Who Should Attend
Fresh Produce Producers and Export Cooperatives
Italian and international growers who want face-to-face access to 800+ pre-screened global buyers and three days of structured B2B meetings organised by the Italian Trade Agency.
Technology, Packaging, and Agri-Input Suppliers
Companies in agri-tech, biosolutions, irrigation, cold chain, or sustainable packaging that need concentrated exposure to a professional audience spanning Europe, Africa, and Latin America in three days.
International Importers, Traders, and Wholesale Buyers
Procurement managers and trading companies sourcing fresh fruit, vegetables, or post-harvest solutions who use the Business Matching platform to schedule targeted supplier meetings before arriving.
Researchers, Agronomists, and Institutional Representatives
Scientists, university departments, NGOs, and government trade agencies attending the Mediterranean Stone Fruit Symposium, the Assisted Evolution Techniques conference, and other events run by the Macfrut Scientific Technical Committee.
Top Reasons to Attend
1
800 Pre-Qualified International Buyers, Zero Cold Outreach
The Italian Trade Agency pre-screens and flies in approximately 800 top buyers from across Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America. Suppliers meet decision-makers who are actively sourcing, without spending months on cold prospecting or trade missions.
2
2. The Global Mango and Avocado Supply Chain in One Room
The "Mango and Avocado Explosion" event brings producers, traders, and buyers from Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Kenya, the Netherlands, India, Egypt, and the Dominican Republic together in one programme. Avocado sales in Italy rose 47% and mango sales rose 36.4% in 2025, making this the fastest-growing segment at the fair.
3
Caribbean Region as International Partner Opens $30 Billion in Trade
The Dominican Republic doubles its floor space to 400 sqm for 2026, joined by Cuba, Costa Rica, Colombia, Ecuador, Chile, and debut stands from Brazil and Peru. Caribbean nations collectively export over $30 billion in fruit and vegetables annually, and this edition is the deepest access point European suppliers have had to that region.
4
Sicily and 10 Italian Regions Showcase PDO and PGI Products
Sicily serves as the 2026 Partner Region, contributing 4.6 million tonnes of annual production from 263,000 hectares, including the largest organic farming surface in Italy. Ten regional stands cover Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Emilia-Romagna, Lazio, Piedmont, Apulia, Sardinia, Sicily, and Umbria, making this the broadest representation of Italian production at any single fair.
5
Seven Themed Exhibitions with Independent Expert Programmes
Acqua Campus covers water-saving irrigation systems. Plant Nursery addresses assisted evolution techniques and genome editing. Biosolutions and Digital Technologies hosts international kiwi conferences and technical round tables. The Berry Area, Healthy Food Area, Spices and Herbs Global Expo, and Agrisolar each run their own conference tracks coordinated by sector specialists, not generalist moderators.
What You'll See & Do
🌱
Pre-Harvest Zone
Biosolutions, AI-driven irrigation, agricultural robotics, plant nurseries, and agrivoltaic systems, all under one roof across dedicated halls with live demonstrations.
📦
Post-Harvest Hall
Cold chain equipment, processing lines, sustainable packaging, and logistics technology from suppliers across Europe, Asia, and the Americas, displayed alongside case studies from live supply chain operations.
🥭
Mango and Avocado Explosion
A two-day dedicated programme assembling the full global supply chain for avocado and mango, with buyer meetings, agronomic data sessions, market trend presentations, and live case studies from nine countries.
🫐
Berry Area
A specialist zone for strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries covering new genetic varieties, cultivation technology, large-scale retailer negotiations, and current pricing data, curated by an independent scientific panel.
🍽️
Healthy Food Area
Fresh-cut produce, organic certified products, functional food, and minimally processed items, presented to retail buyers and food service chains including Conad, Coop Italia, and the VeGe Group, all attending as buyers.
🚀
Startup Showcase and Test Fields
Twenty-five startups from Finland, Germany, Ghana, Poland, Uganda, the USA, and Italy pitch live innovations in agri-tech and sustainability. Two 2,500-sqm outdoor test fields run real cultivation equipment in operating conditions.
🏢 Are you Exhibiting at This Event?
Register your company on AgriLinkage to connect with qualified buyers before, during, and after the event. Over 50,000 buyers search AgriLinkage monthly to find suppliers.
✓ Pre-Event Visibility: Buyers can find your booth before they arrive
✓ Direct Inquiries: Receive qualified leads through our platform
✓ Post-Event Connections: Continue conversations after the show ends
✓ No Commission: We only charge exhibitors, buyers contact you for free
💼 Attending as a Business Professional?
