IFE, International Food & Drink Event

IFE 2024

IFE, International Food & Drink Event, the UK’s ultimate business event for food and drink product discovery, returns to ExCeL London on 25th to 27th March 2024. The event showcases the latest innovations in the sector and empowers buyers to elevate their offerings, according to Federico Dellafiore, Event Manager for IFE.

Inside Food & Drink last spoke with IFE in 2022, so how has the show evolved since then?

What is new for this year?

It is hard to believe how much the show has evolved over the past two years! Since 2022, we have introduced an exciting feature

called the New Products Tasting Theatre. Visitors will have the opportunity to hear pitches from startup brands and sample ranges from a number of key distributors, this year including Bidfood and Sysco.

Federico Dellafiore, Event Manager for IFE, updates Inside Food & Drink.

Federico Dellafiore, Event Manager for IFE

Can you please share your anticipated numbers of visitors and exhibitors?

This year, we are expecting over 27,000 buyers to attend the show and meet with more than 1,500 exhibitors representing thousands of amazing products.

Please summarise for us what a visitor might expect from a trip to IFE.

A visit to IFE is an immersion into the world of food and drink, with exciting (and delicious) new products around every corner and

a packed content programme unveiling the most important trends and topics in the sector.

It is a true journey of discovery for buyers, who rely on IFE to sample the latest new products and meet face-to-face with the people behind the brands. With over 30 countries represented at the show, IFE is a unique chance to sample not just the very best of British, but also quality food and drink products from around the world.

The show is also an unrivalled networking opportunity for the industry, with visitors from across the UK and around the world

meeting friends old and new to collaborate, learn and do business.

One of our speakers this year, DesignHawk Founder Brett Goldhawk, said: “IFE never fails

to deliver on inspiration, insight and innovation. It’s one of my favourite events every year, as I get to discover everything food and drink, network with amazing people, try great products and unearth future trends emerging within the industry.”

As the largest event for food and drink buyers in the UK, what are the benefits of attending IFE as an exhibitor?

IFE’s size makes it an incredible opportunity for food and drink brands to meet directly with thousands of potential buyers across

Federico Dellafiore, Event Manager for IFE, updates Inside Food & Drink.

2024, ExCeL London

www.ife.co.uk

retail, wholesale, hospitality, travel and much more. We find a lot of the suppliers that take part in the show speak with not only the buyers they want to meet, but also potential partners from completely unexpected sources which takes their business in an amazing new direction!

With IFE taking place alongside sister events IFE Manufacturing, HRC, The Pub Show and chef competition International Salon Culinaire, the event is packed with professionals from the full food, drink and hospitality sector. IFE is a hive of collaboration and new opportunities.

In addition to exhibiting at the show, suppliers can take advantage of a number of opportunities including live product pitching, meet the buyer events hosted by Aramark and the Federation of Wholesale Distributors and entering the World Food Innovation Awards.

The floor at IFE is divided into multiple sections. How does this structure impact the experience of attending the show?

We have 14 unique sections at the show which include Vegan & Plant-Based, Drinks, Chilled & Frozen, and a newly introduced Fresh Produce Section in partnership with the Fresh Produce Consortium. This layout is great for navigating the show as we have a lot of category-specific buyers in attendance, as well as visitors interested in exploring the diversity within different categories.

We also have a section called The Startup Market, where companies trading for less

Federico Dellafiore, Event

than two years can showcase their products and buyers can discover completely new brands and meet face-to-face with ambitious and innovative entrepreneurs.

Several of the themed sections at IFE reflect modern food trends, such as Vegan & Plant-based, Free from, organic, etc. How important is it to highlight these trends within the show?

One of our key mission statements is to showcase innovation and new products at IFE, not to mention highlighting the most important industry trends and the product types growing in popularity with consumers.

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In addition to reflecting trends, the show is often a starting point and a launchpad for the brands of tomorrow – a glimpse of the future of food and drink.

IFE also runs a range of business support features as part of the show. How popular are these sessions?

We have a Business Services section of the show where visitors can meet experts on distribution, export, marketing, ESG, logistics, supply chain services and more. In our Certification Clinic organisations including RSPCA Assured, BRCGS, Halal Certification Europe, SALSA and The Vegan

www.ife.co.uk

Society will be on hand to shed a light on industry accreditation. In our Exporters Hub visitors can hear about the latest trends and challenges in international trade, plus our sister show IFE Manufacturing is home to a range of suppliers providing services including design, labelling and compliance.

Which aspect of IFE are you personally most excited about?

This will be my first time at the show since taking over as Event Manager, so I think I am most excited about just seeing all our plans come to life and meeting face-to-face with our exhibitors, visitors and partners over the three days!

To conclude, is there anything further that you would like to share with our readers?

IFE, part of Food, Drink & Hospitality Week, takes place on 25-27 March 2024 at ExCeL London. Register for your complimentary trade ticket at ife.co.uk and do not miss your chance to be part of the UK’s biggest celebration of industry innovation. n

2024, ExCeL London