- Global food equipment production reaches €77.7 billion, up 35% compared to the pre-pandemic period;
- World trade, at €55.8 billion, is gaining momentum with a forecast growth of +4.3% over the 2027–2029 period;
- HostMilano confirms its position as a global benchmark, with more than 1,000 exhibitors already confirmed, 50% of whom are international, alongside an expansion strategy across Saudi Arabia and the United States.
Milan, 14 May 2026 – Open kitchens, hybrid concepts and rapidly evolving consumption patterns: out-of-home dining is undergoing a profound transformation. Against this backdrop, the Italian Giornata della Ristorazione (Restaurant Industry Day) on Saturday 16 May offers a timely opportunity to reflect on the future of the sector. The initiative is a collective, inclusive, solidarity-driven and ethical event that celebrates conviviality and the culture of hospitality.
A culture to which Host, the world-leading exhibition dedicated to the hospitality organised by Fiera Milano, contributes by anticipating innovation not only through its biennial trade fair, but also through the regular insights produced by the HostMilano Observatory, which throughout the run-up to the event tracks market performance and the most promising emerging trends, turning them into business opportunities.
With more than 2,200 exhibitors and over 183,000 trade visitors from around the world, the 2025 edition confirmed HostMilano as a leading global platform for hospitality, out-of-home dining and food retail. The event also recorded strong growth in international attendance, including +27% from the United States, +29% from Brazil, +21% from the United Arab Emirates and +20% from Australia.
Looking ahead to the 2027 edition, more than 1,000 exhibitors have already confirmed their participation, with international exhibitors accounting for 50% of the total. These figures underline the strong industry confidence in the event and its continued ability to attract leading global players.
Building on its role as a leading global hub for the sector, Host continues its internationalisation journey through a series of structural partnerships that are shaping a true worldwide network for professional hospitality. Following the success of the first edition of Host Arabia, developed in collaboration with local partner Semark, and with the second edition already scheduled to take place in Riyadh from 7 to 9 December 2026, the partnership with NAFEM – the North American Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers – will bring the Host format to the United States in 2027, creating a new bridge between Europe and North America and further strengthening the connection between the world’s leading hospitality and out-of-home markets.
Host therefore confirms its position as a strategic, dynamic and flexible platform where business, innovation and networking come together to anticipate emerging trends and shape the future of the industry.
It is on this solid foundation that the strategy for the 45th edition of HostMilano is being developed, with Foodservice once again set to be among the key protagonists, in a sector that continues to reinvent itself by combining innovation, creativity and evolving market challenges.
A growing sector worth almost €80 billion
According to data compiled by ExportPlanning exclusively for the HostMilano Observatory, in 2025 global production in the professional foodservice equipment sector – including kitchens, ovens, cooktops, cooking appliances and related equipment – reached €77.7 billion, marking an increase of around 35% compared to the pre-pandemic period and a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of +5.2%.
With an average annual growth rate of +10.3%, the most dynamic category is that of small electromechanical appliances, highlighting the increasing automation of operational processes. In absolute terms, the two largest product categories are pots and pans (€26.9 billion, CAGR +3.8%) and electric kitchens, cooktops and ovens (€23 billion, CAGR +5.2%), which together account for two thirds of global production.
As for global trade, in 2025 it reached €55.8 billion (+0.3% compared to 2024), outlining a solid market set to accelerate further. Forecasts from ExportPlanning indicate a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of +4.3% over the 2027–2029 period, moving closer to €65 billion over the forecast horizon. The United States is the world’s leading market, at €8.4 billion (a 15.6% share), followed by Germany (€4.8 billion), the Netherlands and Poland (both at €2.5 billion), and France (€2.4 billion). Looking ahead, the strongest contributions to demand growth are expected from Europe, with Germany leading the way at +€906 million (CAGR +4.5%), followed by Poland (+€642 million, CAGR +6%) and the Netherlands (+€551 million, CAGR +5%).
Focus on the Italian Table Aborad: 90,000 “ambassadors” of Made in Italy worldwide
Growth driven not only by innovation, but also by demand. The results of the first systematic mapping of Italian restaurants abroad, conducted by Sociometrica for FIPE with the report The Italian Table Abroad, identified 1,486 Italian restaurants across ten European cities (from Paris to Berlin, and from London to Amsterdam), analysing more than 115,000 menu items. With an average score of 8.95/10, consistent across all cities and price segments, customer satisfaction is notably high, alongside an average main dish price of €30.30: an affordable premium positioning that combines accessibility with a strong perception of quality, also supported by as much as 85.9% of menu items being unique—a figure with no comparison in the wider European gastronomic landscape.
The most successful formats are also the most authentic: the pizzeria is the most widespread, with 345 venues and the highest Value Index, meaning that customers in Italian pizzerias across Europe pay below-average prices while receiving above-average quality. The Margherita is the most frequently listed dish (657 occurrences), while among pasta dishes Carbonara stands out (449), Tiramisù is the most widely shared dessert (541), and the Aperol Spritz is the most exported social ritual of Italian culture, present in all ten cities (383 occurrences). On a global scale, there are nearly 90,000 Italian restaurants operating as true cultural “embassies”, projecting the country’s identity, lifestyle and artisanal expertise worldwide.
The kitchen takes centre stage: trends reshaping the sector towards Host 2027
Against the backdrop of both Italian and international developments, the HostMilano Observatory has identified a series of structural trends that are redefining spaces, menus and service models.
Starting with physical spaces: the professional kitchen is no longer a hidden area, but increasingly the visible heart of the venue. In the most recent projects, the dining room is designed around an open kitchen, with layouts that combine transparency, theatricality and functionality. The boundary between production and consumption is becoming increasingly blurred, and the visibility of the process is becoming an integral part of the guest experience.
Layouts are also becoming more flexible and reconfigurable. Today, venues are designed as modular systems capable of shifting configuration between lunch, aperitivo, dinner, private events and delivery pick-up, with indoor and outdoor areas treated as a single adaptive system: more than an aesthetic choice, this reflects a structural response to the multiplication of consumption occasions.
Consumption itself is increasingly fragmented into frequent micro-occasions. The day is no longer organised solely around lunch and dinner. Advanced snacks, small portions, sharing plates and weekday brunches are reshaping menus and service time bands, extending trading opportunities and requiring more versatile equipment and faster production cycles, often bringing together different functions such as foodservice, bakery, café and food retail.
In terms of flavours, fermentation, umami notes and a return to live-fire cooking are emerging as a shared language in contemporary mid-to-upscale dining. Miso, fermented dairy products, charcoal-grilled preparations and ingredients that deliver aromatic complexity are finding a growing audience, from fine dining to accessible premium formats.
The 45th edition of Host will take place at Fiera Milano from 22 to 26 October 2027.
HostMilano at a glance
HostMilano is the leading global trade fair for the hospitality and professional foodservice sector, a must-attend event for operators across the HORECA industry (Hotels, Restaurants and Cafés). Organised by Fiera Milano, Host brings together every two years the key international players in the industry, offering a comprehensive overview of the latest trends, technologies and innovations in foodservice, catering and hospitality.
With exhibitors from around the world and a rich programme of events, competitions, live demonstrations and workshops, HostMilano serves as a benchmark for professionals looking to stay up to date, build networks and discover the developments shaping the future of the sector. Its main focus areas include professional catering, bakery, pizza and pasta, coffee, tea, bar and coffee machines, gelato, furnishings, technology and tableware.
Thanks to its cross-sector approach — ranging from professional equipment to the most innovative formats — HostMilano confirms its role as the ideal platform for operators aiming to anticipate trends and unlock new business opportunities.