ITALIAN EXHIBITION GROUP (IEG), NEW ACQUISITION IN BRAZIL

• 51% of Brazil´s NIS Summit – Nutrition Innovation Summit, the main trade show for the functional ingredients, health and supplement market, has been acquired.
• By integrating the NIS into its portfolio, IEG further strengthens its Food&Beverage division that already operates globally with international events

São Paulo, 20th March 2026 – Italian Exhibition Group (IEG) announces the acquisition of 51% of the NIS Summit – Nutrition Innovation Summit, Brazil´s main business and innovation platform for the functional ingredients, health and supplement market. ´This 20-million R$ transaction,´ explains Corrado Peraboni, CEO of IEG, ´is the group´s 13th acquisition in Brazil and further strengthens the expansion strategy into structural segments with constant growth and low sensitivity to economic cycles.´
Current NIS members will remain at the helm until 2029, ensuring strategic continuity and technical excellence. At the end of that period, IEG will exercise the option to purchase the remaining 49%.
Nutrition: a structural rather than cyclical sector
Nutrition is no longer a trend. It has become an infrastructure of public health, longevity and productivity. Unlike cyclical sectors, functional nutrition and supplementation do not depend on crises or expansionary phases of the economy, but are driven by demographic changes, an aging population, disease prevention, and greater consumer awareness.
According to ABIA (Brazilian Association of the Food Industry), the Brazilian food industry recorded a turnover of R$1,277 billion in 2024 (10.8% of GDP) with a growth of 10% compared to the previous year. The sector foresaw investments of R$ 120 billion by 2026. The food for special purposes segment grew by 4.6% in the first nine months of 2025, according to ABIAD (Brazilian Association of Food Industry for Special and Related Purposes).
´Nutrition is not a trend; it is a structural necessity of modern society. People may put off buying a car or property, but they do not forego health, well-being and longevity decisions. Investing in the NIS Summit means positioning IEG at the centre of an ecosystem that is growing independently of the economic cycle. We are talking about applied science, concrete innovation and the connection between global industry and the Brazilian market. It is a sector that is evolving rather than contracting,´ says Graziano Messana, CEO of IEG Brasil.
Integrating NIS into the IEG portfolio will strengthen the vertical Food & Beverage that the group already operates in globally in terms of international events, such as SIGEP World, and widens the bridge between Brazilian operators and global innovation networks.
In the last two years, the group has acquired 100% of Expo InfraFM and MundoGeo, as well as 51% of Fenagra. ´We will continue to invest in Brazil in a disciplined and strategic way. Our aim is clear: to build a resilient portfolio, connected to the economy´s big structural transformations, and position IEG among Brazil´s major players in the exhibition sector,´ Messana concludes.
NIS Summit 2026
Now at its 6th edition, the NIS Summit has grown by 50% with over 140 exhibitors, 500 national and international brands, expected to attend. The event will be held from 31st March to 1st April at the Transamérica Expo Centre in São Paulo.
New features this year will include: the NIS Lab - Laboratory of Future Brands with a focus on private labels and outsourcing, and the NIS Açaí de Ouro Awards, now at its 4th edition, with innovation awards in seven categories, including foods, beverages, supplements and ingredients.
IEG Brasil
In 2022, IEG – Italian Exhibition Group began activities in Brazil through IEG Brasil with the aim of expanding its presence in the country. The portfolio currently includes trade shows in the food, health, wellness, window and door, surface treatment, geotechnology, drone, space, facility management, construction and agro-industry sectors.


PRESS CONTACT ITALIAN EXHIBITION GROUP | media@iegexpo.it
head of corporate communication & media relation: Elisabetta Vitali| press office manager: Marco Forcellini, Pier Francesco Bellini | international press office coordinator: Silvia Giorgi | press office coordinator: Luca Paganin | press office specialist: Nicoletta Evangelisti, Mirko Malgieri | press office assistant: Julia Andreatta


This press release contains forecast elements and estimates that reflect the management´s current opinions (´forward-looking statements´), particularly regarding future management performance, realization of investments, cash flow trends and the evolution of the financial structure. For their very nature, forward-looking statements have a component of risk and uncertainty, as they depend on the occurrence of future events. The effective results may differ (even significantly) from those announced, due to numerous factors, including, only by way of example: food service market and tourist flow trends in Italy, gold and jewellery market trends, green economy market trends; the evolution of raw material prices; general macroeconomic conditions; geopolitical factors and evolutions in the legislative framework. Moreover, the information contained in this release does not claim to be complete and has not been verified by independent third parties. Forecasts, estimates and objectives contained herein are based on the information available to the Company as at the date of this release.