There’s just under a month to go until Food & Drink Expo returns to the NEC, Birmingham (24th – 26th April). Opening its doors as part of the UK Food & Drink Shows, the flagship event for the food and drink industry will offer visitors an unrivalled opportunity to see the latest trends, products and challenges set to shape the sector in 2023 and beyond.
With the show fast approaching, we’ve rounded up our top 10 reasons to visit and register ahead of the show’s opening on 24th April. Get your free badge here: https://food-drink-expo-2023.reg.buzz/.
1. A Showcase of Innovation
With over 180 products at Food & Drink Expo stamped with the ‘Innovation’ seal of approval, the show is set to be a hotbed of new and exciting product launches. Take Cutwater Spirits, founded on a mission to provide quality cocktails in a can. Their three flavours – Lime Margarita, Passionfruit Mojito and Rum Mint Mojito – will be launching on Stand P198. Meanwhile, Jampa’s (Stand F221) will be showcasing their 100% plant-based pies which have a 70% reduced carbon foot print when compared with their animal-based alternative. Find out more here.
2. Big Name Exhibitors
With over 200 exhibitors expected on the show floor, there’s going to be a real wealth of products on display. Belvoir Fruit Farms Ltd (Stand K278), Cottage Delight Ltd (Stand L258), Extrawurst (Stand N169), Green Roots Wine (Stand M219), Margaret Hall Bakery (Stand P188), Ocean Spray (Stand K211) and Snowdonia Cheese (Stand P260) are just a handful of the brands preparing to showcase their wares at the show in April. See the full list of exhibitors here.
3. Unrivalled Expertise
A speaker line-up including industry heavyweights such as Kate Nicholls, OBE, Chief Executive of UKHospitality, Marisa Heath, CEO of the Plant-Based Food Alliance, Karen Betts, CEO of the Food and Drink Federation and Will Shu, CEO & Founder of Deliveroo, will be taking to The Grocer Live Stage to discuss and engage with many of the complex issues facing the industry today. Q&A sessions at the end of each panel discussion will also allow visitors the opportunity to tap into our speakers’ specialist knowledge with their own burning questions. See the full line up of speakers and seminars here.
4. Healthy & Natural and Plant-Based
Food & Drink Expo will also feature a Healthy & Natural and Plant-Based zone in 2023, a one-stop-shop for healthy, wellness & natural products including Free-From, Plant-Based, Vegetarian, Low-Calorie, Organic and Vegan items among many more. Crackd The No Egg Egg (Stand F231) is award-winning and the world’s most versatile plant-based liquid egg replacer product allowing you to cook a range of sweet and savoury recipes without using eggs. On Stand G258, Hormony Drinks offers effective and delicious products that answer consumer needs of the moment - hormonal and blood-sugar normalisation and restoration of digestive health. Find out more about the 64 specialist exhibitors in Healthy & Natural and Plant-Based here.
5. Low2NoBev
This growing sector is a must-attend for all vendors in retail, hospitality, convenience and the on/off licensed trade. There’s a huge range of products to explore such as low-abv beers, ciders, wines, cocktails and spirits along with exciting soft drinks, cordials and sodas. Brands such as Spirits of Virtue (Stand P191) who offer 0.0% ABV, low-calorie, vegan and sugar-free drinks and Left Field Kombucha (Stand K198) producers of handcrafted, multi award-winning kombucha are just two examples of the innovation and progress in this constantly growing sector.
6. The Grocer Live Programme: The cost-of-living crisis: How has UK food and drink adapted and what is the outlook?
Rising energy bills, staffing shortages and record inflation are three of the challenges the UK food and drink industry continues to face. This session brings together leading trade organisations to analyse the support available to businesses (1:00pm – 2:00pm, Monday 24th April).
7. The Grocer Live Programme: Can TikTok shopping change the game for UK food and drink manufacturers?
In August 2022, TikTok announced it would include fresh and frozen food in the TikTok Shop for the first time. This marked an expansion beyond the ambient food and drink businesses already available on the platform. How important is social media selling to growth for food and drink brands? Join this session as TikTok explore this further alongside examples of businesses that are reaping the rewards already. (1:45pm - 2:15pm, Tuesday 25th April).
8. Cutting-Edge Event Technology
For the first time, Food & Drink Expo will be offering visitors a unique way to experience the show thanks to its partnership with Sitka which will be supplying advanced technology including indoor show navigation, digital show guides and more. All accessible via smartphone, the technology will revolutionise at-show navigation allowing visitors to make the most of their time on the show floor as well as improving networking opportunities.
9. Co-Located Shows
Food & Drink Expo will run alongside Farm Shop & Deli Show, National Convenience Show and Foodex Manufacturing Solutions as part of the UK Food & Drink Shows. The 3-day event is a fantastic opportunity to see what is happening in the industry at-large, with visitors able to take just one day out of the office, kitchen, warehouse or retail site to experience a huge amount of innovation and insight across food development, grocery, manufacturing, specialist retail, wholesale and foodservice at the NEC Birmingham from 24th – 26thApril 2023.
10. Don’t take our word for it!
Judi Richardson, Purchasing Manager, The Coffee Cart Company Ltd
“We’re just about to open our third café, which will be a deli-style operation, so we’re looking for easy to serve, heated food, and some healthy vegan and vegetarian options. Also new flavoured waters and canned soft drinks. We’ve already found loads of great products. It’s been really worthwhile taking time out of the business to see what’s out there.”
Dean Crews, Executive Chef for Kew Green Hotels
“As part of my job, I regularly visit trade shows. The insight, innovation and new products on display makes Food & Drink Expo stand head and shoulders above the rest.”
The UK Food & Drink Shows are a product of the award-winning team at William Reed. Register now: https://food-drink-expo-2023.reg.buzz/.
