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Effective Events for Food & Drink Brands

Writer's picture: Eleanor LovedayEleanor Loveday

Just as events bring people together, so does food and drink. Not just because we all love good food – but because we love to experience it. You might have nostalgic memories of learning a beloved family recipe, passed down through generations. Or of sipping the special bottle of champagne you were gifted when you bought a new home. Perhaps you remember getting lost in a local market, sampling new cuisines while travelling.


Whoever you are and wherever you are, food can be the centre of a whole host of memorable experiences.


So naturally, food and drink and event marketing can be a match made in heaven.


A busy exhibition stand for BFree Foods at the Allergy and Free From Show at Olympia in London.
BFree Foods at Allergy & Free From 2024

Get hands on with product


Wowing buyers with tasty samples and getting product into hands is hugely important. At the Allergy & Free From Show, BFree Foods teamed up with The Good Food Cartel, serving burritos and ‘pitta-ritos’ in BFree tortillas. In doing so they not only proved that gluten-free doesn't have to be boring, but also got a huge number of wraps into the hands of the consumer. 


Multi-sensory sampling


But any good brand experience is multi-sensory, and food and drink events are no different. Even sampling isn’t all about taste…


Visual appeal is huge – if the product looks unappealing, it will taste sour before it’s even on the cocktail stick. If you make something that can be cut open, including this within the display is often beneficial too, whether it’s fresh fruit or a gooey bake.


Events are equally helpful in showing your product in its tastiest form. For example, our client Novo Farina show 'application examples' of their pea protein at events. Visitors can see the product as it’s enjoyed best, and mentally connect the ingredient with the end result.


Images from Novo Farina LinkedIn


And while product is the most important thing, it's crucial that your stand space does it justice. That’s where we come in – crafting a space that makes the maximum impact for your brand. From custom kitchen spaces and demo zones to stand-out product displays and content creation corners, we'll put your brand front and centre in a space that serves you best.


Of course, giving customers the opportunity to sample your product means physically getting it in their hands, letting them feel its texture and weight.


Even sound can play a role in sampling at food and drink shows. Just imagine the a crisp pint pouring, or the crusty snap of a baguette… Sound can add to the experience (unless it’s loud chewing, in which case you might wish you’d brought your noise cancelling headphones to the show).


Images from Crisp Malt LinkedIn


Thought of as the most underutilised sensory tool in marketing, scent will have a big impact. Whether it’s the scent of freshly brewed coffee or fragrant, smoky spices, scent is immensely powerful. So much so that entire businesses are now dedicated to scent marketing and crafting signature smells for brands, particularly in retail.


Did you know… The body’s olfactory (smell) system is connected to the amygdala, which forms emotional responses, and the hippocampus, which stores memories. That’s why scent is so closely connected with emotions, association, perception, and memory.


So while taste is crucial, making the most of all five senses will help you make an even bigger impact at events.


Add in an element of storytelling, and you’re on to a winner.


A bright exhibition stand at the Speciality and Fine Food Fair at Olympia London. Japanese drinks exhibitors stand around the stand, ready to welcome guests.
Sake & Spirits of Japan at Speciality & Fine Food 2024

Stories are powerful


Communicating an inspiring founder story, the roots of the business, the creation of the product or the motivation behind it can be so powerful.


A great example is the Sake & Spirits of Japan stand at Speciality & Fine Food Fair 2024, which brought together eight Japanese drinks brands. Creators of sake, shochu, umeshu, whisky and gin, each exhibiting brand had an abundance of passion and expertise to offer along with their individual stories, which created a far more memorable experience.


Enthusiasm and passion are infectious


Whether you’re a founder duo exhibiting or you’ve got a large team – making sure that everyone on the stand is well briefed and enthusiastic is an important part of successful events. Genuine passion is infectious, and built-in brand ambassadors can share your story further.



Extend reach


Make sure to extend your reach at the event as far as possible - and remember you're not only bound to your stand. Visit other stands, attend talks and seminars, and network across the event. You might even be able to take a bike or portable sample tray around with you. You'll not only connect with more people, but you can encourage them back to the stand too.


There might be opportunities for sponsorship or additional advertising around the venue - for instance on digital boards in the foyer or key areas. If it fits for your brand, this can be a great way of getting attention and driving more footfall to your stand.


Think beyond the venue too. Strong pre-event marketing across channels will make prospects aware that you're exhibiting and encourage them to visit you at the show. Having a presence across your social channels during the event, and talking about it afterwards, will help you stay top-of-mind. Bonus points if you can encourage user-generated content on-stand - a boost of trust for your brand and extended reach amongst the target audience. Including photo ops on-stand, aesthetic food samples, gamification or challenges can all entice guests to pick up their phone and take a snap.


Of course, like any marketing channel, events and exhibitions aren’t the be-all and end-all...


They’re one ingredient in a tasty multi-channel mix. We’ve worked with a whole bunch of fantastic food and drink brands who’ve used event marketing successfully, in combination with other channels. For instance, BFree Foods used their stand at Allergy & Free From 2024 to multiply the effectiveness of their marketing across digital, influencer and affiliate marketing, print, mail, and OOH.


Close up of a kitchen area on the BFree stand at Allergy and Free From Show 2024. Two chefs are cooking up burritos made from BFree gluten free tortillas.
The Good Food Cartel serving up gluten-free burritos on the BFree stand

So, is it all about taste?


For many food and drink brands, events and exhibitions have an important place within a multi-channel mix. They open the floor to quality conversations and new connections. They enable brands to do something out of the ordinary and create memorable experiences. And of course, they encourage visitors to actually try the product.


While sampling is so important for food and drink brands (duh), it’s just one of the strengths of events in the sector. We’d always encourage clients to look at the bigger picture, considering how to connect with your audience through every part of the event. This is where we can help – suggesting extraordinary ways to bring the experiential to your brand, and crafting an exhibition stand that supports your objectives. After all, the end user wants to enjoy an experience of food and drink in restaurants, bars, at home – so why should events be any different?


A busy exhibition stand at the Brau Beviale exhibition in Nuremberg, Germany.

The real power of food and drink events comes from the connections that are made. With people, brand, and product. But connection can be made through more than taste alone – bringing in other senses, stories, and other channels within your marketing menu will help you get so much more out of events.


Planning your own foodie event or drinks exhibition? We’d love to help you make it a success. Get in touch with our team and chat to us about your project today.

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