On 11 November, three international industry exhibitions opened in Almaty: the 28th Central Asian International Food Industry Exhibition FoodExpo Qazaqstan, the 23rd Kazakhstan International Exhibition of Packaging, Containers, Labels and Printing QazPack, and the 21st International Kazakhstan Specialised Exhibitions for Hotels, Restaurants, Supermarkets and the Cleaning Industry Horex & Clean Expo Qazaqstan.

 

The combined exhibition brought together 656 companies from 35 countries: Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, the United Kingdom, Germany, Hong Kong, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Italy, Kazakhstan, China, Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Moldova, the Netherlands, the UAE, Pakistan, Poland, Russia, Singapore, Slovakia, the USA, Thailand, Turkmenistan, Türkiye, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, France, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Sweden, Sri Lanka and Japan.

 

FoodExpo Qazaqstan takes centre stage in the exhibition programme, presenting 505 companies, including 86 Kazakhstani and 419 international participants. The exhibition covers 30 countries, while 338 companies, or 67% of all exhibitors, are participating for the first time, demonstrating growing international interest in the markets of Kazakhstan and Central Asia. National pavilions from Belarus, Germany, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Poland and South Korea provide broad representation of international producers. A particular highlight is the newly organised joint Asian Group exhibition, featuring more than 30 companies from Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia, as well as the MATRADE national stand, bringing together 14 companies. The international display is further complemented by the collective “Made in Kuban” stand and regional export support centres from Russia, presenting companies from the Republic of Adygea, the Republic of Tatarstan, the Udmurt Republic, Ivanovo, Kaliningrad, Omsk, Orenburg, Kaluga, Penza, Rostov and Chelyabinsk regions, Krasnodar Krai and St Petersburg.

 

An important part of the exhibition infrastructure is the Retail Centre — a specialised area for direct B2B negotiations between suppliers and representatives of retail chains and distribution companies from Kazakhstan and Central Asia.

 

The exhibitions officially opened with a ceremonial opening ceremony, culminating in the traditional ribbon-cutting. This was followed by a VIP tour of the exhibition for honoured guests, including visits to participating companies’ stands. The distinguished guests at the official opening ceremony included: Almas Kalkayev, Director of the Almaty Representative Office of Kazakhstan Export Credit Agency KAZAKHEXPORT JSC; Rumilya Baratova, Head of the International Cooperation Department of the Atameken Regional Chamber of Entrepreneurs of Almaty; Mohd Adli Abdullah, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Malaysia to the Republic of Kazakhstan; Martin Ang, President of the Malaysian Consortium of Mid-Tier Companies (MCMTC); Simone Schiller, Representative of the German Pavilion from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Regional Identity; Jan Szopinski, Deputy Director General of the National Support Centre for Agriculture of Poland (KOWR); Talgat Abdullaev, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Atakent KCDC JSC; and Edward Stroohm, CEO of ICA Events Group.

 

In his welcome address, Almas Kalkayev noted: “Today, we are witnessing impressive momentum: our country's food industry is demonstrating steady growth, strengthening the position of the ‘Made in Kazakhstan’ brand. However, any growth today requires not only the production of high-quality products, but also bold and protected steps towards exports. This is where the interests of businesses, major industry platforms and development institutions intersect. FoodExpo Qazaqstan is an epicentre of business contacts. This year, the exhibition brings together hundreds of companies from dozens of countries around the world, including strong representation from Asia, retailers and distributors. For a Kazakhstani producer, this is a unique opportunity to hold dozens of direct negotiations in just three days — negotiations that would normally take months to arrange. Kazakhstan's food industry has enormous export potential. FoodExpo Qazaqstan provides you with a showcase and connections, while the Kazakhstan Export Credit Agency offers financial confidence and security.”

 

The business programme played a significant role on the first day. For the first time, the large-scale two-day Food Business Forum Qazaqstan 2026 was launched as part of the exhibition, organised jointly with the INFOLine analytical agency. The first day's discussions covered key trends in the food market of Kazakhstan and Central Asia, changes in consumer demand, the development of sales channels and growth prospects for the FMCG segment. The programme focused on the theme “The FMCG Market of Central Asia, Retail and Bringing New Products to the Shelf”. The day's agenda included the INFOLine analytical report “The Food and FMCG Market of Kazakhstan and Central Asia: Consumer Demand, Sales Channels and Growth Prospects”, as well as the sessions “FMCG Retail in Kazakhstan: How the Market Is Changing and What Retailers Need”, “New Products on the Market: How to Get on the Shelf and Realise a Product's Commercial Potential” and “Leadership, Innovation and the Future of the Food Industry: How to Build Companies That Change the Market”.

 

The 23rd Kazakhstan International Exhibition of Packaging, Containers, Labels and Printing QazPack was a distinct sector of the combined exhibition venue. This year, it brought together 123 companies, including 28 domestic and 95 international participants from 15 countries: Azerbaijan, Belarus, Germany, Hong Kong, Iran, Italy, Kazakhstan, China, Poland, Russia, Turkmenistan, Türkiye, Uzbekistan, Switzerland and Sweden. The international line-up of exhibitors creates a professional platform for showcasing industry solutions, exchanging experience and establishing business contacts among packaging manufacturers, equipment suppliers and representatives of related industrial sectors.

 

The third component of the joint exhibition was the 21st International Kazakhstan Specialised Exhibitions Horex & Clean Expo Qazaqstan, covering hotel, restaurant and supermarket equipment, as well as the cleaning industry. The exhibitions feature 53 companies from 11 countries: Austria, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Kazakhstan, China, Moldova, the Netherlands, Russia, the USA and Switzerland. The exhibitors include 26 Kazakhstani and 27 international companies, with 12 participants taking part in the project for the first time.

 

The HOREX BUSINESS FORUM served as a practical extension of the exhibition programme, focusing on key management and operational issues in the restaurant and hotel business. The first day featured the opening plenary session “Kazakhstan's HoReCa Sector 2026: One Market, Shared Challenges”; the practical session “Gastro Cluster: A New Format or a Closed Club? How Can Restaurants Join the Project?”; the strategic session “Kazakhstan's Hotel Business 2026: Who Controls Your Revenue — You or the Aggregators?”; and the summit organised by KAGiR, “Staff and Equipment: How Hotels Can Save Time and Money”.

 

Bringing three specialised exhibitions together at one venue creates additional opportunities for cross-sector interaction, expanding business contacts and exchanging professional expertise. The international profile of participants, the diversity of solutions on display, specialised B2B platforms and an extensive business programme create favourable conditions for developing partnerships between Kazakhstani and international companies, strengthening Almaty's position as one of Central Asia's important business centres.

 

Official Support

 

FoodExpo Qazaqstan is held with the official support of the Akimat of Almaty, the Atameken National Chamber of Entrepreneurs of the Republic of Kazakhstan and KAGiR.

 

QazPack is supported by the Akimat of Almaty, the Kazakh Academy of Nutrition and the Kazakhstan Packaging Association.

 

The business programme of Horex & Clean Expo Qazaqstan is supported by the Restaurant Club Association of the Republic of Kazakhstan and OpenRate. The exhibition is officially supported by the Akimat of Almaty and the Kazakhstan Association of Hotels and Restaurants (KAGiR).

 

The exhibitions are organised by the Kazakhstani exhibition company Iteca and its international partner, ICA Events Group.