The UK Food and Drink Expo is one of the most influential platforms for the UK’s food and drink professionals, bringing together high-quality business connections, sparking opportunities and allowing products to take centre stage.
The UK Food and Drink Expo is part of The UK Food & Drink Shows, which co-locates four brilliant shows to create a comprehensive space for Britain’s food and beverage industry. When exhibiting at events as influential as these, it is vital to make brand presentation a priority, so that prospective buyers can understand who you are and what you do from the get-go.
Quadrant2Design has over 25 years of experience working in the food and drink industry. Join us as we view some of our favourite stands from last year’s event, reflecting on what makes each one so successful. We also share ideas to help increase engagement on your next stand.
Visiting the Food & Drink Expo
Last year, Lara had a fabulous time at this event, discovering what made the platform so influential. Follow along for all the details.
About the UK Food & Drink Expo
While this event series encompasses all aspects of the industry, the Food and Drink Expo spotlights the future of retail and hospitality. It is a space for discovering fresh ideas and gaining insights into the future of food.
Exhibition Stand Examples and Inspiration from the UK Food and Drink Expo
At this event, brands always bring their A-game. The shows create a colourful and vibrant marketplace, often much brighter than the halls you see in industries like tech and engineering.
As the competition is fierce, brands have to put thought and care into their exhibition stands, focusing on storytelling and brand-first designs that create a point of difference. Here are some of our favourite stands from last year’s event.
Actiph Water - A Cohesive Design for Multiple Product Lines
This stand never fails to impress. Presenting multiple product lines under one cohesive brand can be a challenge, but this design does it perfectly. The layout and colours clearly separate three different products, but the overall finish is beautifully balanced and harmonious. Actiph water also incorporated a unique backlit lighting feature to draw focus to their distinctive Actiph Water bottle!
KaneGrade - Immersive Visuals that Draw the Eye
Kanegrade’s display is the perfect example of balance and storytelling on a stand. The brand identity is strong, and the stand feels powerful, leaving a lasting impression on visitors after the event.
Cotswold Cardillo - Brand Personality Front and Centre
Cotswold Cardillo really shows that stands don’t need to be large to have a great impact. This exhibition stand is small, yet mighty. The Italian branding is distinctive on the stand, using the counter and high-level branding to reinforce the logo. Additionally, the use of colour and contrast in the showcases makes products stand out, and the selective use of imagery brings the stand to life!
Jersey Dairy - Vibrant Colours and Creative Showcases
The Jersey Dairy exhibition stand is playful and fun, using a vibrant, distinctive pink and yellow colour scheme to stand out. Their distinctive logo is mirrored in the showcases for a truly custom look!
Rare & Pasture | Tempus - Focus on Quality
A luxury look for a luxury brand; the Rare and Pasture | Tempus stand looked effortless and elevated at the UK Food and Drink Expo, making their charcuterie products the star of the show across the graphics.
Creative Activation and Engagement Ideas for Food and Drink Events
We mentioned earlier the importance of creating a point of difference on the exhibition stand. When you are creative about how you generate engagement, you can strengthen memorability.
Let the Tasters Sell
Offering tasters is a simple yet effective tactic. One of the most exciting parts of the food and drink shows is the abundance of amazing tasters. While your stand can draw people in, your samples are what sell and leave a lasting impression. We still talk about the spiced chickpeas and ice cream from last year’s event!
Get Visitors Involved
Allow visitors to be a part of the food-making process with a food-making/ decorating station! This is great for both showing transparency and boosting memorability.
Run a Blind Taste Test
Blind taste tests are brilliant for engagement and proving product superiority. You can offer your product vs a market staple, or invite visitors to guess notes and flavours used in your product!
Run a Contest
People love a contest! One of our clients recently invited guests to enter his contest, offering a chance to win a year’s supply of eggs. He used the content to create a buzz and excitement after the show and to spark conversations with passersby.
Ready to Bring Your Food Brand to Life?
The UK Food and Drink Expo is such an amazing platform for businesses in the food, drink and hospitality industry, and it’s now less than three months away!
If you’re feeling inspired and would like to get the ball rolling with your stand, get in touch with our design consultants. Email design@quadrant2design.com or call +44 (0)1202 723 500 to begin working on your project.
