From Local Product to Experience
November 14 & 15, 2026 | Open Stage, Pavilion 8
As part of this year’s FOOD & DRINKS by Detrop, HELEXPO is organizing a two-day conference titled “Taste the Place”, dedicated to connecting local production with gastronomy, hospitality, tourism, and the overall experience of a destination.
How can a local product transcend the boundaries of production and become part of a holistic visitor experience? How can producers, gastronomy professionals, food service, hospitality, and destinations collaborate to create greater value for their region?
Starting from these questions, Taste the Place focuses on place-born gastronomy, highlighting local identity and stories while linking local products with visitor experiences, tourism, and sustainable development.
At the core of the conference lie six interconnected concepts:
Production
Gastronomy
Experience
Tourism
Synergies
Innovation
Taste the Place creates a vibrant space for dialogue and meaningful networking among:
- Food and beverage producers and businesses
- Chefs and food service professionals
- Hospitality and tourism enterprises
- Destinations, Municipalities, Regions, and Chambers of Commerce
- Educational and research institutions
- Communication and storytelling professionals
- Entrepreneurship and regional development support organizations
The goal is not merely to present best practices, but to highlight the connections that can be forged between the product and the menu, production and hospitality, gastronomy and the visitor experience, and ultimately, between people and the place.
Key Themes of Taste the Place
The Taste the Place program follows the entire journey from the local product to the visitor experience and regional development.
Discussions will focus on how a local product can become part of an authentic experience and a destination’s identity, the power of storytelling in showcasing products and places, and the pathway of a local product to professional menus, food service, and hospitality.
At the same time, the conference will highlight the role of education and networking in building partnerships, the opportunities offered by innovation, quality, and sustainability, as well as the importance of networks for extroversion and market access for both products and destinations.
A Different Conference Experience
Taste the Place is designed as a modern, dynamic, and participatory conference experience. The flow of the program and the diverse presentation and discussion formats encourage the exchange of ideas and bring real market needs to the forefront.
This shapes an environment of meaningful interaction, where knowledge meets practice and lays the groundwork for new ideas, connections, and collaborations.
The content curation and implementation of Taste the Place are led by Stavros Papadopoulos, Regional Development & Entrepreneurship Consultant.
TASTE THE PLACE
November 14 & 15, 2026
FOOD & DRINKS by Detrop – Thessaloniki International Exhibition Centre
PARTNER
