HORECA 2019 Expo Expected to Attract Record Number of Visitors

Some 125,000 professionals of the international hospitality industry and the wider food market – including 800 foreign hosted buyers –  are expected to attend the 14th international hotel, restaurant and cafe exhibition HORECA – a record number compared to previous years.

Organized by Forum SA, HORECA 2019 will be held during February 8-11 at the Metropolitan Expo in Athens.

Nikos Choudalakis, president and CEO of Forum SA, and Vice President Thanasis Yialouris.

This year, 550 exhibitors will showcase their new products and services across 55,000 square meters of exhibit space.

“Including a large number of exhibitors and high-quality products on show, HORECA aims to attract tens of thousands of hoteliers and food service professionals from Greece and the wider Eastern Meditarranean region,” said Forum SA President and CEO Nikos Choudalakis during a press conference on Wednesday.

The expo is divided into six sections showcasing hotel equipment and furniture; food services and meat products; coffee and beverages; foodservice machinery and equipment; digital technology and web marketing; and POS consumables.

The organizers also expect the exhibition to become a meeting point for Greek and foreign enterprises, and help initiate new business partnerships. According to a survey conducted by Ipsos/Opinion, 60 percent of exhibitors in 2018 said they managed to establish new trade partnerships during HORECA, while 98 percent said new partnerships were achieved within six months.

Special Events

The expo will also host a number of special events which include:

• The Web Hotel which this year will focus on the digital strategy of hospitality enterprises,
• The Beer & Spirits Show – Coffee Events which will host national coctail and coffee championships,
• The “Beer Day” to be held under the auspices of the Hellenic Association of Brewers,
• The Gastronomy Forum that will take place under the theme, “New Greek cuisine as a way for tourism development”,
• The Greek Breakfast initiative of the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels, which this year will include even more traditional Greek products and recipes.

In addition, HORECA, on Friday, February 8, will host the 8th General Assembly of the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels.