The 71st edition of BBB Maastricht brings together the region’s gastronomic strengths

From 5 to 7 October, around 15,000 hospitality professionals from the Netherlands and Belgium will gather at the 71st edition of BBB Maastricht at MECC Maastricht. Based in Maastricht, the gastronomic heart of the region, the hospitality trade fair brings together gastronomy, regional produce, expertise and entrepreneurship, with this year’s highlights including new Trend Tours and the BBB Hospitality Advice Centre. The MICHELIN Guide Restaurant Ceremony Netherlands will also take place in Maastricht once again and can be followed from the exhibition floor in the Green Room. BBB Maastricht thus offers three days of inspiration, knowledge-sharing and meaningful connections.

Top-class gastronomy and the hospitality industry come together at BBB Maastricht

On Monday 5 October, the MICHELIN Guide Restaurant Ceremony Netherlands will take place at MECC Maastricht. During the ceremony, the new MICHELIN Stars, Bib Gourmand distinctions and MICHELIN Awards will be announced. Visitors to BBB Maastricht will be able to follow the ceremony live from the Green Room, organised by BBB Maastricht and BCBG. Furthermore, the partnership between MICHELIN, Maastricht and BBB Maastricht has been extended until 2029.

Lindsey Duijsings, exhibition manager at BBB Maastricht: “The strength of BBB Maastricht lies in bringing together the Dutch and Belgian hospitality sectors. The cream of the gastronomic world gathers here for the MICHELIN event, whilst on the exhibition floor, entrepreneurs, chefs and suppliers meet and share knowledge. This combination makes BBB Maastricht a place where hospitality professionals can discover the latest trends and engage in dialogue about the future of the industry.”

From hospitality trends to concrete opportunities

New this year are the Trend Tours, which allow visitors to explore specific developments and innovations on the exhibition floor. Through three routes – Futureproof Hospitality, Regional and From Bar to After-Work Drinks – themes such as AI and automation, regional produce and local craftsmanship, new drinks, alcohol-free alternatives and after-work drinks concepts are explored. This allows visitors to quickly gain an insight into trends that are relevant to the hospitality sector of today and tomorrow.

At the BBB Hospitality Advice Centre, the focus is then on putting this into practice. With the free Hospitality Scan, powered by TIPPR AI, hospitality business owners can gain insight in just 15 minutes into where they are missing out on returns, where opportunities lie, and where they can run their businesses more effectively. Using a personalised advisory report, participants can discuss the results with a hospitality expert, who will help them translate these insights into concrete ways of improving business operations and profitability.

The programme is further complemented by, amongst other things, the Gastronomy Battles, Chef’s Table and various cooking, product and thematic presentations. A new addition is the ChefsTalk x BBB Maastricht Podcast, in which entrepreneurs, chefs and other hospitality professionals discuss developments and challenges within the sector.