Press Releases

• The 11^th edition of Europe's leading event for the beverage and bar industry, organised by Italian Exhibition Group, will be held at Rimini Expo Centre from 15^th to 17^th February 2026
• The new Mixology Attraction brand to promote the beverage offer with a focus on mixology and spirits, a sector which, according to Circana data, compared to pre-Covid levels, has seen an increase in alcoholic cocktail purchases (+32%) as well as liqueurs and spirits (+30%)
• Beer&Food Attraction features Europe's largest beer exhibition, from craft beers to big industrial groups with the best international brands
• A packed programme of events with talks, demos and competitions: from Italgrob's International Horeca Meeting to the Mixology Circus, Unionbirrai's ‘Beer of the Year’ award and the FIC-Italian Chefs’ Federation's ‘Italian Cooking Championships’
• At the same time, the 8^th edition of BBTech Expo for raw materials and processing and filling technologies for beers and beverages

www.beerandfoodattraction.it
www.mixologyattraction.com/it

Rimini, 30^th October 2025 - Rimini Expo Centre is preparing to turn the spotlight on Beer&Food Attraction, Europe’s leading event for the beverage and bar industry, organised by Italian Exhibition Group (IEG) and scheduled to take place from 15^th to 17^th February 2026.

Following the success of the last edition – with 600 exhibitors and more than 130 international buyers from 40 countries – the event is being redeveloped and extended with the new Mixology Attraction brand, a redesigned exhibition layout and special areas to enhance the out-of-home community, making the exhibition experience even more engaging, thematic and functional for exhibitors and visitors alike.

THE NUMBERS CONFIRM HIGH INTEREST IN THE BEVERAGE AND MIXOLOGY WORLD

Circana's Horeca Panel, which monitors beverage section sales at wholesalers, indicates a +39% increase in value from 2019 to 2024. More generally, total turnover in the first six months of 2025 stood at 2.3 billion euros. According to Circana's Crest data, “out-of-home” consumption in Italy (in terms of visits) has now returned to pre-Covid levels with 9.7 billion in August 2025 compared to 10.2 billion in the same period in 2019. This is also demonstrated by the total number of purchases of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, which remained stable at 2.2 billion, exactly as it was six years ago. Comparing the two periods, the largest increase was registered in non-carbonated soft drinks (+24%) and purchases of alcoholic cocktails (+32%, from 69 million to the current 91 million) as well as liqueurs and spirits, which rose from 58 million in 2019 to 76 million last August (+30%), with significant growth last year too (+23% compared to 2024).

These figures confirm the high interest in the world of beverages and mixology, one of the main sectors at the 11^th edition of Beer&Food Attraction. Major new features, such as the launch of the Mixology Attraction brand to give even greater prominence to the world of beverages, mixology and spirits, will accompany the beer world. The new area will be positioned at the centre of the exhibition layout with several focal points: Mixology Circus, which will host internationally renowned bartenders alongside masterclasses and talks on new trends in the sector; the Mixology Village exhibition area with the best spirits labels; and the return of Sparkling&Mix, where sparkling wines, prosecco and semi-sparkling wines will take centre stage in the culture of mixed drinks.

EUROPE’S LARGEST BEER EXHIBITION AND THE EVOLVING WORLD OF FOOD

Alongside mixology, Beer&Food Attraction confirms its role as a benchmark for the brewing community: from artisan microbreweries to large industrial groups, the event will offer the biggest exhibition of beers in Italy in a sector that – according to Assobirra – is now worth 10.2 billion euros.

The 2026 edition will feature additional special areas designed to foster the encounter between supply and demand, such as ‘Aperitivo Land’, where beverages can be paired with casual dining options, and ‘Eat&Play’, an experiential area for enjoying entertainment outside the home.

Considerable importance will be given to the sector’s customary events, such as Italgrob's International Horeca Meeting, where industry and distribution will meet to discuss trends and challenges in the out-of-home sector, and the ‘Beer of the Year’ award organised by Unionbirrai.

BBTECH EXPO: PROCESS TECHNOLOGIES AND INNOVATION

The 8^th edition of BBTech Expo, the exhibition for raw materials and processing and filling technologies for beers and beverages, will be held at the same time. To further strengthen its identity at the 2026 event, the Italian Craft Beer Conference, organised by Unionbirrai, will explore the craft beer production process, and the Beer&Tech Arena will offer concrete visions, tools and inspiration for sector operators.

THE MOST IMPORTANT NATIONAL COMPETITIONS AND AN EVER MORE FUNCTIONAL FORMAT

As always, Beer&Food Attraction will host the sector’s most important national competitions. These will include the Italian Cooking Championships organised by the Italian Chefs’ Federation (FIC), while space will also be given to young talent through the ‘Lorenzo Cagnoni Award’ (in partnership with ANGI-National Association of Young Innovators and the Italian Trade Agency), which promotes start-ups and innovations in the sector.

Moreover, with its new exhibition layout, Beer&Food Attraction 2026 will offer an even clearer and more integrated visitor experience: three main themes – Beer&Food, Beverage&Mixology, Beverage Technologies – designed to promote every professional community in the out-of-home sector. A format that combines content, business and international networking, consolidating the event's role as a European hub for the beverage and bar industry.

PRESS CONTACT ITALIAN EXHIBITION GROUP:
Head of media relation & corporate communication: Elisabetta Vitali; press office manager: Marco Forcellini, Pierfrancesco Bellini; press office coordinator: Luca Paganin; international press office coordinator: Silvia Giorgi; press office specialist: Nicoletta Evangelisti, Mirko Malgieri; media@iegexpo.it

MEDIA AGENCY BEER&FOOD ATTRACTION - BBTECH EXPO:
Mind the Pop - Martina Vacca: martina@mindthepop.it, mob. +39 339 748 5994; Fabrizio Raimondi: fabrizio@mindthepop.it, mob. +39 335 389 848; Stefano Chiossi: stefano@mindthepop.it, mob. + 39 388 739 4358.