Key Facts:
- foodpro 2026 will take place at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre from 26-29 July, with free attendance for industry professionals.
- The Industry Connect Evening on 26 July at Melbourne Public offers exhibitors and visitors a relaxed opportunity to network over drinks and canapés before the event officially opens.
- The Business Lounge, sponsored by Ashling x UiPath, provides a dedicated on-floor space with meeting tables, lounge seating, and a charge bar for scheduled supplier meetings and business discussions.
- The Industry Hub connects visitors with industry associations and media partners, including AIFST, AIP, Food and Drink Business, and PKN News, offering access to regulatory guidance, advocacy, and professional development.
- More than 9,000 professionals are expected to attend across the four days, with registration available at www.foodproexpo.com.
For food and beverage manufacturing professionals, the value of a trade event rarely lives on the show floor alone. It lives in the conversations that happen around it — the introductions made over a drink, the problem solved across a meeting table, the supplier relationship that turns into a long-term partnership. foodpro 2026, returning to the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre from 26–29 July, has built that reality into its programme through three dedicated networking touchpoints designed to connect professionals at every level of the industry.
Kick off foodpro Networking with the Industry
The industry gathers after the show closes for the day, next door to the MCEC on the banks of the Yarra. The Industry Connect Evening takes place on Sunday 26 July at Melbourne Public, offering exhibitors and visitors the chance to connect over drinks and canapés before the event formally opens. It’s a deliberately relaxed format, giving everyone the space to warm up conversations, strengthen existing relationships and meet new contacts in a setting that encourages genuine connection. For those travelling interstate, it’s also an ideal way to get a head start on the remaining three days.
Turn conversations into contracts
Back on the show floor, the Business Lounge — sponsored by Ashling x UiPath — serves as foodpro’s dedicated hub for productive, face-to-face engagement. Equipped with lounge seating, meeting tables and a charge bar, it provides a comfortable, professional environment where visitors can schedule supplier meetings, follow up on conversations from the floor and work through the practicalities of potential partnerships. In a busy four-day event, having a quiet, purposeful space for business conversations is a necessity. The Business Lounge is open to all registered visitors throughout the event.
Connect with the organisations shaping your industry
Rounding out the networking offer is the Industry Hub, a central meeting point for industry association and media partners. With organisations including AIFST, AIP Food and Drink Business and PKN News among the confirmed Hub partners, visitors can engage with the bodies and voices shaping the sector — from regulatory guidance to advocacy and professional development. Whether you’re looking to broaden your network, seek expert insight or explore collaboration opportunities, the Industry Hub offers a concentrated point of access to the people who help drive the industry forward.
Together, these three features reflect a deliberate approach to event design: foodpro is not just a trade floor, but a platform for the relationships and conversations that move the industry. With more than 9,000 professionals expected across the four days, the opportunity to connect has never been greater.
Attendance at foodpro 2026 is free for industry professionals. Register now at www.foodproexpo.com
About us:
foodpro 2026 | Australia’s Leading Trade Event for Food Processing, Packaging and Innovation
26-29 July | MCEC Melbourne
