FABEX Chubu 2026

FABEX Chubu is a commercial specialist trade show for the Chubu (Tokai) area focused on the deli, bento, ready-meal and restaurant industries. Held at Port Messe Nagoya, it lets you see ingredients, seasonings, kitchen equipment and packaging, as well as ideas for labor-saving in stores and menu development, all in one visit. A distinguishing feature is that bento and deli manufacturers in Tokai, supermarket deli departments, and staff from restaurant chains, institutional catering and catered meal businesses gather for both purchasing and new menu ideas. This article covers the status of the 2026 and 2027 editions, the venue and access, exhibitor categories and visitors, and how food businesses in Chubu can think about novelties that keep them memorable in business meetings.

FABEX Chubu 2026 and 2027 at a Glance

According to the organizer's announcement, FABEX Chubu 2026 has been canceled, and the next edition is scheduled to be held as FABEX Chubu 2027. The 2027 edition will run for two days, July 7 (Wed) – 8 (Thu), at Port Messe Nagoya, organized by Nihon Shokuryo Shimbun. For businesses based in ready meals and restaurants in the Chubu area, the 2027 edition will be the next opportunity for business meetings.

Item	2026	2027
Dates	Canceled	July 7 (Wed) – 8 (Thu), 2027, 10:00–17:00
Venue	—	Port Messe Nagoya (Minato Ward, Nagoya)
Admission	—	Free with advance registration or invitation ticket (industry professionals only; fee charged without registration)
Organizer	—	Nihon Shokuryo Shimbun

Port Messe Nagoya is located at Kinjo Pier in Minato Ward, Nagoya, within walking distance of Kinjo-futo Station on the Aonami Line. Its location makes it easy to visit on a day trip not only from the three Tokai prefectures (Aichi, Gifu and Mie) but also from the edges of Hokuriku and Kansai, so it works well as a show for locally rooted business meetings. Multiple specialist shows are held concurrently at the same venue, so you can cover purchasing, kitchens and sales floor design all at once.

What companies and products does it attract?

Products and services eligible for exhibiting

The core exhibits are commercial ingredients used in deli, bento and ready-meal operations and the equipment and materials that support them. A wide range is available, from frozen foods, retort pouches, seasonings, marinades and sauces, and pre-prepared ingredients such as pre-cut and dried vegetables, to kitchen equipment such as vacuum packaging machines and combi ovens, bento containers and deli packaging. Equipment for labor-saving and automation and materials that help extend use-by dates and manage hygiene are also categories that suit ready-meal operations in Chubu struggling with staff shortages.

For ingredient manufacturers, it is a place to convey the value unique to commercial products, such as "reducing prep work," "making yield more predictable" and "supplying consistent quality regardless of season." It also serves as an entry point for local producers and processors aiming for regular adoption by bento and deli chains in Tokai.

Who Attends

Visitors are mainly product developers and purchasing staff at bento and deli manufacturers, buyers from supermarket deli departments, menu developers at restaurant chains, and purchasing staff for institutional catering, catered meals and catering. All of them come to make concrete judgments on "whether it can go on our current menu" and "whether we can purchase a steady volume," so being ready to answer not only about taste but also supply volume, lot size, price range and shelf life moves business meetings forward.

Chubu has strong demand for workplace catering and staff cafeterias, starting with the automotive industry, and a broad base of bento and ready-meal businesses. Interest in deli foods made with local ingredients and ingredients that convey a sense of season is high, so preparing materials that convey the background of the growing region and processing on a single sheet makes you more memorable to visitors.

Concurrent specialized shows

FABEX Chubu is organized together with several specialist shows held at the same venue. The Chubu Dessert, Sweets & Bakery Show, which features ingredients and equipment for bread and Western and Japanese confectionery, and the Chubu Supermarket & Drugstore Business Fair, which covers retail sales floor design, are held concurrently, and visitors can move between them with a common registration. Since you can explore everything from deli and bento to confectionery and bakery and sales floor promotion, you can consider both purchasing and selling methods in a single day.

