Cibus Tec nears a sellout as international demand pushes the Parma trade fair toward full capacity

Cibus Tec, the food and beverage technology trade fair held in Parma, Italy, said its 2026 edition is nearing a sellout for exhibition space as registrations and international participation run ahead of the pace seen before the last event in 2023.

Organizers presented the 54th edition in Milan on Tuesday and said the show, scheduled for Oct. 27 to Oct. 30, is projected to top 1,300 exhibitors and brands and more than 40,000 square meters of exhibition space, using the full fairgrounds. They also said international exhibitors and brands are expected to account for more than 30% of the total.

The event is positioning itself as a major meeting point for food processing, packaging, beverage production and automation at a time when manufacturers are under pressure to improve efficiency, food safety and sustainability. Koeln Parma Exhibitions, the joint venture behind the fair, said visitor pre-registrations are also ahead of the comparable stage for the previous edition and that it aims to attract more than 40,000 professional visitors.

A central part of that strategy is a larger international buyer program. With support from ICE Agency and the Emilia-Romagna region, organizers said they plan to bring more than 3,000 qualified international buyers to Parma. More than 100 of those buyers are expected to come from African markets through the Cibus Tec for Africa initiative, which is designed to build business ties and promote Italian food technology in Sub-Saharan Africa.

For wine and beverage companies, one of the main changes this year is a new partnership with Federvini, the Italian federation representing wine, spirits and vinegar producers. The agreement will expand the beverage presence at the fair and create a dedicated wine technology area in Hall 3. Organizers said suppliers of equipment and solutions for wineries will be featured there, and that a workshop focused on the wine sector will be held on Oct. 29.

According to Cibus Tec and Federvini, that session will address trade agreements, European regulation and sustainability issues affecting competitiveness across the wine supply chain. The move reflects broader demand from producers for equipment that can help manage compliance costs, reduce environmental impact and improve production efficiency.

Another major addition is World Pasta Day, which will be held in Parma for the first time since its creation in 1998. The event, promoted by Unione Italiana Food and the International Pasta Organisation, will take place inside Cibus Tec on Oct. 27 and Oct. 28 in Hall 2. It is expected to bring together pasta makers, machinery suppliers, retailers, associations and institutions from several countries.

The choice of Parma links one of Italy’s best-known food products with a trade fair centered on industrial technology. Organizers described that pairing as a way to connect pasta’s global consumer appeal with the machinery, processing systems and packaging lines that support production.

Data cited by Unione Italiana Food show why pasta remains central to Italy’s food exports. Italy accounts for 24% of global pasta production and exports about 59% of its national output. The group said one out of every four plates of pasta consumed worldwide is made with Italian pasta, rising to about three out of four in Europe.

Unione Italiana Food said that in 2025, compared with 2024, pasta production volumes rose 0.8% and export volumes increased 2.1%, while production value fell 1.9% and export value slipped 1.2%. It attributed part of that decline in value to a market adjustment after unusually strong post-pandemic years.

Beyond wine and pasta, Cibus Tec is expanding its focus on specialized supply chains through two themed projects called “Bakery? Yes, we tec!” and “Beverage? Yes, we tec!” Organizers said those areas will cover technologies from raw material handling through packaging and end-of-line operations.

The fair will also include live demonstrations of three automated production lines for bakery products, dairy products and ready meals. A startup area developed with Le Village by Crédit Agricole and ICE will showcase selected early-stage companies working on food and beverage innovation. A Talent Academy organized with Cisita Parma will host activities linking schools, training institutions and employers around future workforce needs in food technology.

Artificial intelligence and automation are also set to play a larger role in this year’s program. On Oct. 30, SPS Italia will organize a conference titled “Food 5.0: From AI to Automation, for Safe and Competitive Production,” focused on digitalization, industrial automation and data use in manufacturing.

Running alongside Cibus Tec will be the second edition of Labotec, a separate event dedicated to laboratory innovation and analysis technologies. Labotec is scheduled for Oct. 27 and Oct. 28 at Fiere di Parma. Organizers said more than 200 companies and brands are expected to take part.

Labotec serves sectors including food safety, pharmaceuticals, environmental analysis, diagnostics and quality control. Koeln Parma Exhibitions said pre-registered visitors for Labotec are up 20% from the previous edition at the same stage.

One of Labotec’s main additions this year is a Demo Area created with LabWorld.it that will recreate a working laboratory inside the exhibition space so visitors can see instruments used in real time. The event will also feature a LabWorld Arena for presentations on new technologies and case studies, plus a Science Area intended to connect universities, research centers, institutions and industry.

The overlap between Cibus Tec and Labotec is meant to reflect how closely factory operations now depend on testing, monitoring and analytical systems. In food production especially, laboratory work has become more tightly linked with process control, traceability and regulatory compliance.

Organizers said admission to both events will be free with registration through their official websites, a change intended to widen access for professionals across the sector.