THE north’s largest exhibition of food, drink, hospitality and foodservice will take place over March 24-26 2020.
Next year’s IFEX, at TEC Belfast, will mark the 25th year of the event, with 7,000 visitors expected over the three days.
Organised by the Montgomery Group, the expo is backed by including Hospitality Ulster, the Federation of Small Business, Retail NI, Food Standards Agency, Restaurants Association of Ireland and The Guild of Fine Food.
The event’s Salon Culinaire skills competition is expected to attract over 250 professional and student chefs, competing in over 30 categories. Competition director, chef Sean Owens, expressed his hope that the event will attract more people to the industry.
“Hospitality currently has the largest staffing shortfall of all sectors in the UK, with a widening skills gap,” he said.
Six chefs from the north will battle it out for the chef of the year accolade. Previous winners include Michael Deane, Chris Bell, Roisin Gavin and Paul Cunningham.
IFEX event manager, Caroline McCusker, said: “IFEX has retained its place as the biggest, most comprehensive tradeshow for the foodservice and hospitality sector – always building and evolving – and we’re extremely proud to deliver an industry event that puts skills at the heart of the show.
“IFEX is on course to become a sell-out event, with 160sqm of floor space sold to new exhibitors, and with IFEX enjoying a record attendance in 2018, we’ve high hopes for the 2020 event.”
Supporting IFEX for the third consecutive show, Colin Neill, chief executive of Hospitality Ulster added: “With Brexit looming, it’s challenging times for the industry and the impact of Brexit could see the skills shortage deepen.
“This is why now, more than even, we need to upskill and champion our talented young chefs and those within the industry. IFEX puts skills on the map. It’s a show supported by industry and created for industry, and it’s heartening to see so many of our biggest players in hospitality and foodservice supporting IFEX 2020.”