Register as a business visitor to get exhibitor alerts, networking opportunities, and priority notifications when companies in your sector register. Free for all business attendees.
✓ Exhibitor Alerts: Get notified when suppliers you're interested in register
✓ Pre-Event Connections: Schedule meetings before you arrive at the show
✓ Booth Locations: We'll tell you exactly where your targets are located
✓ Networking Matches: Connect with other buyers in your industry
Getting to Rimini
Rimini is served by two airports. Rimini "Federico Fellini" International Airport (RMI) sits 10 km from Rimini Expo Centre, approximately a 15-minute drive via the SS16 Adriatica road. Bologna Guglielmo Marconi Airport (BLQ) is 120 km away via the A14 motorway. During Macfrut, the dedicated Riminifiera railway station inside the expo grounds, located 50 metres from the South Entrance on the Milan-Bari line, is fully operational with 16 daily train stops.
Where to Stay
Book at least 6–8 weeks in advance; Rimini's exhibition calendar fills hotels across the city during April fair weeks.
Hotel Fiera
📍 Via Emilia 153 · 50 metres from Rimini Expo Centre, 1-minute walk
120 rooms, panoramic wellness centre with sauna, Turkish bath and whirlpool (extra cost), restaurant serving regional and international cuisine, free Wi-Fi, 24-hour reception, private parking. Literally the closest hotel to the fairground: cross the road and you are at the entrance.
Hotel Aurora
📍 Viserba seafront · 4.1 km from Rimini Expo Centre, 10-minute drive
40 rooms with private balconies, sea views from select rooms, on-site restaurant, free breakfast included, free Wi-Fi, garden area. Open during trade fair weeks and confirmed by guests who use it specifically for Rimini Fiera events. Best option for attendees who want a quiet beachfront base with breakfast included.
Hotel Sporting e dei Congressi
📍 Beachfront, Marina Centro · 5 km from Rimini Expo Centre, 12-minute drive
Sea-view restaurant, lounge bar, modular conference and meeting rooms available during the event, on-site parking. Purpose-built for trade fair visitors: provides private meeting rooms that work for team debriefs and buyer dinners outside fair hours.
Grand Hotel Rimini
📍 Parco Federico Fellini, Marina Centro · 5 km from Rimini Expo Centre, 10-minute drive
117 rooms including 3 suites, two outdoor swimming pools, full-service spa, two restaurants, private beach, Venetian chandeliers, 600 sqm conference space. The hotel that inspired Federico Fellini's Amarcord, and still the most recognisable luxury address in the city.
Tools & Services for Attendees
INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL ESSENTIALS
🛂 iVisa — Italy Schengen Entry
Italy is part of the Schengen Area. EU, UK, US, Canadian, and Australian nationals do not need a visa for stays under 90 days. Most African, Asian, and Middle Eastern passport holders require a Schengen C-Visa. Business visa applications require a formal invitation letter from Macfrut's organiser, Cesena Fiera; request this in advance through the official exhibitor portal.
🏥 SafetyWing — Travel Insurance
Covers emergency medical treatment, hospitalisation, trip cancellation, and delayed or lost luggage during travel to and from Rimini. Exhibitors transporting equipment or samples benefit from coverage during transit; verify the specific items covered in your policy before departure.
Post-Event CRM & Lead Management
📦 DHL Express — Shipping
Door-to-door freight and sample shipping to Rimini including perishable goods documentation, temperature-sensitive handling options, and customs clearance for non-EU exhibitors. Real-time shipment tracking with agricultural goods-specific documentation reduces customs delays for import-sensitive produce samples.
🗣️ Gengo — Translation
Professional translation for exhibitor materials, product labels, and conference presentations in Italian, English, Spanish, French, Arabic, and Portuguese, the five most widely used languages among Macfrut's international buyer and exhibitor base. Certified Italian translation is required for EU-market product registration and regulatory submissions.
🎨 Fiverr Business — Design
Source exhibition graphics, stand branding, product catalogues, and social media content from vetted designers. Filter by agricultural industry experience and short delivery timelines. Briefs submitted 3–4 weeks before the event leave enough time for revisions and commercial print production.
POST-EVENT CRM & LEAD MANAGEMENT
⚙️ HubSpot — CRM
HubSpot's free CRM tier handles unlimited contacts, email sequences, and deal tracking for teams following up after Macfrut. Upgrade tiers add marketing automation and reporting. The free plan is fully functional for small produce companies or first-time exhibitors who only need CRM support around event periods.
