IFE

IFE, the International Food & Drink Event, is a trade-only exhibition for food and drink product sourcing, held at Excel London as part of Food, Drink & Hospitality Week. Suppliers show products to buyers from retail, wholesale, import and export, foodservice and hospitality. Montgomery Group organises it, and the organiser says IFE has been running for over 40 years.

IFE 2027 dates and opening times

The next edition runs from Monday 5 to Wednesday 7 April 2027. Doors open at 10:00 each day, closing at 17:00 on Monday and Tuesday and at 16:00 on Wednesday. On the final day onsite registration stops at 14:00 and last entry is 15:00.

Registration and entry rules

Registration opens in January 2027 and is free until 23:59 on Sunday 4 April 2027. Anyone registering from Monday 5 April pays £50 plus VAT. Online registration closes at 17:00 on Tuesday 6 April, after which visitors can only register with the onsite team at the main registration desk at Excel and must show proof of trade status.

• The show is for professionals and buyers in food and drink manufacturing, supply and distribution, foodservice, catering and hospitality.
• Every registration is verified against public information such as company website and LinkedIn profile. A business email speeds this up; personal email registrations must supply extra details.
• Students and under-18s are not admitted. Babes in arms are allowed if carried or strapped, with a waiver signed at the Organisers Office, but pushchairs and buggies cannot enter the halls.
• Large bags, shopping bags and suitcases are not allowed in unless carrying medical equipment; visitors may leave with only one bag of samples.

One badge covers all seven events of the week across both halls for all three days, a point worth knowing if you are checking what a co-located exhibition ticket covers.

Co-located shows

Food, Drink & Hospitality Week combines IFE with IFE Manufacturing, HRC, The Pub Show, Hospitality Tech360, Speciality & Fine Food Fair and International Salon Culinaire on the same dates.

Size of the show

The organiser publishes 25,000+ verified trade visitors, 1,500+ exhibitors and visitors from 105 countries, and states that 87% of visitors hold purchasing authority. It also cites more than 10,000 products to source, with exhibitors grouped into eight food and drink zones plus international pavilions.

Features and seminars

The 2026 edition ran from 30 March to 1 April 2026 under the seminar theme “Feeding the Future”. Its features included:

• the Future Food Stage, with sessions such as IGD’s forecast for UK supermarkets to 2030 and a top ten food and drink trends talk for 2026/27
• the New Products Discovery Theatre, where buyers sampled new-to-market products
• a Startup Market for brands trading two years or less
• Meet the Buyer sessions with Booker, National Buying Consortium, Sugro and The Wholesale Group through Food & Drink Wholesale UK, plus a supplier showcase judged by Aramark buyers and a TickEat lunch with travel sector buyers
• an ACS Convenience Products Trail through the event app
• FDEA export masterclasses on the IFE Manufacturing Business Growth Stage, a Business Growth Hub, a Certification Clinic and a Networking Bar
• the World Food Innovation Awards, the IFE Manufacturing Ingredients Awards with IFST, and the first IFE Exhibitor Awards for Best Marketing Campaign and Best Stand

Exhibiting at IFE

Stand enquiries go through a form on the show website, answered by the commercial team; there is also an international sales team, led by an international sales director, and a list of international sales agents. A sales brochure is available on request. According to the organiser, exhibitors can buy advertising and sponsorship, reach an email database of 250,000 contacts and ask about promotional packages. When building an exhibition budget, allow for those extras alongside the stand itself.

Other food and drink shows

Excel London also hosts The European Pizza Show from 18 November 2026. Regional buyers may also look at The Source Trade Show at Westpoint Exeter from 2 February 2027 and ScotHot at SEC Glasgow from 24 February 2027. More events are listed under food and drink trade shows and trade shows in London.

Source: ife.co.uk, ife.co.uk/faqs, ife.co.uk/whats-on, ife.co.uk/ife-2026-seminar-programme