Momentum & Optimism: Internorga Concludes with a Positive Result

(eap) The leading international trade fair for the foodservice and hospitality industry, Internorga, which once again took place at the Hamburg Messe exhibition centre from 13 to 17 March, has drawn a positive conclusion for this year’s edition: Despite a challenging environment for gastronomy and hospitality – characterised by cost pressures, staff shortages and the rapid pace of technological development – the mood among trade fair participants was marked by “curiosity and a hands-on optimism”. More than 1,200 exhibiting companies provided around 85,000 visitors with a wealth of innovations, trends and impulses – supported by new thematic areas such as “wine” and “robotics”, as well as a diverse congress and presentation programme.

Specialists and executives from businesses within the leisure industry also took the opportunity to visit Hamburg to gain insights into current foodservice trends and product innovations. In addition to concepts such as sharing and sociability, best practices in sustainability, and a wide range of appealing food and beverage creations, the focus was also on exciting vending solutions, AI-supported processes and robotics. As an important target group for suppliers of all types of foodservice equipment and products, representatives of leisure facilities were able to receive comprehensive advice tailored to their respective operational processes and F&B offerings.

Karls-Gründer Robert Dahl (3.v.r.) nimmt den Hamburger Foodservice-Preis entgegen. © Photo: Courtesy of Karls Incidentally, for their original formats such as the “Strawberry Kebab Restaurant”, the “Pancake Forge” and “Frieda’s Farm Kitchen”, Karls Erlebnis-Dörfer were honoured with the “Hamburg Foodservice Award”, presented by the dfv Media Group as part of Internorga. With innovative strength, creativity and the authentic implementation of gastronomic concepts, Karls has been delighting millions of guests for years. “This award means a great deal to us – above all because it is truly a team effort,” said Karls founder Robert Dahl, adding: “Hundreds of outstanding employees ensure every day that our guests experience far more at Karls than classic theme park fast food.”

Trends and ideas for complementing popular classics such as chips, burgers and similar items on menus can be found in our F&B trend report in the upcoming EAP May/June issue. ■