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MILAN, Italy – Five days of energy and inspiration filled a vibrant Fiera Milano: Host 2025 was also a stage where innovation met the talent and passion of the global hospitality community. Skills, experiences and a spirit of experimentation merged into a continuous flow of ideas, encounters and cross-influences, turning the exhibition into a living, shared and ever-evolving experience.
At Host 2025, innovation extended far beyond the exhibition halls: it took shape in a programme of over 800 events that, through talks, masterclasses and competitions, transformed the exhibition into an unparalleled opportunity for learning and exchange. For five days, industry professionals engaged with renowned masters, discovered emerging trends, and experienced original formats that blended technical expertise, creativity and vision.
Three new formats for three “hot” sectors
This edition’s debuts drew particular attention, starting with sCIOCk – Chocolate in Motion, the format conceived by maître chocolatier Davide Comaschi together with an international team of experts. The initiative explored the culture, science and business of chocolate, featuring leading figures such as Julien Dechenaud, Fabrice Gillotte and Iginio Massari.
Another successful debut was Host Talks – Beyond the Cup, a space dedicated to the future of coffee, organised in collaboration with M25 Consulting. The event featured leading voices from the industry, including Enrico Dandolo, CEO of the Gualtiero Marchesi Academy, coffee scientist Andrej Godina, and Jeffrey Joung, analyst at Allegra Strategies, who presented valuable market data and global insights. Reaffirming its role as the world’s leading hub for the coffee sector, the SIC – International Coffee Show also hosted 100 Years of Espresso Made in Italy, an unprecedented exhibition of historic coffee machines in collaboration with the Mumac, Bakke and Langkemper collections, as well as the Coffee Addition masterclasses led by Gianni Cocco, exploring the encounter between coffee and cocoa through tasting experiences.
Completing the line-up of new features, Bakery Square confirmed the strong interest in the Art of Baking: a new event arena that brought together master bakers from around the world — including Belgium, China, Croatia, Luxembourg, Peru, Portugal, Serbia, Spain and Switzerland — in dialogue with Italian professionals such as Biagio Caliendo, Nicola Iacovera, David Nasello, Simone Orlando, Paolo Zambarda and Fabrizio Zucchi. The programme extended beyond the arena to the Centro Stella Polare, which hosted the conference Fermenti di Sapienza: Il Lievito Madre, alongside the Bread and Well-being sessions curated by the Bakers’ Association of the Milan Traders Association, focused on the health benefits of sourdough and contemporary breadmaking.
An increasingly prestigious Award and many more events
Among the highlights of this edition was the return of the Smart Label – Host Innovation Award, promoted by Fiera Milano and Host Milano in collaboration with POLI.design and under the patronage of ADI – Association for Industrail Design. This year, the jury selected 25 winning projects out of more than 150 entries from around the world, showcased in a dedicated area. The awarded solutions highlighted key trends such as digitalization, sustainability, artificial intelligence and advanced sensor technology, along with eco-friendly and “made-to-last” materials. Among the most intriguing products were a hand-held espresso machine, a dispenser that spreads fresh butter on bread, and a set of infusion filters with mesh designs tailored to each essence.
Among the events that completed the programme were the Design Talks, organised with POLI.design and sponsored by NEWH – The Hospitality Industry Network, which explored key topics such as well-being and sensory design, technologies to enhance user experience, sustainability as a new mindset, and emerging models of hospitality. Contemporary hospitality spaces also took centre stage in #HotelSocialAreas by BWH Hotels, while the Luxury Food & Beverage Quality Awards celebrated excellence in out-of-home food and beverage products.
The focus on food, skills and technology took centre stage in the events most dedicated to the restaurant industry. Smart Food – Smart Chefs – Smart Future, organised by APCI – Professional Association of Italian Chefs, emphasised “green” and “smart” as the key concepts to make every initiative more relevant, while the FIC Academy of the Italian Federation of Chefs highlighted chefs’ expertise through a perspective of continuous training. The show-cooking sessions curated by A.P.Pa.Fre. – Association of Fresh Pasta SME Producers showcased the potential of an icon of Italian cuisine. The FCSI EAME seminars shed light on technologies and formats for the restaurants of the future and, finally, FIPE Space – Home of Public Establishments organized by the Italian Federation of Public Establishments became a stage for an open discussion on the future of foodservice.
In the meantime, the path towards the next edition has already begun: the appointment is at Fiera Milano from 22 to 26 October 2027.
