- In just a couple of weeks, doors will open for IFE, part of Food, Drink & Hospitality Week, the ultimate business event for food and drink product discovery
IFE
Held in the city of innovation, London, IFE (International Food & Drink Event), brings together an immersive and interactive event at ExCeL London. Over the three days, IFE will welcome 25,000 key industry professionals to come and sample the latest products, develop their knowledge on the trends affecting the food and drink sector and network face-to-face with suppliers.
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From 25-27 March, ExCeL London will come to life with more than 27,000 food and drink professionals coming to the show to enjoy three busy days of networking, streamlined product sourcing and learning about the latest trends and innovations in the sector.
For over 40 years, IFE has been a trusted product-sourcing resource for retailers, wholesalers, hospitality professionals and more, providing visitors with an unparalleled opportunity to sample a wide range of products and meet directly with brand owners. Over 1,500 suppliers are taking part in this year’s event, showcasing tens of thousands of quality products from the UK and around the world.
Here’s what else you can check out at IFE 2024:
The Startup Market
A must-attend for anyone looking to discover completely new food & drink brands, the Startup Market is packed with innovative products and inspiring entrepreneurs and is a tantalising window into the future of food.
Among the startups taking part this year is wellness brand Better Food Mood, Froot Pops, supplier of raspberries double-dipped in rich indulgent chocolate, Fullerton’s Crisps, a Caribbean-inspired crisp brand with flavours including pepper prawns, oxtail beef and jerk chicken, and freshly prepared ready meal brand Foodhak.
The New Products Tasting Theatre
The New Products Tasting Theatre at IFE is a bustling hub of new product tastings, demos and pitches from innovative startups. Across the three days of the show various exciting brands from the show’s Startup Market will have the opportunity to pitch their products to a live audience, host tastings and answer any buyer questions in person.
Plus, the New Products Tasting Theatre will be host to several Distributor Discovery Hours, where wholesale brands including Fresh Direct will be showcasing some of the most unique brands in their ranges, plus attendees can enjoy an exclusive tasting from Free From Food Awards gold winning companies.
14 unique food & drink zones
IFE features 14 distinct sections, allowing category buyers and product specialists to quickly and easily view suppliers representing Bakery, Snacks & Confectionery, Grocery & Wholesale, Health, Organic & Natural, Drinks & HRC & IFE, the all-new Hot Beverages Pavilion and the Free From Pavilion.
A new collaboration with the Fresh Produce Consortium to launch the Fresh Produce Section this year will mark an exciting addition to the 2024 event.
The show will also include a Speciality Food Section, a Vegan & Plant-Based Section in partnership with The Vegan Society and a Chilled & Frozen section featuring an array of members of the British Frozen Food Federation.
International innovation
In addition to thousands of products from across the UK, IFE has representation from over 60 countries around the world including pavilions from Turkey, Thailand, France, Sri Lanka, Poland, China, Ecuador, Algeria, Hungary and Cyprus.
The Future Food Stage
On IFE’s Future Food Stage, visitors will have the chance to hear from leading industry figures including retailers like Co-Op and Ocado, sustainability pioneers such as Abel & Cole and Rubies in the Rubble and innovative insight partners including Tried & Supplied, IGD, European Food and Farming Partnerships and Avocado Social.
Day two of the show will see IGD curate a fascinating day of content on the Future Food stage, with sessions covering economic forecasts for food & drink retail, sustainability, health, learnings international retail and an exclusive case study with a key client of IGD.
Other sessions taking place on the Future Food Stage include a discussion on putting customers at the heart of wholesale hosted by the FWD, a social media masterclass from Avocado Social, insights into retail’s evolution in the age of AI by Sabine Benoit, Professor of Marketing at The University of Surrey, a session on female-led food businesses hosted by Women in Food, and advice on how AI could enhance the buyer journey.
The Exporters Hub
The show’s Exporters Hub is set to welcome speakers from the Department for Business & Trade, the Food & Drink Exporters Association, the British Business Council, the Food & Drink Export Council, Scotland Food & Drink and more to dive deep into a wide range of talking points and trends in the world of food & drink export.
The session ‘The Government’s Export Strategy Explained’ will see Food, Drink & Council Co-Chair Ian Wright, Iain Baxter, CEO of Scotland Food & Drink, and Karen Morgan, Deputy Director, Agriculture, Food and Drink at the UK Department for Business and Trade, discussing how to navigate the ever-changing landscape of government and provide an insight into export strategies.
Other topics up for discussion in the Exporters Hub include the art of sustainable exporting, opening up export opportunities through certification, and successful overseas marketing strategies.
IFE takes place alongside IFE Manufacturing, The Pub Show, HRC and International Salon Culinaire on 25-27 March as part of Food, Drink & Hospitality Week. To find out more and to register for your complimentary trade ticket visit ife.co.uk.
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