Confirming its role as a major exhibition event for the bakery and pastry sector in Southeastern Europe, the 12th “Artozyma” left a strong commercial footprint. The event, organized by HELEXPO, took place at the Thessaloniki International Exhibition & Congress Center from February 28 to March 2 and acted as a catalyst for business agreements (B2B), capitalizing on the expansion of its international reach and satisfying all participating exhibitors.
100% increase in international trade visitors
The 12th International Exhibition for Bakery, Pastry, Machinery, Equipment and Ready Products “Artozyma” stood out for further strengthening its outward-looking character. In particular, this year’s event recorded a 100% increase in trade visitors from abroad. Overall attendance remained at the same high levels as the successful 2024 event, which satisfied all exhibitors, who engaged in substantial B2B contacts.
Trade visitors attended the exhibition from Greece and 29 countries abroad, marking a 26% increase in the number of countries of origin compared to the 23 countries at Artozyma 2024. More specifically, trade visitors traveled to Thessaloniki from: the USA, China, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Australia, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Austria, Sweden, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Albania, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Serbia, Romania, Cyprus, Kosovo, Montenegro, Azerbaijan, Egypt, Estonia, Puerto Rico, Lithuania, Moldova and Turkey.
The increased commercial interest in the 12th Artozyma was complemented by a multidimensional program of parallel events. At its core was “Baking Together – Mediterranean Edition,” where national bakery teams from Greece, Italy and Portugal, in the presence of leading professionals from the international Richemont Club network, collaborated in an innovative non-competitive framework to promote Mediterranean baking.
At the same time, high-end pastry took center stage at the upgraded “Pastry Lab 2026,” implemented in collaboration with the Greek Pastry Chefs Club, hosting specialized masterclasses and top names such as the award-winning Portuguese pastry chef Américo Dos Santos from the restaurant Belcanto.
The modern dietary demands of the HORECA sector were addressed through a special thematic section on “Gluten Free” baked goods, while in the field of technical training, “The Expert Lab” by the Panhellenic Union of Food Technologists stood out, featuring a scientific conference and practical workshops. The event’s dynamic was further strengthened by the international competition “Southern Europe Culinary Challenge 2026,” organized by the Chefs’ Club of Greece, with 300 participants from 15 countries, as well as by the presentation of a commemorative album marking the 175th anniversary of the Thessaloniki Confectioners’ Guild—initiatives that added significant value to the overall exhibition experience.