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20 FEDA News & Views Foster Frable Observations from HOST 2015 in Milan By Foster Frable Jr., Clevenger Frable LaVallee fosterf@cfldesign.com T he HOST Show in Milan has been on my bucket list of must-attend foodservice industry exhibitions for many years. I made my first visit to the show this year (held at the Fiera Milano Convention Center) along with 180,000 other professional visitors representing more than 170 countries as well as sev- eral FEDA members and representatives from other industry trade publications. Anyone who believes that trade shows are des- tined to be replaced by online presentations and virtual exhibits would be inclined to rethink that position based on the energy and excitement of this year's HOST show. Fiera Milano is one of the largest convention centers in the world and relatively easy to navigate for an event of its size. It's two or three times larger than the NRA Show and many times larger than the NAFEM Show. HOST is spread throughout seven buildings— all dedicated to foodservice and coffee equipment and furnishings. Each build- ing is similar in size to one of the floors in the McCormick Place Lakeside build- ing or in New York's Javits Center. The show took place in an adjacent complex to EXPO 2015, a World's Fair, which was an added bonus. Both events were well-managed despite huge crowds. The foodservice systems at EXPO 2015 were designed to accommodate hun- dreds of thousands of daily visitors and provided fare from fast food and food trucks to fine dining restaurants. It provided numerous examples of the latest equipment and systems includ- ing an enormous Eataly complex with more than 20 different restaurant out- lets complete with exhibition kitchens. The theme of EXPO 2015 was sustain- able food, so there were many exhibits of interest related to the foodservice industry. Because the shows were con- nected by an enclosed bridge, visitors were able to walk between the EXPO and HOST. Each of the 10 build- ings in the HOST expo area was devoted to one category of equip- ment, i.e., baking, coffee brewing, furniture, ice cream and gelato equip- ment, smallwares, parts and components, cook- ing equipment, display cases, etc. Only some areas had overlap products: light-duty cooking equipment, warewashing and refrigeration are examples. The concept of arranging exhibi- tors by product category is common in European exhibitions. It certainly improves the efficiency of reviewing competing products within a specific category. What's Trending The show also demonstrated that the Italian equipment industry and trade associates are planning to be a major force in exporting their products, espe- cially to North America. At least half of the Italian equipment manufacturers I spoke with are already selling equip- ment in the U.S. or are in the process of securing approvals and seeking U.S. partners to bring select products into the U.S. The certification groups UL, ETL, and NSF had booths at the show to pro- vide assistance to European manufactur- ers in securing approvals. Based on the products at the show, many items will be a welcome addition in our marketplace. Concern with strict U.S. regulatory codes was a common topic as I talked with manufacturers interested in mar- keting in the U.S. One European man- ufacturer made this observation: The European market is a "do" place and the American market is a "don't" place. There are many good reasons for strict regula- tory codes, and at the same time, those in our industry who can help ensure that common sense doesn't get overruled in the process should roll up their sleeves. If you've ever wondered why there are so many food machine/electric pizza oven/combi oven products on the mar- ket that seem to be differentiated only by brand name, the reason became obvi- ous when I visited the parts and compo- nents pavilion. There on display were all the components needed to build a pizza oven or combi oven. Anyone who has been to a computer parts show would have felt right at home. I could have grabbed a cabinet, control panel, fans, boiler, etc. and with some tools assem- bled a "Foster" combi oven right there in the hall. Keep in mind that quality man- ufacturing, high-tech controls, product service, and training are an important part of the "package" so buyers need to Concern with strict U.S. regulatory codes was a common topic as I talked with manufacturers interested in marketing in the U.S.