Greece’s first large-scale conference dedicated exclusively to the food and beverage market opens tomorrow in Thessaloniki. Food Forward 2026 runs across two days, Thursday 5 and Friday 6 November, at the Hyatt Regency Thessaloniki, bringing together industry leaders, retailers, investors and operators.
For the drinks trade, the programme is worth reading closely. Coca-Cola HBC sits among the platinum sponsors, and several sessions deal directly with categories that matter to anyone selling liquid — from bottled water under climate pressure to the energy bills squeezing hospitality margins.
Water, scarcity and the sustainability question
Friday opens at 09:30 with “From Spring to Shelf: Bottled Water in an Age of Scarcity and Sustainability”, featuring Charalambos Papachristos, president of SEFYMEN, the Greek bottled water producers’ association. It is a pointed way to start a day: a category built entirely on a resource that is becoming less predictable, discussed in a country where water stress is no longer theoretical.
The pressure on hospitality
A midday panel organised by EPOES tackles resilience in foodservice — specifically energy costs and the operational headwinds that have reshaped bar and restaurant economics since 2022. For operators who have watched utility bills rewrite their pricing twice over, this is the session with the most immediate relevance.
Elsewhere, a conversation on food waste and the future of fine dining pairs chef Yiorgos Dimitriadis with Giorgos Oikonomidis of 45 Fish Butchery, while Circana presents data on how snacking habits are reshaping consumption patterns — a trend that has pulled low- and no-alcohol serves into places they did not previously reach.
Where the money is going
Much of Friday afternoon is devoted to capital: bank lending, the 2027 property outlook for warehouses and production plants, and a panel on private equity’s appetite for Greek food and drink businesses. Speakers include executives from Eurobank and the Hellenic Development Bank of Investments.
Thursday closes with an official dinner co-hosted by HAPO and Cellier, where the chief executive of retail group Masoutis discusses what follows the Kritikos deal — a consolidation story with direct consequences for shelf space across northern Greece.
Proceedings begin Thursday at 11:30 and close Friday at 17:20. Full programme and registration at foodforward.com.gr.
pkv @ DRINKS.gr Editorial · November 2026
