The landscape for the food and beverage industry is changing faster than ever, requiring professionals to be tuned into the latest consumer trends and innovations to keep up.
Trade shows and conferences offer some of the best opportunities for insiders to network and exchange ideas around reformulation, sustainability, product development and more. Next year’s events are sure to delve into some of the biggest challenges and opportunities poised to define the future of the food and beverage industry.
Below is Food Dive’s list of the top shows to attend in 2027. This year, we’ve expanded our roster to include events in adjacent industries that have a large food and beverage presence.
Here are some of the top U.S. food and beverage manufacturing events to plan for next year.
Top food and beverage conferences in 2026
Winter FancyFaire
Jan. 17-19
Moscone Center
San Francisco
The first industry event of the year, the Winter FancyFaire brings together specialty brands representing in-demand categories from functional beverages to high-protein snacks. Many of the event’s attendees are buyers representing nearly every channel of trade looking for the next big trend or emerging brand.
Natural Products Expo West
March 2-5
Anaheim Convention Center
Anaheim, California
Expo West is the biggest event for the organic and natural products sector. In recent years, the show has become a premier destination for the intersection between food and beverage and consumer health and wellness. Suppliers and brands of all sizes are expected to attend and discuss the latest in functional food, clean label ingredients and more. Read our conversation from last year’s show with the head of Mondelēz’s venture capital arm on the health trends shaping innovation.
Future Food-Tech
March 11-12
Marriott Marquis, San Francisco
San Francisco, California
An inside look at the forefront of food technology, the Future Food-Tech summit highlights the cutting-edge breakthroughs set to define the future of the industry. Brands, ingredient providers and startups can connect to forge strategic partnerships around sustainability, health and other emerging technologies. Read our interview with Nuritas’ CEO on the intersection between AI and ingredient discovery from last year’s show.
Beverage Forum
April 27-28
Westdrift Manhattan Beach
Manhattan Beach, California
The two-day gathering is a top event for beverage executives to learn the latest trends and innovations shaping the industry. The show is hosted by LA Libations, a beverage incubator and accelerator that has partnered with emerging brands including Cann, Plezi and Once Upon a Coconut.
Sweets & Snacks Expo
May 18-20
Indiana Convention Center
Indianapolis
Easily the sweetest event of the year, Sweets & Snacks showcases new innovations from some of the biggest players in the snacking and confectionery industries. The event also delves into the latest consumer trends to give executives a first look at the flavors and innovations set to break out into the mainstream in the year ahead. See our coverage of the top innovations from last year’s show here.
IFT First
July 11-14
McCormick Place
Chicago
Put on by the Institute of Food Technologists, IFT First features the latest innovations in ingredients and food science. The event goes into the nitty gritty of the technology powering industry innovations, giving attendees an expansive view of the future of food science.
Summer Fancy Food Show
July 25-27
Javits Center
New York City
The larger counterpart to the Winter FancyFaire brings together first-mover brands who are often ahead of the curve on consumer trends. The product discovery showcase offers a preview of the buzziest premium and health-oriented brands while offering educational opportunities that delve into consumer preferences and values.
Pack EXPO
Sept. 27-29
Las Vegas Convention Center
Las Vegas
Although focused on the packaging and processing sectors, Pack EXPO is a significant draw for the food and beverage industry to learn more about advances in packaging and processing equipment. Many innovations showcased center on solutions such as reusability or recyclability, two major components of many corporate sustainability plans.
Newtopia Now
Sept. 14-16
Donald E. Stephens Convention Center
Rosemont, Illinois
Formerly known as Natural Products Expo East, Newtopia Now focuses on the future of natural products in industries spanning food, beverage, beauty and more. The show features a unique layout of “neighborhoods” where attendees can explore standout brands driving innovation forward in areas such as sustainability or wellness.
NACS Show
Oct. 5-8
Georgia World Congress Center
Atlanta
Hosted by the National Association of Convenience Stores, the NACS Show has increasingly become a major destination for food and beverage brands as c-stores become a bigger component of sales. Many companies have debuted new innovations for the convenience store consumer, focusing on aspects like portability and extreme flavors.
National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association Convention
Oct. 9-12
Marriott Marquis
San Diego, California
NFRA’s annual convention is unique in that it prioritizes one-on-one meetings over roaming a trade show floor. The show also holds forums that discuss important topics within the frozen food industry, including supply chain management and manufacturing.
The Global Produce & Floral Show
Oct. 20-22
Georgia World Congress Center
Atlanta
The International Fresh Produce Association’s flagship event highlights trends in fruit, vegetables and florals. The event also gives attendees an opportunity to learn the latest and best ways to reach consumers as more shoppers gravitate toward fresh foods over processed offerings.
Disclosure: Natural Products Expo West and Newtopia Now are run by Informa, which owns a controlling stake in Informa TechTarget, the publisher of Food Dive. Informa has no influence over Food Dive’s coverage.
