Food and beverage stands are sampling environments, and that single fact drives every material decision on the build. We have delivered them at SIAL, at two World of Coffee editions, at Fi Europe, at Vitafoods and in Casablanca.
What we have built in this sector
- SIAL Paris — 55 m², a five-day show
- World of Coffee, MiCo Milano — with an enclosed cupping room
- World of Coffee, Palexpo Geneva
- Fi Europe — three stands, 86 m², food ingredients
- Vitafoods Europe, Barcelona — nutraceuticals
- SIEMA FoodExpo, Casablanca
What a sampling environment demands
Surfaces that survive being wiped every hour
Visitors spill food, staff pour water, and someone tips coffee away. A hard, cleanable floor beats carpet wherever service happens — it can be wiped between sessions and still look finished at five o’clock on the last day, whereas the first spill marks carpet for good. The same logic applies to counter edges and cabinet fronts.
Services, planned early or not at all
So you order water, waste and refrigeration power from the venue weeks ahead; nobody can add them on site. A stand that will serve product needs its service positions fixed at design stage, because the drain location determines the layout rather than the other way round.
Continuous waste, and somewhere to put it
Sampling generates waste all day, and venues increasingly monitor and charge for it. Likewise, design bins and back-of-house in and hide them; do not improvise them behind a graphic.
Long shows
SIAL runs five days where most European fairs run three or four, and our largest national pavilion ran seven. An extra two days is not two more days of the same — it is where cheap finishes fail, and where replenishment storage stops being a cupboard and becomes part of the plan.
Origin and provenance have to read instantly
Buyers at food shows walk hundreds of stands. Where the product comes from is often the first thing they need to know, and on the origin-country stands we have built, it sits at fascia height rather than in the small print.
Frequently asked questions
Can you build a tasting, cupping or demonstration kitchen into a stand?
Yes. We built an enclosed cupping room into 28 m² at World of Coffee. The constraint is usually services and acoustics rather than floor area, so raise it at design stage.
What flooring do you recommend for a stand serving food?
A hard, cleanable finish in the service area — parquet, modular planks or a suitable vinyl. Reserve carpet for seating areas, if at all.
Which food events do you work at?
SIAL, World of Coffee, Fi Europe, Vitafoods and SIEMA to date, across Paris, Milan, Geneva, Frankfurt, Barcelona and Casablanca.
Planning for an upcoming food show in Italy? See our TUTTOFOOD stand builder page for Fiera Milano Rho and our Cibus page for Parma.
Need a food exhibition stand builder?
The reusable-stand standard referenced throughout this page is the industry programme at betterstands.org. Tell us the event, the dates, the stand size and whether you will be serving, and we will come back with a design and a build plan. Talk to us about your stand, or see every stand we have built.