
• Organic-food sales to food services: DKK 3.9 billion, 2025; sales to catering establishments and other professional food services.
• Organic-food imports: DKK 4.4 billion, 2024; external trade in organic foods.
• Organic-food exports: DKK 3.6 billion, 2024; external trade in organic foods.

Commercial areas to investigate

• Organic retail products: the recorded retail turnover may make organic food categories relevant for brands and suppliers assessing retail distribution; product fit, competition and commercial terms still need company-specific evaluation.
• Organic foodservice supply: documented sales to professional food services provide a segment indicator for suppliers considering products for catering and other foodservice customers.
• Organic import and export activity: the published trade values show cross-border activity in organic foods; exporters and buyers should assess product categories, trade partners and applicable requirements rather than assume demand for a particular product.
• Food-contact materials: suppliers of packaging or equipment that contacts food can review the Danish documentation and registration requirements that apply to their role and product.

Regulations and market-entry conditions

The Danish Veterinary and Food Authority states that producers, importers and wholesalers of food-contact materials must be registered with the authority. It also requires declarations of compliance for food-contact materials, with supporting food-safety-management information. The authority notes that most requirements are harmonised within the EU, alongside Danish national provisions. Companies should confirm which rules apply to their specific materials, products and business activities before entering the market.

What this means for exhibitors

Food and beverage suppliers may use Foodexpo to investigate how their products fit retail and professional foodservice needs, while packaging and equipment exhibitors can prepare to discuss application and compliance documentation. The available market indicators are limited to organic foods and should not be treated as a forecast of demand for any exhibitor.

What this means for visitors

Buyers can use the fair to compare relevant organic product options and discuss supply details with companies. Foodservice operators can relate the published channel indicator to their own purchasing requirements, while packaging and equipment buyers can ask suppliers for the documentation needed to assess food-contact compliance.

Explore Event Opportunities

Explore how Foodexpo Herning may fit your sourcing, supplier-development or market-learning plans, and prepare the next steps with support from ilikevents.

Get Expert Assistance from ilikevents to plan your visit or exhibition participation.

See the ilikevents services for this event