BUSINESS CARDS
🎴 Vistaprint — Business Cards
Order bilingual Italian/English business cards before travelling, which is standard practice for any supplier or buyer expecting to meet Italian-speaking producers, institutional representatives from the 10 Italian regional stands, and buyers from non-English markets. Premium card stock leaves a more durable impression across a three-day professional fair.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1. How does the Business Matching platform work and do I need to set it up before I arrive?
The Business Matching platform is a separate system from general visitor registration. It allows pre-scheduled one-on-one meetings between suppliers and the 800+ international buyers that the Italian Trade Agency brings to Macfrut. To use it, exhibitors must apply through the exhibitor portal on macfrut.com, while buyers are enrolled by invitation through ITA. The platform opens for meeting requests several weeks before the event, and time slots fill quickly once buyer profiles become active. If you are exhibiting and plan to use Business Matching, do not wait until the week before the show to activate your profile; the best meeting windows are taken early. Buyers from outside the ITA programme can also contact individual exhibitors through the exhibitor directory on the official website.
2. Are the conferences and themed exhibition talks free to attend, or do they require separate tickets?
Conference sessions held within the themed exhibition areas at Macfrut are generally included with your free professional registration and do not require separate ticketing. This applies to events within Acqua Campus, the Berry Area, Plant Nursery, the Biosolutions zone, the Spices and Herbs Global Expo, and the Healthy Food Area. However, some flagship events, such as the Mediterranean Stone Fruit Symposium and the International Conference on Assisted Evolution Techniques, may require pre-registration due to limited seating. Check the full conference programme on macfrut.com closer to the event dates and register in advance for any session listed with a limited-capacity notice.
3. Is there Wi-Fi inside the expo centre and where are charging stations?
Rimini Expo Centre provides Wi-Fi coverage throughout the exhibition halls, though signal quality in the most crowded pavilions during peak morning hours can be inconsistent. Many exhibitors and professional visitors rely on mobile data for running apps such as the Business Matching platform. Charging points are available at the press rooms and the business centre inside the venue, but the supply is limited relative to the number of attendees. Bringing a portable power bank is strongly recommended, especially if you are attending across all three days. An Italian or European standard (Type F Schuko) adapter is required for charging European-spec devices at Italian sockets.
4. What is the food situation inside the venue, and are there alternatives nearby?
Rimini Expo Centre has 2 restaurants, 3 self-service eateries, and approximately 10 food service points distributed across the 16 pavilions. Based on reviews from other events at the venue, queues are longest between 12:30 PM and 2:00 PM, prices are notably higher than city restaurants, and quality varies across points. A Coop supermarket is located very close to the South Entrance on Via Emilia and is frequently used by regular fair-goers. If time allows, walking or taking Bus Line 9 to Rimini's Viserba or Marina Centro neighbourhoods at lunch offers significantly better value and quality.
5. Is there on-site parking and what does it cost?
Rimini Expo Centre has dedicated parking for approximately 11,000 cars, with the main car parks located at the South Entrance and the WEST 1 and 2 areas. Parking at the venue costs €12 per day as confirmed by visitor reviews at previous editions. For multi-day attendees, this cost adds up: a three-day pass at €12/day equals €36, and spaces fill quickly on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings when the B2B programme runs. Arriving before 9 AM on Days 1 and 2 gives the best chance of a close spot. Several residential streets in the Viserba area north of the venue allow free street parking and are a 10–15 minute walk to the South Entrance; this is a practical alternative if you are based at a nearby hotel.
6. What should first-time international exhibitors bring or prepare that is not obvious from the official guide?
Several practical points make a material difference. Italian business culture at trade fairs still places high value on printed materials; bring substantially more catalogues and business cards than you would for a comparable Northern European show. A bilingual Italian/English one-pager describing your company is particularly effective with the Italian regional buyers and retail chain representatives attending. The expo halls are air-conditioned but outdoor test fields and networking areas can be warm in late April; light layers work better than a jacket. The official Macfrut app published each year in the run-up to the show includes the full floor plan with pavilion and stand numbers, which is essential for navigating the 129,000-sqm footprint. Finally, confirm your stand electricity and furniture package with Cesena Fiera at least 4 weeks before the event; on-site ordering for extras costs significantly more than pre-ordering.
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