IFEX, Northern Ireland’s largest food, drink, retail and hospitality event, will open its doors this week, on Tuesday 5 March, at the Titanic Exhibition Centre in Belfast.
It will run until Thursday 7 March, and up to 7,000 industry professionals are expected to attend over the three days.
The event is home to some of the country’s biggest food companies, manufacturers, distributors and artisanal producers.
Sustainable Practices
Ahead of the event, IFEX released research that shows that over 60% of businesses in the sector have implemented sustainable practices within the last two years.
These statistics were revealed following a recent visitor survey, which also showed that 25% of businesses noted that waste reduction and recycling was a key factor in their sustainability strategies, while 21% of businesses claim to have introduced sustainable packaging and 17% have invested in energy-efficient equipment.
‘Collective Responsibility’
“The Northern Irish foodservice and hospitality industry is a global leader, and we’re delighted to see so many taking the necessary steps to become more sustainable,” said Toby Wand, managing director of 365 Events, the organiser of IFEX.
“In this industry, we have a collective responsibility to do all we can to ensure that we can protect the environment, which will, in turn, help to secure the sector’s future growth.
“There is still work to do, however, trade shows like IFEX can go a long way to introducing new products and innovative technologies that can make a big difference to the way a business approaches its sustainability practices.”
Range Of Events
IFEX 2024 is returning with industry support from Hospitality Ulster, the Federation of Small Businesses (FSBNI), Retail NI, the NI Hotels Federation, the Guild of Fine Food, Chef Network, the Restaurants Association of Ireland and the Northern Ireland Takeaway Association.
The exhibition will play host to a range of events, including the Masters Arena, the IFEX Coffee Festival, Edible Art, and the Salon Culinaire, which will see the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) Northern Ireland Chef of the Year named, alongside industry insights from a number of experts.
For more information, or to register for free, visit www.ifexexhibition.co.uk.
