The forthcoming Alimentaria, which is due to take place from 6 to 10 March 2006 in Barcelona, will mark the exhibition's 30th anniversary. In this time, it has already reached second place in the international fairs' league table for the industry through steady growth based on the twin concepts of a comprehensive macro-exhibition in partnership with the industry and maximum sectorial specialisation keeping a watchful eye on every detail of the market.

The success of its tradeshow model is set to lead Alimentaria to occupy the entire space at both Fira Barcelona's fairgrounds: Montjuïc and Gran Via. 122,000 square metres of exhibition and activities space in all, 10% more than in 2004, the last time the fair was held.

Nearly 5,000 of the leading food and drinks manufacturers and distributors from 70 countries will be showing their products at Alimentaria, turning Barcelona for a week into the world's food capital. The organiser's expect that 150,000 professionals, 40,000 of them from abroad, will visit the fair.

From the very outset, Alimentaria has combined its status as a macro-fair with a highly specialised range of products and services on display in dedicated, single-theme shows to make it easier for professionals to plan their visits and do business. The whole of the food industry is represented in the thirteen product areas and two pavilions comprising Alimentaria Barcelona 2006.

A long list of parallel activities makes Alimentaria a fair where there is always something to see and do: congresses and scientific activities that reveal the latest trends, pinpoint market openings, explode myths and build the future. The International Food Forum, the Congress on the Mediterranean Diet, the innovation show Innoval and the Business Co-operation Projects are just some of the most important.