BEER&FOOD ATTRACTION 2026, EUROPE´S BEVERAGE&BAR INDUSTRY LEADER: VISITORS UP +7% WITH A HIGHLY QUALIFIED INTERNATIONAL ATTENDANCE. BEER&FOOD ATTRACTION WILL BE BACK FROM 21ST TO 23RD FEBRUARY 2027

· In Rimini, Europe´s most complete quality beer offer: the main craft breweries, mainstream companies, major importers of foreign beers and the brewing world´s big multi-nationals


· 145 buyers from 45 countries: focus on internationality with the support of the Italian Trade Agency


· ´Mixology´ the magnet of the 2026 edition: area extended by 39%, important flow of international experts and bartenders. Rimini on the stage of contemporary drinking. New conviviality driven by low & no alcohol that looks to Gen Z but also conquers the adult audience


· Food plays a strategic and complementary role to the beverage world with the best proposals for casual dining and aperitifs

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


Rimini, 17th February 2026 – The eleventh edition of Beer&Food Attraction, organised by Italian Exhibition Group, came to a close today at Rimini Expo Centre with a +7% increase in professional visitors and 145 buyers from 45 countries, exceeding initial expectations. The strategic and decisive collaboration with the Italian Trade Agency bolstered the incoming programme and meetings between foreign companies and operators, increasing business opportunities.

The 2026 edition, with over 600 exhibitors from 16 countries, distributed across 14 halls, was also enhanced by a focus on the Mixology sector with 39% more exhibition space. The debut of Mixology Attraction had a direct impact on the overall turnout, contributing to the increase in visiting professionals. The event saw national and international distributors and bartenders attracted by the new area dedicated to beverage and the art of mixing and by the programme of events and professional meetings. The Mixology Circus - with 9 cocktail bars, seven Italian and two foreign from London and Miami - spotlighted three different interpretations of the contemporary bar: from urban and creative language to exotic atmospheres and the elegance of the international hotel industry. The role of food (which represented about 20% of the exhibition offer) also acted as a strategic complement to the beverage universe with the best proposals for casual dining aperitifs, moments of consumption that are gaining more and more attention. To complete the beer&beverage supply chain, the most innovative technologies and raw materials for the production of beer and drinks were on display at BBTech Expo.

Government representatives also attended the halls to underline the sector´s strategic importance in the agri-food supply chain. Alessandra Locatelli, the Minister for Disabilities, signed the memorandum of understanding with the Italian Chefs Federation (FIC) and the Solidarity and Emergencies Department to

promote work inclusion in catering and hospitality, attending the Italian Cuisine Championships, where more than 500 competitors took part. The Minister of Agriculture, Francesco Lollobrigida, was also present in the FIC Arena where the competitions took place. Lollobrigida underlined the importance of the horeca channel as well as the need to enhance the supply chains connected to it. He also recalled the Italian Cuisine´s recognition as UNESCO heritage and the need to ensure the industry´s companies with the right economic return by increasingly encouraging consumption and the protection of what is authentically Italian.

THE NO-ALCOHOL BOOM, GEN Z LEADS THE CHANGE: CRAFT BEER UP 5% AND CELEBRATES 30 YEARS

The beer sector, the cornerstone of the show, featured a solid and attractive craft component alongside the big brands in the year the Italian craft beer movement is celebrating its thirtieth birthday. A journey that, now in full flow, began in 1996 and was celebrated in Rimini with the 21st edition of the Unionbirrai Beer of the Year Award. The title of Brewery of the Year 2026 was won by Birra dell´Eremo di Assisi, chosen from among 212 competing breweries (with 1,746 beers evaluated in 46 categories) by an international jury made up of 73 experts. In general, the beer industry, which, according to Assobirra, is now worth 10.4 billion euros, is experiencing a double evolution: craft beers are on the increase with 183 million purchases, while non-alcoholic beers are no longer a niche and have gone from 28 to 49 million purchases. A change also driven by young people: 25% of Gen Z always choose non-alcoholic and over half of consumers evaluate this alternative based on the occasion. Curiosities that emerged at the show included the new generation of ready to drink beverages: recipes inspired by the brewing tradition and mixology, including hop-based waters and shandy reinterpreted with citrus fruits and botanics. Furthermore, in a context in which 89% of Italians claim to behave responsibly by avoiding drinking before driving or working, the market is rapidly recalibrating towards conscious consumption and quality (Circana).

THE HORECA CONGRESS

Central to the show was the distributor circle, represented by numerous visitors due to Italgrob´s Horeca Congress as part of the International Horeca Meeting. The strategic role of distribution in the out-of-home consumption system was a core topic. Industry numbers show a turnover of over €100 billion, 382,000 consumption points between bars, restaurants, pizzerias and hotels, and an approximately 1.5 million workforce, of which more than 55% are female.

LORENZO CAGNONI AWARD: THE AWARD FOR IDEAS THAT CHANGE OUT-OF-HOME

The Lorenzo Cagnoni Award 2026, sponsored by ANGI - Association of Young Innovators, and the Italian Trade Agency, recognises sector companies´ and start-ups´ most dynamic ideas. First place went to Crave Srl (Trieste) for its digital platform that can read data in real time to help venues and suppliers optimize orders and reduce waste. Beverage industry sustainability and digital solutions that simplify payments and customer loyalty were also key among the other finalist startups.

THE 2027 DATES

Beer&Food Attraction will be back at Rimini Expo Centre from 21st to 23rd February 2027.


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.