A remarkable 12% of international exhibitors at TUTTOFOOD Milano 2025 will be from the Asia-Pacific region, including China, highlighting the growing importance of this market. This figure was highlighted during the Japanese leg of the global roadshow hosted by Fiere di Parma and ITA (Italian Trade Agency). Following the successful networking format of “The Italian Aperitivo“, the roadshow was introduce TUTTOFOOD to key stakeholders in the food and beverage industry worldwide. Now, its tenth stop approaching, the roadshow has already connected with over 1,000 decision-makers from prominent global companies, top buyers, and trade associations.
The event at the Italian Embassy in Tokyo gathered Japanese entrepreneurs, international buyers, Trade Promotion Organizations (TPOs), local journalists, and key industry figures. The evening was co-hosted by Italian Ambassador Gianluigi Benedetti and Antonio Cellie, CEO of Fiere di Parma. Attendees at the event confirmed the increasing interest and participation of Japanese and Far East companies at the show, thanks to the collaboration with ITA Tokyo and Koelnmesse GmbH.
“In response to uncertainties surrounding potential trade tariffs, Fiere di Parma proactively shifted its focus towards high-potential markets with strong demographic and economic growth, such as Japan and South Korea, as well as the broader Asia-Pacific region, including China,” Antonio Cellie said.
This 2025 edition, organized for the first time by Fiere di Parma in collaboration with Koelnmesse, marks a significant evolution for TUTTOFOOD Milano. With the integration of interactive technologies, experiential formats, and dedicated trend-focused areas, the event will become a relevant hub for innovation and an international food business showcase.
TUTTOFOOD 2025 will welcome over 25% international exhibitors and attract approximately 90,000 visitors, including more than 3,000 top international buyers. The event will provide a common international platform for discovering new products and forming strategic partnerships with Italian, European, and global companies. Exhibitors will span the entire agri-food supply chain, covering key retail and foodservice sectors—from grocery and fresh products to semi-finished goods.
The Asia-Pacific region represents a crucial market for both Italy and the global food industry. According to NielsenIQ’s 2024 data on consumer goods performance, the region recorded an organic value growth of +2.7%, driven by a volume recovery from -0.9% in 2023 to +2.5% in 2024. As unit price increases slow (+2.6% to +0.2%), volume growth will remain a key driver in 2025. The “fresh food” segment has posted the highest global volume growth, and the Asia-Pacific region continues to follow this trend with a 3% volume increase, making it one of the most dynamic regions, second only to Africa and the Middle East.
Looking at Italian exports, Asia-Pacific saw the highest volume growth for ground and whole coffee (+2.3%), pasta (+5.8%), olive oil (+6.1%), and tomato concentrate (+8.1%) in 2024 compared to 2023.
“These trends are influenced by several factors driving retail transformation across Asia-Pacific, including digitalization and infrastructure improvements that are growly modernizing traditional commerce,” explained Beatrice Bonizzoni, Business Development Global Snapshot at NielsenIQ.
Additional key factors include the growing presence of small-format stores, up-trading and down-trading strategies in supermarkets and hypermarkets, and the rapid expansion of advanced e-commerce channels like quick commerce and social commerce.
TUTTOFOOD Week will take place from May 3 to 8, 2025. A major highlight of this edition will be the official “Fuori Salone” program, which will transform Milan into a stage for food culture. The city will host events, tastings, show-cooking sessions, and exclusive meetings with renowned chefs and international brands. This will provide global professionals with a unique opportunity to experience Italian and international food and beverage in an authentic setting, allowing them to explore emerging trends and inspirations directly within the local environment.
