The home of innovation for hospitality & retail.
IFEX is the flagship event for the retail, foodservice and hospitality industries where the very best of Northern Ireland’s hospitality talent come together to see the biggest and most diverse showcase of manufacturers, suppliers and service providers to the sector.
The success of IFEX in 2024 was overwhelming. We knew that the first show back post the pandemic restrictions was going to be great, but it surprised all expectations.
- Over 250 exhibitors
- 7200+ visitors
On 24th – 26th February 2026 IFEX moves to the purpose-built venue ‘The Eikon Exhibition Centre’, conveniently located in Lisburn, just outside Belfast. The venue has exceptional facilities with cutting-edge technology and amenities as well as plenty of free parking that will allow us to grow the event and deliver to our audiences.
The three-day event will serve up the latest food & drink products, equipment, interiors, services and technology solutions for all hospitality and retail businesses. Combine this with the educational insights, the hottest trends and one of the most notable Salon Culinaire competitions in the UK & Ireland, IFEX delivers a world-class event that should be at the forefront of your calendar.
More than 7,200 visitors attended IFEX in 2024, each visitor spending on average £12760 at the show and after – so the show had a massive purchasing power of £92 million! All aspects of IFEX 24 were highly rated by visitors, in particular the atmosphere, buzz inside the show, the quality of companies exhibiting and the range of products on display.
Who Visits?
Visitors’ prime reason to attend is to see what exhibitors have to offer; which ensures that IFEX is the vital show for all food, drink, retail and hospitality products and service providers. Visitors attending the show include:
- Chefs
- Catering Managers
- Directors
- Food & Beverage Buyers
- Hotel Managers
- Independent Retailers
- Multiples Buyers
- Off Trade
- Owners/Proprietors
- Publicans
- Restauranteurs
- Symbol Group Buyers
- Wholesalers
Who Exhibits?
IFEX has the largest showcase of hospitality solutions in Northern Ireland. From Great Taste products to the latests drink trends; stylish tableware to innovations in catering equipment; and an array of technology of the future to help front and back of house. Exhibitors show a wide selection of products including:
- Bar Equipment
- Beverages – alcoholic & Non-alcoholic
- Catering Equipment
- Chilled Food
- Confectionery
- Dairy
- Display Equipment
- Disposables
- EPOS / Computer Systems
- Fish & Meat
- Fresh Produce
- Frozen
- Furniture
- Great Taste Award Winners
- Packaging Equipment
- Retail Equipment
- Speciality Foods
- Tableware
- Waste Solutions
What do our visitors what to see?
Visitors of IFEX 26 are looking for...
- Local produce
- Alcohol
- Low to No Drinks
- Coffee
- Health & Wellbeing
- Vegan Food
- Fish & Chip Shop Products
- Catering Equipment
- Booking Systems
- EPoS
- Hospitality Technology
- Tableware
- Beds
- Furniture
- Lighting
- Packaging
