INTERPOM 2026 fully booked as potato sector turns its attention to resilience
Key takeaways
- 330 exhibitors from 15 countries fill INTERPOM 2026
- 24,000 visitors set an attendance record at 2024's fair
- 35,000 sqm of Kortrijk Xpo hall space is booked solid
- 15 euros a day is standard admission, 7.50 with a code
Why it matters
- For processors
- The final day's Factory of the Future sessions target processors directly, on staying competitive amid energy costs, regulation and trade barriers - Belgium's own frozen-potato export exposure makes this the day to attend.
- For suppliers
- Stand space for 2026 is already gone; suppliers wanting a stand should register interest for the next edition now rather than wait for the 2026 programme.
- For investors
- The event mixes trade-fair scale with genuine resilience content this year - climate, water and energy sessions worth tracking for where processor capital gets allocated next.
60-second summary
INTERPOM 2026, the biennial Belgian potato trade fair at Kortrijk Xpo, has sold out its stand space three months before opening on 29 November, organiser Kortrijk Xpo said. The 330 confirmed exhibitors from 15 countries match the 2024 record rather than exceed it, and space has been fully booked since end-August, which points to a venue-size limit as much as demand: organisers have not published figures on any waiting list. Visitor numbers have grown, with 2024 drawing a record 24,000, up 18% on 2022, of whom 31.5% (about 7,600) were international, from 59 countries. The 2026 programme, themed "Growing resilience in a changing world," pairs a daily keynote with a panel on supply, water and factory resilience, moderated by Belgapom CEO Christophe Vermeulen. The full seminar programme is due in mid-October; admission costs 15 euros a day, or 7.50 with a discount code.
Three months before its doors open, INTERPOM 2026 has no stand space left. The Belgian trade fair, which runs from 29 November to 1 December at Kortrijk Xpo, will host 330 exhibitors from 15 countries, and its seminar programme will examine how the potato chain can withstand climate stress, water scarcity and mounting cost pressure on processors.
The announcement came from the organiser, Kortrijk Xpo, and was carried by PotatoPro and FreshPlaza. Held every two years, INTERPOM describes itself as Europe’s leading indoor trade fair covering the entire potato supply chain, from cultivation and storage to processing, packing and trade.
A record matched rather than broken
The headline needs some context. The 330 exhibitors confirmed for 2026 equal the record set in 2024; they do not exceed it. The stand space has been fully booked since the end of August, which suggests the fair is constrained by the size of the venue rather than by demand. The INTERPOM website lists 35,000 m² of indoor exhibition space. The organisers have not published any figures on a waiting list or on applications turned away, so the extent of unmet demand cannot be measured.
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Visitor numbers show clearer growth. According to the organisers, the 2024 edition drew a record 24,000 visitors, up 18% on 2022, which implies roughly 20,300 visitors two years earlier (our calculation). International visitors made up 31.5% of the 2024 total, around 7,600 people (our calculation), and they came from 59 countries. That leaves about two-thirds of the audience from Belgium. INTERPOM therefore remains first and foremost a meeting point for the Belgian and wider Benelux potato chain, but its international share is substantial and growing.
“Growing resilience in a changing world”
The 2026 theme reflects a sector under pressure from several directions at once. The organisers list climate change, growing strain on water and other resources, geopolitical uncertainty, shifting trade flows, tighter regulation, higher energy costs and rapid technological change.
Each day of the fair takes one aspect of resilience as its focus. The format is the same every day: a keynote in the morning, followed in the afternoon by a panel discussion. The panels will bring together speakers from business, academia, civil society, research and politics.
- Sunday 29 November: Resilience of Supply, “Potato of the Future”. How the crop can remain climate-resilient and economically viable while still meeting the requirements of processors and consumers.
- Monday 30 November: Resilience of Water, “Water Management of the Future”. How to maintain high-quality production while easing pressure on increasingly scarce water resources.
- Tuesday 1 December: Resilience of Operations, “Factory of the Future”. How processors can stay competitive amid changing regulation, geopolitical uncertainty, rising costs and fast-moving technology.
The final day is especially relevant to the host country. Belgium ranks among the world’s largest exporters of frozen potato products, and processing is the segment of the chain most exposed to energy prices and trade barriers.
The sessions will be moderated by Christophe Vermeulen, CEO of Belgapom, the association representing the Belgian potato trade and processing industry. Belgapom initiated INTERPOM, while Kortrijk Xpo handles the practical organisation. Alongside the seminars, an Innovation Tour will highlight new developments on the show floor. The organisers expect to publish the full seminar programme on the INTERPOM website in mid-October.
Visitor information
INTERPOM 2026 is open from 09:30 to 18:00 on 29 and 30 November and 1 December at Kortrijk Xpo, Doorniksesteenweg 216, Kortrijk, Belgium. Visitor registration and ticket sales are now open. Online registration in advance is mandatory, including for holders of complimentary invitations and discount codes. Admission costs €15 per person per day, or €7.50 with a valid discount code.
A crowded autumn calendar
INTERPOM falls in a busy season for industry events:
- 5 October, Madrid: the first International Potato Symposium, organised by FEPEX and Europatat on the eve of Fruit Attraction 2026.
- 18–19 November, Lincolnshire: British Potato Confex.
- 16–17 December, Gandhinagar, India: Global Potato Summit 2026, which will move the industry’s attention to Asia after the Kortrijk fair.
Sources
- PotatoPro — INTERPOM 2026 Sells Out With 330 Exhibitors From 15 Countries as Potato Industry Focuses on Resilience (17 September 2026; source: Kortrijk Xpo): https://www.potatopro.com/news/2026/interpom-2026-sells-out-330-exhibitors-15-countries-potato-industry-focuses-resilience
- FreshPlaza — Belgian potato trade fair brings together 330 exhibitors: https://www.freshplaza.com/north-america/article/9874352/belgian-potato-trade-fair-brings-together-330-exhibitors/
- INTERPOM official website, homepage (dates, opening hours, floor space, organisers): https://www.interpom.be/en/home/
- INTERPOM, FAQ: https://www.interpom.be/en/faq/
- INTERPOM, Concept: https://www.interpom.be/en/discover-the-fair/concept/
- FreshPlaza — First International Potato Symposium to draw 400 professionals to Madrid: https://www.freshplaza.com/africa/article/9872981/first-international-potato-symposium-to-draw-400-professionals-to-madrid/
- PotatoPro — Global Potato Summit 2026 to Bring Global Potato Industry to Gandhinagar: https://www.potatopro.com/news/2026/global-potato-summit-2026-bring-global-potato-industry-gandhinagar
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What next
The full seminar programme is due on the INTERPOM website in mid-October, alongside an Innovation Tour on the show floor. The fair runs into a crowded autumn calendar: a Madrid potato symposium on 5 October, British Potato Confex on 18-19 November, and the Global Potato Summit in Gandhinagar on 16-17 December.
Sources
- PotatoPro (17 September 2026, citing organiser Kortrijk Xpo); FreshPlaza; the INTERPOM official website (dates, hours, floor space, organisers).
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