Roma Bar Show 2026 Recap

The Roma Bar Show concludes its 6th year and getting better with each. 

The Capital of Italy aka Rome the Eternal City

With a new convention center which I loved (La Nuvola) and 15,000 visitors, Roma Bar Show 2026 brought together around 200 exhibitors, 300 buyers from Italy and abroad, thousands of industry professionals and experts,  journalists and overall enthusiasts of the cocktail bar and spirits sector, as well as the Italian and international bar industry aka fam. 

But back to the business aspect of it all - which I was super impressed with this year…

"A key feature of this (RBS) edition was the ‘Buyers Program’—developed in collaboration with Fiere di Parma and the Italian Trade Agency (ICE)—which aimed to facilitate connections between Italian companies and international importers, distributors, and industry professionals. Furthermore, the new matchmaking platform enabled the scheduling of B2B meetings and appointments, turning participation in the trade show into tangible opportunities for networking and business development."

This year's edition of the Roma Bar Show also saw an Info Point that you literally couldn't miss with booklets on everything you needed to know both in Italian and English during the event. And prior to it (like over a month before!) was the announcement of the full RBS program PLUS the opportunity to reserve your seat for certain seminars and masterclasses in advance!

There was also a big old map and directory on premise plus a QR code to download it on your phone (which was extremely helpful for my running around trying to find everything), announcements in both English and Italian AND headsets offered in multiple languages at some seminars. Proving that the Roma Bar Show is a serious international trade fair catering to all of those who came from all over the globe. Education was also key, which was seen in the lineup of speakers and topics. 

At the event's opening (which I sadly missed due to work commitments) Matteo Zoppas, President of the Italian Trade Agency (ICE), highlighted the significance of the Roma Bar Show project and the agency’s growing collaboration with it: "We must continue to support this and other initiatives that help promote 'Made in Italy' around the world. We are doing vital work alongside the Regions and public institutions, driving internationalization efforts across the board. That is precisely why we at ICE embraced this project early on and have steadily increased our commitment to supporting this event."

I also missed the Roma Bar Show Awards for the first time ever and almost all of the city-wide "SideShow". Also due to work commitments :( But from what I heard and saw on social media, all of them were amazing, bringing together the bar world in another kind of way...

"The Roma Bar Show proves to be a trade fair that generates economic value, rewarding Italian entrepreneurs and producers." stated Francesco Lollobrigida, the Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry, recognizing the value of the supply chain and the role of Italian hospitality (and hospitality in general), which MUST be supported and protected at all costs. Especially during these times.

But the main point of the Roma Bar Show (at least for me) is to shine a positive bright light on this culture, to connect people, build a bigger and better community, and create more opportunities for growth. 

One of the reasons I say the RBS is one of my favorite holidays is because of the faces I see throughout those handful of days - some maybe but once a year but it is always such an enthusiastic reunion when I do. So thank you all for letting me in your beautiful industry which to me is really more like a big family. 

Sorry to those of all that I couldn't catch and so good to see the ones that I did. Until next year!