Fresh Market is not a typical trade fair
Fresh Market is built around meetings, not around walking through exhibition halls.
At many trade fairs, suppliers stand at their booths and wait for the right buyer to stop by. That often depends on chance, timing and luck. Fresh Market works in a different way. Here, retail chains are placed at the centre of the event, and suppliers meet them through a structured B2B format.
This is what makes Fresh Market different. It is not about collecting random leads. It is about creating the right conditions for direct business conversations with the people who actually make or influence purchasing decisions.
A one-day format focused on real business
Fresh Market is a one-day event, but that is exactly its strength.
Instead of spreading attention over several days, the event is designed to concentrate key meetings, networking and market screening into one intensive business day. In practice, this means that in a short time participants can:
meet retail chain buyers,
talk to distributors and importers,
present their offer,
check if their products fit retail expectations,
build new contacts,
and open the door to further cooperation.
For many companies, this shortens a process that would normally take weeks or months of emails, calls and follow-up meetings.
Who is Fresh Market for?
Fresh Market is designed for companies that work in or around the fresh produce sector.
It is especially relevant for suppliers and producers of fresh fruit and vegetables, exporters, grower groups, packing companies, flower and plant suppliers, distributors, importers and traders. It also makes sense for service providers working with the industry, including packaging, seeds, machinery, logistics and technology companies.
The event is also highly useful for foreign companies that want to enter the Polish market or expand in Central and Eastern Europe. In one day, they can better understand the market, meet potential partners and see which route makes the most sense: retail, distribution, or a mix of both.
Why the format works
The biggest value of Fresh Market is simple: access to the right people in a short time.
For most suppliers, the main challenge is not only product quality. The bigger problem is reaching the right buyer, getting a response, understanding retail requirements and finding out whether their offer is commercially relevant.
Fresh Market helps solve that problem by bringing together the market in one place. Participants can compare expectations, test interest, discuss volumes, packaging, certifications, logistics and seasonality, and leave the event with a much clearer view of what happens next.
Some companies leave with buyer follow-ups. Others leave with distributor contacts. Many leave with practical insight into what they must improve before entering retail. All of that is valuable.
Three event areas, one business system
Fresh Market is organised into three key areas that work together.
The Retail Chains Hub is where scheduled B2B meetings with retail buyers take place.
The Distributors Hub is an open networking area where participants can speak directly with importers, traders and distributors throughout the day.
The Exhibitors Hub is the exhibition area, where companies can present products, services, packaging, technology and brands in a more classic trade-show format.
This structure makes the event practical. Whether your goal is retail, distribution or visibility, there is a clear place and format for it.
A strong market scale without the chaos
Fresh Market is large enough to matter and focused enough to remain efficient.
The event usually brings together around 200–220 companies and around 350 participants. It typically includes around 20–27 retail chains, with some buyers joining online when necessary, as well as around 20 distributors and importers from the region.
This creates a strong concentration of market players, while still keeping the event manageable and business-oriented.
Meeting opportunities for different types of participants
Companies can choose different participation formats depending on their goals.
The Business package is designed for firms that want to take part in the matchmaking process and receive scheduled one-to-one meetings with retail chain buyers.
The Standard package is designed for companies that prefer networking, distributor meetings and open contact-building throughout the day, including the late-afternoon Speed Dating window with available buyers.
This flexibility is important because not every company is at the same stage. Some are ready for structured retail meetings. Others want to understand the market first and build the right contacts step by step.
Fresh Market 2026: the 20th edition
Fresh Market has been organised since 2008.
In 2026, the event will reach its 20th edition. That is an important signal for the market. It shows continuity, trust and a proven format that has worked for many years for retail chains, distributors and suppliers from Poland and abroad.
This is not a new experiment. It is a long-running B2B event with a clear position in the industry.
When and where?
Fresh Market 2026 will take place on 24 September 2026 at MCC Mazurkas, near Warsaw, Poland.
The location offers convenient access for both Polish and international participants, which is why Fresh Market continues to attract companies interested in Poland and the wider CEE region.
Why should you come?
If your company wants to:
enter retail,
find new buyers,
meet distributors and importers,
understand the Polish and CEE market better,
present products or services to the industry,
or build relationships that can turn into business,
Fresh Market is the right place to start.
This is not a day for casual browsing. It is a day for real conversations, real contacts and real opportunities.
Fresh Market 2026
24 September 2026
Warsaw, Poland
Want to check if Fresh Market fits your company? Contact us and we will help you choose the right participation format.
