1. Professional accreditation versus buying a ticket: what is the difference and which one applies to me?

These are two separate processes and the confusion is extremely common. A professional accreditation is the system by which Salon Gourmets verifies your professional status as a sector participant, specifically in food, beverages, HORECA, distribution, retail, catering, press, or a related discipline. The accreditation registration is free and done online at gourmets.net. However, an accreditation alone does not get you through the IFEMA gates. You still need to purchase an entry ticket separately: €60 online for a 1-day pass or €100 online for the full 4-day pass (based on 2025 pricing, the most recent confirmed figures). The ticket is linked to your accreditation profile. Some exhibitors are allocated a fixed number of complimentary visitor tickets for their buyers and clients. If you have received an invitation from an exhibitor, contact them directly to confirm whether a complimentary entry is included. Press accreditations follow a separate process through Grupo Gourmets' press office and do not require a paid ticket. The takeaway: register your professional accreditation first, then purchase your entry ticket in the same portal.

2. I am an international buyer who wants to apply for the Hosted Buyers Program. How does that process actually work and what does it cost?

The Hosted Buyers Program is organized by ICEX Spain Trade and Investment and Spain's Ministry of Agriculture under the Spain Food Nation convention, and it costs invited buyers nothing. The program is invitation-based: ICEX and the Salon Gourmets organization select buyers based on purchasing volume, market reach, and sector alignment with the exhibitor base. To be considered, international buyers can express interest directly through ICEX's network (icex.es) or through Spain's commercial offices and embassies in their home country, which actively recruit candidates. Once selected, buyers receive travel and accommodation support, a curated meeting schedule with pre-matched exhibitors, and access to the Business Center's private meeting rooms and free interpretation service. In 2025, 300 buyers from 90 countries participated and 6,482 confirmed meetings were held. The program is not open to walk-in registration at the fair. Applications and expressions of interest for the 2026 edition should be submitted to ICEX before February 2026, as selection is finalized several weeks before the April dates.

3. How do I actually plan my route across 72,000 m² in four days without spending two days just getting oriented?

Download the official Salon Gourmets app before you arrive, available for iOS and Android. The app contains the full exhibitor directory with stand locations, hall maps, a personal meeting scheduler, and the complete activity program by time slot and hall. On Day 1, Monday morning between 10:00 AM and 1:00 PM, go directly to the Innovation Area (32nd edition) before the press and media finish their morning sweep. This is the window when the most genuinely new products are available for sampling and the exhibitors there are most receptive to introduction. Halls 3 and 4 concentrate wines, spirits, and charcuterie. Hall 5 covers cheeses, preserves, and specialty groceries. Hall 6 contains oils, vinegars, and prepared foods. Hall 8 is home to international exhibitors, the Norway Country of Honor pavilion, and the institutional Alimentos de España space. The Business Center, for Hosted Buyer meetings, operates separately from the exhibition floor and is accessed by appointment. Allocate Monday and Tuesday to the halls that match your specific sourcing categories, and reserve Wednesday for follow-up visits and Hall 8 international contacts, which tend to be less rushed mid-week.

4. Can I drive to the fair and is there parking at IFEMA? What does it actually cost?

Yes. IFEMA operates its own official car parks, primarily the Yellow and Violet parking areas, totaling over 14,000 spaces. The standard rate confirmed on the official IFEMA website is €3.00 per hour including VAT, with a discounted day rate available for stays over 4 hours, also purchasable at parking machines on-site or through the elParking app (available on iOS and Android). During Salon Gourmets, the approach roads from M-11 (exits 5 and 7), M-40 (exits 5, 6, and 7), and A-2 (exit 7) can experience significant congestion from 9:00 AM. If driving, arrive before 8:45 AM or after 2:00 PM to avoid the worst bottlenecks. For reference, a full fair day of approximately 9 hours at €3/hour would cost roughly €27, though the discounted day rate at the machines reduces this. Parking payment can be done at automated machines inside the car parks or via the elParking mobile app. Disabled parking spaces are available and signposted at all main entry points.

5. Is there food available inside IFEMA during the fair? Can I eat lunch without leaving the venue?

Yes, and the options are more substantial than at most European trade venues of this size. IFEMA operates a full food court on its central Avenida Central avenue, featuring over ten branded food and beverage operators including Rodilla, Aloha Poke, Udon, Telepizza, Santa Gloria, MásQmenos, Tim Hortons, and La Terraza Mahou, a covered outdoor terrace. These remain open throughout fair hours and do not require re-entry to the exhibition halls once you leave. On top of the IFEMA food court, Salon Gourmets itself is unusual among trade fairs in that the exhibition floor itself serves as a food environment: hundreds of exhibitors offer free product samples at their stands throughout all four days, from Iberian ham and cheese to wine, olive oil, specialty preserves, chocolates, and prepared foods. Many professional visitors essentially eat their way across the fair between meetings, particularly in Halls 3 through 6. This is not an unofficial practice. It is the standard at Salon Gourmets and exhibitors budget for it. Do not plan a lunch outside the venue on Day 1 unless you have a client commitment. You will not be hungry.

6. I want to meet a specific exhibitor at the fair but they have not replied to my emails before the show. What is the most effective way to approach a cold stand visit professionally?

This is one of the highest-value situations the fair creates and it is entirely normal. At Salon Gourmets, stand visits from unknown buyers are expected and welcomed by exhibitors who have paid significant fees to be present precisely to be found. Use the official app's exhibitor directory to locate the exact stand number and hall before arriving. The best time to approach a stand cold is during the first two hours of Monday morning (10:00 to 12:00) or the first two hours of Tuesday morning, when traffic is lowest and stand staff are most rested and alert. Avoid approaching during show cooking demonstrations, live competitions, or in the last 90 minutes of any day when staff are tired and winding down. When arriving at the stand, introduce yourself with your role, your purchasing context, and a specific reference to a product in their range that you have already researched. This signals that you are a genuine buyer, not a browser, and stand managers are trained to escalate that type of conversation immediately to a decision-maker. Bring bilingual business cards. Most Spanish regional producers keep a lead register at their stand and will follow up within two weeks of the fair if a clear buying intent was communicated in person.