# International Cheese & Dairy Expo 2026: The Essential Guide | TradeShowIntel > The International Cheese & Dairy Expo 2026 brings 200+ exhibitors to Staffordshire County Showground on June 24-25. Here's your complete guide to making the mos URL: https://tradeshowintel.com/blog/international-cheese-dairy-expo-2026-essential-guide --- Trade Show # International Cheese & Dairy Expo 2026: The Essential Guide Jun 24-25, 2026 · Stafford, United Kingdom · 4 min read The International Cheese & Dairy Expo 2026 brings 200+ exhibitors to Staffordshire County Showground on June 24-25. Here's your complete guide to making the most of the UK's premier dairy trade event. The UK dairy industry has one unmissable date in its 2026 calendar: **June 24-25 at Staffordshire County Showground**, Stafford, where the [International Cheese & Dairy Expo 2026](https://internationalcheesedairyexpo.com) brings together the full cheese and dairy supply chain under one roof. Held in conjunction with the world-renowned International Cheese & Dairy Awards, this two-day trade-only event is built around a single theme: **Dairy CONNECT**, structured across five pillars covering networks, sustainability, supply chain excellence, upskilling, and engagement. You can also explore the [International Cheese & Dairy Expo 2026 on TradeShowIntel](https://tradeshowintel.com/events/international-cheese-dairy-expo-2026) for additional event intelligence. ## Who the International Cheese & Dairy Expo 2026 Is Built For This is a tightly focused B2B event, and the attendee mix reflects that. The four profiles who will get the most out of it: - **Retail buyers and category managers** sourcing new cheese and dairy lines for supermarket shelves, with Day 1 structured specifically around retail programming and ICDA judging. - **Foodservice operators and menu developers**, including chefs who need to evaluate ingredients, flavour profiles, and supplier reliability. Day 2 is dedicated to foodservice, with a Chef's Kitchen and awards presentation. - **Dairy technologists and procurement specialists** looking at ingredients, testing solutions, automation, and cold-chain logistics across the supply chain. - **Importers, exporters, and distributors** seeking new producer relationships, listing agreements, and routes to market across international dairy categories. If your role sits anywhere in that stack, this event is designed around your working week. ## What's on the Floor: 200+ Exhibitors Across the Dairy Supply Chain With **over 200 exhibitors**, the International Cheese & Dairy Expo covers the full vertical from farm to fork. Expect to find: - **Cheese and dairy brands**, from established names to artisan producers showcasing regional and specialty varieties - **Ingredient and flavour suppliers** targeting product development teams - **Packaging and processing machinery** providers relevant to both large-scale dairies and smaller craft operations - **Logistics and cold-chain specialists** addressing one of the sector's most operationally critical challenges - **Sustainability and testing solution providers**, including data and automation technology aimed at improving traceability and reducing waste Beyond the stands, the event features **retail and foodservice theatres**, a Chef's Kitchen, and curated networking zones, plus two awards ceremonies tied to the ICDA judging programme. The structure means the floor has a different energy on each day, so plan accordingly. ## Exhibitor Guide for International Cheese & Dairy Expo 2026: Reaching Buyers Who Are Ready to List **Know which day your buyers are in the building.** The event is explicitly split: Day 1 is retail-focused, Day 2 is foodservice. If your product is primarily a foodservice ingredient or a restaurant-grade cheese, concentrate your team's energy and demos on Day 2, when chefs and operators are the dominant visitor profile. Spreading your pitch evenly across both days without adjusting your messaging is a common mistake that costs exhibitors real conversations. If you're an **artisan producer or a smaller dairy brand**, the awards connection is a commercial asset, not just a prestige moment. Buyers attending the ICDA Awards Showcase are actively looking for standout products to list. Make sure your stand clearly communicates any award nominations or wins, and have your **retail and foodservice pricing structures** ready to discuss on the spot. With 200+ exhibitors on the floor, your post-show follow-up list can get unwieldy fast. Use the **[Habsy App](https://habsy.ai/event-lead-capture?utm_source=tradeshowintel&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=international-cheese-dairy-expo-2026&utm_content=exhibitor_tip)** to scan each buyer's card, record a quick voice note about what they're sourcing and their buying timeline, and tag contacts by channel (retail vs. foodservice). By the time the awards ceremony wraps on Day 2, your follow-up list is already structured and ready to action. ## Visitor Tips for International Cheese & Dairy Expo 2026: Getting Value Across Two Packed Days The **retail theatre and foodservice theatre** run separate programming, so before you arrive, identify which sessions align with your sourcing priorities and block them out. The knowledge programme is one of the event's strongest assets, and it's easy to lose half a day drifting between stands without a content anchor. If you're a **procurement specialist or