Organized with the motto of “Continuous New Trade Connections” in collaboration with Federal Fair and So Fair, F Istanbul Food and Beverage Products + Production Technologies Export Fair will bring together the professional stakeholders of the sector between July 2-5, 2025. The fair, which will host more than 1,000 brands from 17 countries in more than 700 stands on an area of over 50,000 square meters, will also host talks and culinary workshops for four days. This year, Turkmenistan will participate as the country of honor in the fair, which will also feature new country pavilions such as El Salvador, Malaysia, Egypt and Slovakia for the first time.
The most comprehensive fair organized in Turkey with the participation of all stakeholders of the food industry including processed food, beverages, confectionery, food additives, food processing and packaging industries, F Istanbul Food and Beverage Products + Production Technologies Export Fair will open its doors this year between July 2-5. The fair, which will provide an opportunity for manufacturers and exporters to open up to new markets, meet the right customers and establish strong partnerships, will be held at the Istanbul Expo Center with the motto of “Continuous New Trade Connections” and will provide a productive environment focused on direct trade thanks to its structure open only to professional visitors. This year, F Istanbul is expected to attract participants from 17 countries and more than 15 thousand registered professional visitors from 120 countries.
It focuses on direct trade with its structure open only to professional visitors.
Stating that F Istanbul has a great potential for participants due to being held in Türkiye, a producer and exporter located at the center of a population of two billion, So Fair Executive Board Member Alaaddin Orhan said, “In our fair, we bring together the production power of Turkey with buyers from strategic regions in terms of export such as Europe, Central Asia, Central North Africa and the Middle East. We bring together not only food companies but also companies that offer food technologies, packaging and packing solutions. In other words, when a market’s purchasing manager or a sector professional comes, they can find everything they are looking for under the same roof. In addition, thanks to its structure open only to professional visitors, F Istanbul establishes a productive environment that focuses directly on trade. This ensures that the visitor profile is business-oriented; business is really discussed at the stands and productive meetings are held. We also constantly work with the target of new customers. We do not only settle for the companies that came the previous year; we bring new buyers and new market representatives every year by building on this. The hall layout made according to product groups also provides a serious time management advantage for visitors,” he said.
The pulse of the food industry will be heard in the talks to be held during the fair
Orhan, who stated that the rich diversity of the food industry will be presented in six different sections at F Istanbul, made the following comments regarding the scope and content: “We have designed the sub-fair structure of F Istanbul according to product groups so that visitors can use their time at the fair in the most efficient way. In other words, companies in the same sector will be located in the same hall. In this way, a visitor will be able to visit the product group they are interested in in a single area and connect with many brands in a short time. This structure also provides a great advantage for the participants because the visitor profile they target is directed directly to their hall. A much more efficient environment is created in terms of both time and business meetings. In this context, this year’s categories at the fair will include food and beverage, dried & hard-shelled fruits and snack products, biscuits, chocolate, confectionery and additives, food and beverage production technologies and packaging, market, store and hotel equipment, and hygiene and personal care
We have also planned events that will enrich the fair experience at F Istanbul this year. Thus, our talks will be held where current issues regarding the food industry are discussed with expert guests. These will include the future of food, food safety and technologies, journey with gastronomy, gastronomy in the new age, the role of technology in the food sector, sustainability in food production, diabetes and metabolic health, new ways to prevent food waste, the global journey of Turkish cuisine through meat, Turkey at the global table, the future of food and experience-oriented kitchens. Our chefs will also be at the fairground and interactive workshops will be held with visitors. We aim to create a pleasant and inspiring environment for both producers and buyers.”
Turkmenistan Became a Country of Honor
Stating that F Istanbul has created an attraction point for countries that have not participated in the fair before thanks to its motto of “Continuous New Trade Connections”, Orhan said, “F Istanbul, which is attended by countries such as China, India, and Uzbekistan every year, will also feature new country pavilions such as El Salvador, Malaysia, Egypt, and Slovakia for the first time this year. This+ is exactly one of our priorities because the more different countries we can bring together our participating companies every year, the more we can clearly realize the main purpose of our fair. We are also excited to host Turkmenistan, the country of honor for this year’s fair.” Providing information about the trade volume with the friendly and brotherly country Turkmenistan, Alaaddin Orhan said, “While food product exports to Turkmenistan were worth 125 million dollars in 2019, they started to rise after the pandemic. In 2023, this figure was around 155 million dollars. During this period, products with significant exports included bakery products, confectionery, vegetable oils, dairy products, and canned food.
Turkey’s food exports to Turkmenistan constitute around 10 percent of our overall exports to the country. While food exports are expected to increase by 5 to 7 percent in 2024-2025, it is anticipated that there will be a concentration in organic baby food, vegan products, and cold chain dairy products (yoghurt, kefir). We hope that this decision we have taken with Turkmenistan will strengthen the partnership between the two countries and diversify in the future, and pave the way for new collaborations at the fair,” he said.