For ingredient manufacturers, there is the advantage of reaching not only deli channels but also bakery and retail buyers at the same time. For example, the same dried vegetables can be proposed for different uses: as an ingredient for deli foods, as a mix-in for bakeries and as a colorful accent for sales floors. Check the official website for the latest lineup of component shows.

Highlights for visitors and exhibitors

Direct Business Meetings with Buyers Close to the Front Line

The biggest highlight is being able to align terms on the spot with the people who actually make purchasing decisions in the Tokai area. In addition to tastings, being able to answer immediately about minimum lot size, available supply volume, price range and delivery lead time makes it more likely to lead to quote requests later. Instead of stopping at exchanging business cards, ask and record which menu items buyers want to use your product in, so that follow-up after the show is concrete.

Gathering Ideas for Labor-Saving and Waste Reduction

Staff shortages and food waste are common concerns in ready meals and restaurants. At the show, pre-prepared ingredients that reduce prep work, materials that extend use-by dates and equipment that automates tasks are on display, so you can look for the combination that suits your site. Ingredients like dried vegetables, which can be stored at room temperature and rehydrated only as needed, suit sites that want to reduce waste while leveling inventory, and you can check their usability by seeing the real thing.

Learning About Menu Development and Sales Floor Design

During the show, seminars and demonstrations are held on deli and ready-meal trends, sales floor design and product development. Touring them together with the concurrent specialist shows lets you quickly take home ideas for new menu items for the next season and for sales floor presentation. Securing your schedule early for topics you are interested in is the surest approach.

For companies considering exhibiting

Exhibitors include ingredient manufacturers, processors and joint exhibits by growing regions that want to expand sales channels to ready-meal and restaurant businesses in Tokai, as well as manufacturers of kitchen equipment and packaging. Details on exhibiting plans and fees can be obtained from the organizer, Nihon Shokuryo Shimbun, or through the official inquiry desk. To make the most of the limited show period, narrowing down your target customers (bento, deli, institutional catering or restaurants) and preparing proposals that match their site operations changes the response.

An effective preparation is a single sheet summarizing price, lot size, storage conditions and rehydration or prep procedures. In addition, displaying photos and recipes of finished menu items at the booth makes it easier for visitors to picture the product in their own operations. Preparing small samples they can take back and circulate internally helps decision-makers who were not at the show remember your company too.

Visitor registration and how to participate

Admission requires advance registration on the official website, and entry is free with registration or an invitation ticket (industry professionals only). Registering in advance lets you avoid crowds at reception on the day and choose the booths you want to meet from the exhibitor list beforehand. Port Messe Nagoya can be reached from Kinjo-futo Station on the Aonami Line, and the location also accommodates visitors arriving by car. It is easy to reach on a day trip from the three Tokai prefectures, but the area gets crowded during the show, so if you are coming from afar for multiple days, arranging things early gives you peace of mind.

[For Ready-Meal and Restaurant Businesses in Chubu] Tips for FABEX Chubu

Bento, deli and restaurant businesses in Chubu need ingredients that deliver stable quality regardless of season and reduce prep work. Vegetables that are hard to handle fresh can be stored at room temperature once dried or powdered and rehydrated with water only as needed, adding color to menus while reducing waste. Agriture processes dried products, vegetable powders and dried vegetable soups from off-spec vegetables, and can help design "commercial ingredients ready to use after rehydrating" that Tokai operations require, starting from the raw material selection stage.

Buyer feedback gathered at the show becomes material for your next product. Take home requests such as "I want to add this color to our bento" or "please shorten this rehydration time," prototype in small lots and then go into the next meeting to shorten the path to regular adoption.