distributor** evaluating cold-chain or logistics providers, the Systems & Supply Chain Excellence pillar is where your conversations should start. This is a sector where supplier relationships are built on operational trust, so use the networking zones to get beyond the sales pitch and ask specific questions about temperature monitoring, lead times, and compliance documentation. Visitors often leave shows with a stack of business cards and no context attached to any of them. Scan each card with the **[Habsy App](https://habsy.ai/business-card-scanner?utm_source=tradeshowintel&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=international-cheese-dairy-expo-2026&utm_content=visitor_tip)** immediately after each conversation and add a short note about what the supplier offers and why it was relevant. Two days of dairy sourcing conversations blur together quickly, and having tagged, searchable contacts when you're back at your desk makes the difference between acting on leads and losing them. ## Why International Cheese & Dairy Expo 2026 Belongs in Your Diary The combination of a structured trade floor, split retail and foodservice programming, live ICDA judging, and two awards ceremonies makes this event genuinely different from a standard industry gathering. It's a place where **listing agreements get started, distributor relationships get built, and new products get in front of the buyers who matter**. For anyone operating in the UK and international dairy sector, the Staffordshire County Showground on June 24-25 is where the industry's commercial conversations will be happening. Before you go, set up your contact capture workflow. The **[Habsy Platform](https://habsy.ai/habsy-platform?utm_source=tradeshowintel&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=international-cheese-dairy-expo-2026&utm_content=closing_cta)** lets team leads see every contact captured across their group in real time, track which prospects still need follow-up, and compare lead quality across events over time. Register your team at habsy.ai before the show so you're not scrambling to organise contacts after the floor closes. ## Frequently asked questions ### When is the International Cheese & Dairy Expo 2026? The International Cheese & Dairy Expo 2026 takes place on June 24-25, 2026. It runs across two days at Staffordshire County Showground in Stafford, UK. ### Where is the International Cheese & Dairy Expo 2026 held? The event is held at Staffordshire County Showground, Weston Road, Stafford, ST18 0BD, United Kingdom. Stafford is centrally located in England and accessible from most major UK cities. ### Is the International Cheese & Dairy Expo open to the public? No, the International Cheese & Dairy Expo 2026 is a trade-only B2B event. It is designed for professionals working across the cheese and dairy supply chain, including buyers, suppliers, distributors, and technologists. ### How many exhibitors are at the International Cheese & Dairy Expo 2026? The International Cheese & Dairy Expo 2026 features over 200 exhibitors. These span the full dairy supply chain, including cheese and dairy brands, ingredient suppliers, packaging providers, cold-chain logistics companies, and sustainability solution providers. ### Does the International Cheese & Dairy Expo happen every year? The International Cheese & Dairy Expo is not confirmed as an annually recurring event. If you want to stay updated on future editions, check the official site at internationalcheesedairyexpo.com. ### What are the International Cheese & Dairy Awards and how do they connect to the Expo? The International Cheese & Dairy Awards (ICDA) are a world-renowned cheese and dairy judging programme held in conjunction with the Expo. Judging takes place on Day 1 with a retail focus, and the awards ceremony is presented on Day 2 as part of the foodservice programme. ### Who organises the International Cheese & Dairy Expo 2026? The organiser details are not publicly listed in the available event data. For registration and organiser contact information, visit the official event website at internationalcheesedairyexpo.com. ### Is the International Cheese & Dairy Expo relevant for international buyers and exporters? Yes, the event is designed to serve importers, exporters, and distributors looking to build international dairy trading relationships. The event's name and exhibitor profile reflect its ambition to connect UK and global dairy supply chains. ### What is the best way to capture leads at the International Cheese & Dairy Expo 2026? With 200+ exhibitors and two full days of conversations split across retail and foodservice, contact management can get disorganised fast. Tools like [Habsy](https://habsy.ai/event-lead-capture?utm_source=tradeshowintel&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=international-cheese-dairy-expo-2026&utm_content=faq) let you scan business cards, add voice notes, and tag contacts by channel so your follow-up list is structured before you leave the showground. ### What sectors are covered at the International Cheese & Dairy Expo beyond cheese production? The Expo covers the full dairy supply chain, including packaging and processing machinery, cold-chain and logistics providers, ingredient suppliers, sustainability solutions, and data and automation technology. Testing, traceability, and supply chain systems are also featured under the event's Systems & Supply Chain Excellence pillar.