Coffee to Gelato, Culinary Trends That Are Increasingly Attractive to Consumers

JAKARTA - The food and beverage (F&B) industry is one of the sectors that has an important role in the Indonesian economy. Not only meeting the consumption needs of the community, this industry is also a driver of the growth of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), opening up employment, and encouraging the export of food products to various countries.

In the midst of increasingly fierce global competition, industry players are required to continue to innovate, improve product quality, and follow consumer trends. Starting from food processing technology, more modern packaging, to human resource competence certification, these are important factors that determine the success of a food and beverage business.

To support this growth, various industry platforms are present as a platform for collaboration, exchange of knowledge, to open wider market access for business actors.

Entering its 27th year of journey, KRISTAInterFOOD confirms its position as an Indonesian food and beverage industry platform built by the nation's children and has been trusted by industry players for more than two decades.

Supported by the Ministry of Tourism, GAPMMI, ACP Indonesia, PHRI, and APRINDO, KRISTAInterFOOD continues to strengthen industry collaboration, expand business opportunities, and open market access for Indonesian business actors at the national and international levels.

Krista's journey in the exhibition industry began in 1995 through the organization of exhibitions for the printing, paper, and packaging industries. Seeing the huge potential of the national food sector, the company then developed its focus to the food, beverage, food technology, and packaging industries through the organization of Food & Pack in 2000.

Three years later, the platform expanded and officially used the name InterFOOD which continued to grow into one of the largest food and beverage industry exhibitions in Indonesia.

Krista Exhibitions Chief Executive Officer, Daud D. Salim explained that InterFOOD was born from a vision to provide a worthy stage for the Indonesian food and beverage industry.

"InterFOOD is not a legacy we received from anyone, not something we took over from others. InterFOOD was born from ideas, beliefs, hard work, and prayers," said Daud D. Salim at the Sapta Pesona Building, Gambir, Central Jakarta on Tuesday, June 23, 2026.

"It was built from the beginning by the hands of the children of the nation who believe that the Indonesian food and beverage industry must have its own stage that is able to compete with the world's best international exhibitions," he continued.

According to Daud, from the beginning InterFOOD was built with a big vision as a bridge between the Indonesian food industry and the global market.

"During the 27 years of InterFOOD's journey, every decision we make always starts from one question: what is the industry's most needed? The answer is always the same, namely an inclusive platform, equal access, open opportunities for all business actors, and an exhibition that can be trusted by the industry," he added.

As part of its new development phase, KRISTAInterFOOD 2026 will be held at NICE PIK 2 with more modern facilities, greater capacity, and international exhibition experience.

Daud revealed that the implementation would also be strengthened with the Hosted Buyers program which is aimed at bringing business actors together with potential buyers from various regions and countries.

"This year we are presenting the Hosted Buyers program and will provide approximately 1,200 hotel nights for selected buyers, both from within the country and internationally. The buyers who are present are not only from Jabodetabek, but also from Surabaya, Bandung, Makassar, Palembang, Medan, Kalimantan, to various other countries," explained Daud.

He also targeted wider participation from various countries.

"KRISTAInterFOOD is a national platform for the Indonesian food and beverage industry with an international scale. This year we are targeting around 1,500 participants from 25 countries and pavilions from around 12 countries," he explained.

In addition to being a business exhibition, KRISTAInterFOOD 2026 will also present various flagship programs that focus on developing the competence of industry players.

Together with ACP Indonesia, this exhibition will present the La Cuisine Cooking Competition 2026 which is projected to be attended by around 1,100 to 1,200 participants from 10 countries. In addition, the Global Food Challenge will be held as a selection competition for the international event, as well as the Master Gelato Competition which brings together participants from various countries.

The winner of the Master Gelato competition will have the opportunity to represent the Asian region to compete in Italy in January next year.

Not only that, KRISTAInterFOOD will also present the Indonesia Coffee Art Battle (ICAB), a coffee roasting competition, various industry seminars, training, to a competency certification program aimed at improving the competitiveness of Indonesian food and beverage business actors.

Chief Marketing Officer and Founder of Krista Exhibitions, Christina Sudjie, emphasized that the launch of KRISTAInterFOOD is a form of commitment to continue to grow together with the industry.

"The strength of a platform is not determined by the name alone, but by the trust that is built together with its community. For years, exhibitors, associations, industry partners, and media have been an important part of the InterFOOD journey. KRISTAInterFOOD is a reflection of our commitment to continue to grow together with the industry," said Christina.

With the support of the government, industry associations, professional communities, and business actors who have grown together for 27 years, KRISTAInterFOOD is optimistic that it can continue to be a trusted platform that encourages collaboration, innovation, and growth of the Indonesian food and beverage industry in the global market.