The 44th edition of Host Milano (held from October 17 to 21) will feature an extended bakery-pizza-pasta showcase, which will include an ‘Art of Baking’ hub and a focus on Milano Pane Pasta Pizza.
A new Bakery Square arena will be organized, as a stage for innovation and creativity, bringing together technologies, ingredients and skills that interact to anticipate the trends soon to enter pastry shops, bakeries and hotels. Training sessions, events, competitions, and workshops will be held here, aimed at promoting the culture and craft of baking. Host Milano will also be home to the prestigious Panettone World Championship and the European Pizza Championship.
“Thanks to the partnership with the SIPAN Consortium, the show will be enriched by the participation of leading Italian manufacturers of bakery equipment,” the organizers anticipate.
Bakery area highlights:
- Bakery Square, in partnership with the SIPAN Consortium and other trade associations;
- SCIOCK – Cioccolato in Movimento curated by Davide Comaschi;
- Fermenti di Sapienza, with the participation of international Richemont Clubs;
- Panettone World Championship, curated by the Academy of Masters of Sourdough and Italian Panettone;
- Bread and Well-being, organized by the Bakers’ Association of Confcommercio Milano;
- European Pizza Championship, organized by the magazine Pizza e Pasta Italiana,
- Show-cooking sessions curated by A.P.Pa.Fre. – the Association of Small and Medium Producers of Pasta.
Panettone, sourdough and creativity: the Panettone World Championship final
On Saturday, October 18, Host 2025 will host the highlight event of the prestigious championship, where sourdough combines innovation and creativity in the live competitions of 10 national teams. The competing teams are from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, Japan, Peru, Spain and Taiwan. The presence of women among the master pastry chefs is also growing, while Italy, as the reigning champion, will not compete according to the rules, but will be represented on the jury, helping to ensure an even higher and more shared evaluation standard
“From an icing that catches the stage lights to the aroma of candied citrus and butter, panettone turns into show, technique and storytelling. At Host 2025, the Art of Baking will celebrate the ultimate leavened product on Saturday 18 October with the Panettone World Championship final, which will crown the world champion team while honoring sourdough in a meeting of tradition and innovation,” the organizers anticipate.
Unlike other contests, the championship is an entirely live challenge: dough preparation and baking take place in front of the audience and commissioners, with anonymous presentations to the jury to ensure objective evaluation. All teams work with fresh sourdough from their own country, while a focus on sustainability guides choices and procedures: from reducing waste to enhancing ‘circular’ formats.
On stage, competitors will present the Traditional Italian Panettone and the Large Chocolate Leavened Cake, along with tests that promote virtuous contamination, such as the Innovative Panettone with Gelato. There will also be space for the Decorated Panettone inspired by Milan and its creativity: three pieces for display and final judging.
At a glance
Organized by Fiera Milano, Host is an established platform for technologies, products, formats, and services dedicated to professional hospitality, out-of-home experiences, and food retail.
Host 2025 will provide a comprehensive overview of innovation in the industry, combining a broad vision with in-depth exploration across individual sectors. These are grouped into three main macro-areas, organized by supply chain affinity: Food Service Equipment and Bakery-Pasta-Pizza; Coffee-Tea, Bar-Coffee Machines-Vending, Gelato-Pastry; and Tableware-Technology-Contract Furniture.
The sectors covering the coffee and bar world will form the SIC – International Coffee Exhibition, a hub where all major players in the supply chain – from green bean to finished cup – will be represented. This year, SIC proudly welcomes back the World Barista Championship, the most prestigious international competition for baristas, returning to Milan.
The exhibitors and buyers
As of today, over 1,900 companies have already registered. International brands make up 44% of the total, with exhibitors from 54 countries. There is particularly strong representation from Europe, notably Germany, Spain, France, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. Also noteworthy is the growing presence of companies from North and South America and Japan.
Exhibitors bringing Bakery solutiuons to Host include: Agugiaro & Figna, Cuppone, Esmach/Bongard, Escher Mixer, Imperia & Monferrina, JAC, Moretti Forni, Petra/Molino Quaglia, POLIN, Ramalhos, Salva Industrial, Tagliavini, WAICO, Wiesheu. Coffee / Tea: Caffè Carraro, Caffè Cagliari, Caffitaly System, Covim, Goglio, Gruppo Gimoka, I.M.A., Imperator, Le Piantagioni Del Caffè, Kimbo, Caffè Borbone, Lollo Caffè, Caffè Toraldo, Essse Caffè, Julius Meinl, Caffè Bonomi, Caffè Musetti; Bar / Coffee Machines: Bianchi Industry, Bunn-o-matic, VEA Group, Eversys, Evoca, FAS, Fiorenzato, Franke Coffee Systems, Cimbali Group, Gruppo Ryoma, Gruppo SEB (WMF, Schaerer), La Spaziale, Marco Beverage Systems, Sanremo, Scotsman ICE, Simonelli Group, Wega, Thermoplan; Gelato / Pastry: Babbi, Bravo, Ciam, Criocabin, Aromitalia, Frigomeccanica, Isa, Epta, Ugolini, Pavoni, Martellato, Vaihinger, Eurovo, Jordao Cooling Systems, Lacteos, Silikomart, Pomati, Telme; Furniture: Pedrali, Calligaris, Nardi, Ke Protezioni Solari, Indel B, Tecnoarredamenti, Costa Group, Ethnicraft, Kave Home, Simmons, La Bottega dell’Albergo, Gamba, Dorelan, Amonn, PRIMA, Parotex; Tablewear: Abert/Broggi, Arcturus Group, Bormioli Luigi, Degrenne, MEPRA, RAK Porcelain, RCR Cristalleria Italiana, REVOL, Rivolta Carmignani, Rosenthal, Robbe & Berking. Sambonet, Serax, Steelite International, Tognana, WMF Professional.
Among the prominent exhibitors presenting foodservice solutions, a few highlights include: Aligroup, Angelo Po, Baldassarre Agnelli, CFS Brands, Dynamic, Fagor Industrial, Fimar, Fri-Jado, Hatco, Meiko Maschinenbau, Mkn Maschinenfabrik, Nilma, Oscartielle, Pacojet, Rational Italia, Sirman, Smeg, The Middleby Corporation, True Refrigeration Europe, Unox, Winterhalter Italia, Krupps, Della Marta.
With the support of the Italian Trade Agency (ICE) for the promotion and internationalization of Italian companies, more than 700 highly qualified hosted buyers are expected, arriving from around 75 countries. Key target sectors include: distributors, retailers, exporters/importers; restaurants, food service and out-of-home catering; retail and large-scale distribution; hospitality businesses; shopping centers and locations; as well as chefs, industry professionals and consultants.
Smart Label – Host Innovation Award
Now in its seventh edition, the Smart Label – Host Innovation Award is an initiative promoted by Host Milano and Fiera Milano, in partnership with POLI.design and under the patronage of ADI – the Association for Industrial Design. The award, open exclusively to exhibiting companies, recognizes products and solutions that stand out for their functionality, technological innovation, environmental sustainability, ethical impact, or social value, across three distinct categories: the Smart Label is awarded to products with a particularly distinctive innovative content; the Innovation Smart Label goes to solutions that break away from established trends to push the boundaries of the industry; and the Green Smart Label highlights products that demonstrate outstanding eco-sustainability.
In the six previous editions, more than 950 entries have been received, resulting in 280 award-winning products.
Photo: Panettone Wolrd Championship
Credit: Fiera Milano