Shelf-Stable Dried Vegetable Samples That Can Be Tested Without Interrupting Prep

Many bento and deli operations in Chubu run daily prep with small teams and rarely have time to try new ingredients. Even if something catches their eye at the show, taking home fresh produce comes with the worry that it will spoil before it can be used up. Sachets of dried vegetables that keep at room temperature, by contrast, can be rehydrated in just the amount needed whenever staff have a free moment, so even busy kitchens can keep them on a corner of a shelf until it is their turn. If you hand over sachets made with local vegetables along with a note on how to rehydrate them, they can be easily worked into a dish at a staff cafeteria or catered meal service.

How to Hand Them Over to Suit Nimble Tokai Operations

In Tokai's ready-meal sector, many operations, such as local bento and deli chains and workplace catering, keep decision-making and prep close together. That is why forms that are not bulky on the spot and can be tried little by little later are welcomed. Sachets of dried vegetables, vegetable powders and dried vegetable soups are easy to take back and circulate within the company, and can be passed on to head chefs and decision-makers who could not come to the booth. By handing them over as ingredients rather than as finished tasting samples, staff can check in their own kitchens how they would work in place of their usual menu items.

From a Seasonal Color Accent to a Menu Staple

Bento and deli businesses in Tokai show strong interest in seasonal color. Dried vegetables and powders can turn off-spec vegetables harvested at peak season into forms that can be handled at room temperature, which suits operations that want to offer a colorful dish year-round. Agriture can prepare dried vegetables, vegetable powders and dried vegetable soups in small lots (from 50 bags) and readjust the rehydration time and cut of the samples you hand out based on feedback from the kitchen. Have them used first as a color accent in one dish, and if the response is good, work out delivery lots and portion units to grow them into menu staples.

FAQ | FABEX Chubu

Will FABEX Chubu 2026 be held?

According to the organizer's announcement, the 2026 edition has been canceled. The next edition is scheduled to be held as FABEX Chubu 2027 on July 7 (Wed) – 8 (Thu), 2027 at Port Messe Nagoya. Check the official website for the latest information.

Is there an admission fee?

Industry professionals can enter free of charge with advance registration on the official website or an invitation ticket. On-site registration without prior registration may be charged, so advance registration is recommended.

How does it differ from FABEX in Tokyo and Kansai?

FABEX Chubu is held at Port Messe Nagoya in Nagoya and draws ready-meal and restaurant buyers mainly from Tokai (Aichi, Gifu and Mie). It makes locally rooted business meetings easy and suits businesses aiming for sales channels to regional bento and deli chains and institutional catering.

How do I get to the venue?

Port Messe Nagoya is located at Kinjo Pier in Minato Ward, Nagoya, within walking distance of Kinjo-futo Station on the Aonami Line. The location also accommodates visitors arriving by car and is easy to reach on a day trip from the three Tokai prefectures.

Can commercial ingredient samples be prepared in small lots?

Dried vegetables, vegetable powders, dried vegetable soups and more can be prepared in small lots (from 50 bags). You can prepare multiple specifications with different rehydration methods, cut sizes and seasonings, and connect booth samples to prototypes in actual kitchens.

Summary | Expanding Sales Channels to Ready-Meal and Restaurant Businesses in Tokai at FABEX Chubu

FABEX Chubu is a locally rooted commercial specialist trade show in the Tokai area, focused on deli, bento, ready meals and restaurants. The 2026 edition was canceled, and the next edition will be held July 7 (Wed) – 8 (Thu), 2027 at Port Messe Nagoya. You are close to front-line buyers and can work out uses on the spot with bento and deli businesses running prep with small teams and staff from staff cafeterias and catered meal services. If you want to expand sales channels in Tokai, starting by handing out sachets of shelf-stable dried vegetables along with menu suggestions that add seasonal color makes it easier to establish them as a local favorite.

Official information: FABEX Chubu Official Website

Official information: FABEX Chubu Official Website

Recommended reading

Commercial dried vegetables / Original vegetable novelties / FABEX Kansai 2025 / West Japan Food Industry Creation Fair ’26

Last updated: August 12, 2026