Tabletop Trends: Ambiente 2026 – a first time visitor’s perspective
Ambiente 2026 – a first time visitor’s perspective
if you want to know what’s happening in the LET world internationally, Ambiente is a must-go. The 2026 edition of the exhibition and its sister shows, Christmasworld and Creativeworld, demonstrated just how successful and far-reaching the events are. The statistics speak for themselves:
- 4,636 exhibitors
- 170 countries participating
- 140,000 visitors
- 343,000 sqm of exhibition area
While traditionally Ambiente had a focus on retail and consumer goods, the HoReCa side of the show has increased over recent years. Which is one of the reasons that FEA chief executive John Cunningham went to the Ambiente show as a first time visitor in February this year. He describes the experience as ‘epic’.
“Ambiente is an important show for the light equipment and tableware sector and FEA members were here in numbers,” he says. “The feedback was that they were having a good show, with plenty of trade visitors and export opportunities, as well as the chance to meet regular customers.”
Paula Sherlock is chair of FEA’s LET Product Group and managing director of Signature FSE. She agrees that Ambiente 2026 was a great event. “The show saw strong attendance and a vibrant atmosphere, driven by excitement around new product launches,” she says. “It provided an excellent opportunity to reconnect with existing customers, discuss plans for the year ahead, and explore how new additions to their ranges can help keep their offerings fresh and on-trend.
“Meeting prospective customers was equally valuable, allowing us to introduce our brands and showcase a wide, diverse product range all under one roof. As always, the event proved to be an important platform for building new relationships and uncovering business opportunities.”
John adds, “It’s fascinating to have the opportunity to walk round and see the huge range of new products on display. In terms of the ‘state of the industry,’ I saw an understated yet confident mood that business is broadly on the up, with exhibitors looking forwards, not backwards. Of course, this was before the start of the conflict in the Middle East, which may have dented the cautious optimism.”
There was a flip side to the exhibition, with some FEA member exhibitors feeling that footfall has declined over the years. “It’s still a good show,” says Steve Kirkby, sales director for the UK at TableCraft. “It’s a great networking event. The drop in footfall may be partly due to the fact that it happens every year – as opposed to Host Milan, for example, which is every two years. We’ll be back at Ambiente for 2027.”
John concludes, “Ambiente is well worth visiting for anyone involved in the LET sector. It’s a huge international show spread over multiple halls, with multiple levels – mind you, my feet hurt from walking it all!”
