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MILAN – Clean lines, textured surfaces, lighting that shapes the environment: Host 2025 staged an idea of hospitality that becomes design, gesture, narrative and identity. Where experience is an integral part of service. From coffee shops to gelaterias, from food retail to tableware, companies brought visions and innovations showing how aesthetics, functionality and sustainability are converging toward new service models.
Their testimonies offer a direct look at how products, materials and concepts are evolving to meet increasingly demanding clients and ever-changing formats.
From Tradition to Experiential Concepts: Gelato, Pastry and Food Retail
“International demand is showing growing interest in high-quality products and ingredients that enhance tradition,” says Gian Luigi Babbi, Marketing Director of Babbi. “This is why we continue investing in ingredients and semi-processed products that preserve our identity while expanding our range of specialties and offering solutions that help professionals create recognizable and distinctive taste experiences.”
The role of design as a strategic lever for gelato and pastry emerges clearly in IFI’s words. “The market asks for environments that engage and tell a story, not just display equipment,” explains Francesca Tonti, CEO. “With our display cases and furnishings we aim to create a dialogue between aesthetics, functionality and sustainability, offering solutions that combine cold-technology, visual comfort and product enhancement.”
ISA views the convergence between aesthetics and performance as a well-defined direction. “Companies seek solutions that are elegant, sustainable and easy to use,” notes General Manager Fabio Bernini. “This is why we work with innovative materials and technologies that optimize energy savings while maintaining a harmonious design that integrates into new concept formats for gelato, pastry and bakery”.
Coffee Culture and New Preparation Experiences
In the coffee world, the search for distinctive experiences is increasingly evident. “We are seeing great attention toward machines that combine high performance with more intuitive interaction for the barista,” says the Rancilio team. “This is why we develop solutions that improve continuity, quality standards and ergonomics, integrating digital features that help control and monitor extraction”.
A similar evolution emerges in the words of Wega. “The coffee market rewards machines that allow creativity and consistency, while guaranteeing precision and control,” says Claudia Gobbo, Product Marketing Specialist. “Our latest solutions move precisely in this direction, with systems that support barista skills and offer a visual and functional experience aligned with the new languages of coffee culture.”
Materials, Shapes and New Atmospheres: The Role of Design and Tableware
Tableware becomes a central element in shaping experience. “We are seeing growing demand for collections that combine aesthetics, durability and sustainability,” observes Olivier Pascot, CEO of Revol. “We experiment with ceramic materials that ensure high performance while preserving an artisanal feel, creating pieces designed to give character to hospitality spaces.”
“Mixology is significantly influencing operators’ choices,” explains Roberto Pierucci, CEO of RCR. “This is why we work with crystal that combines brilliance, lightness and superior durability, offering collections designed to enhance professional creativity. The variety of shapes and finishes allows us to meet the needs of bars, restaurants and hotels seeking objects capable of giving identity and character to service”.
An Audience Attentive to Design and New Experiences
Exhibitors noted a highly receptive audience toward design, materials and concept spaces, with visitors showing concrete interest in solutions and customization possibilities. A constant dialogue with international professionals – attentive to the evolution of coffee culture, the new languages of gelato and pastry, and tableware proposals capable of giving identity to contemporary formats – created operational discussions, technical requests and prospects for collaboration. These exchanges confirmed the exhibition as an effective opportunity to meet decision makers and assess product positioning in various markets.
An increasingly hybrid idea of hospitality emerges, where design、 materials, technology and storytelling intersect to create distinctive environments and new service models. The next Host Milano will take place at Fiera Milano from 22 to 26 October 2027.
