Opens in 3 daysTrade show · Food & Drink
HOTELEX Shenzhen 2026Shenzhen Hospitality and Catering Expo: Dates & Visitor Guide
深圳国际酒店及餐饮业博览会 2026
Tue 13 Oct – Thu 15 Oct 2026Shenzhen World · from 9am daily
Updated for 2026 · dates confirmed by the organiser
AI illustration- Dates
- 13–15 Oct Tue–Thu · 3 days
- Venue
- Shenzhen World Bao'an
- Entry
- Free or register on site
- Open to
- Trade only business visitors
What is HOTELEX Shenzhen?
HOTELEX is a hospitality and food-service trade show brand that its organizer says draws on more than 30 years in the industry. It is run by Sinoexpo Informa Markets from Shanghai, with sister editions in Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu. The Shenzhen edition is the brand's South China show and the core of the Connexion ShenZhen umbrella event at Shenzhen World in Bao'an. For 2026 it moves from December to 13–15 October, so that overseas buyers can combine it with the autumn Canton Fair in Guangzhou.
The floor is organised into ten sectors: coffee and tea; beverages; food and catering ingredients; catering equipment; tableware; private label and contract manufacturing; bakery, desserts and light meals; wine and spirits; gifts and lifestyle; and group-catering supply chains. The organizer plans more than 2,000 exhibitors across the whole event for 2026. The published exhibitor directory for the HOTELEX halls had about 650 companies when checked in September 2026, from big names such as Nestlé, Luckin Coffee, Cotti Coffee's supply-chain arm, Kyocera and Beijing Sanyuan Foods to small Shenzhen roasters, packaging makers and appliance factories. Coffee-producing countries also take space: the Consulate General of Colombia in Guangzhou and Uganda's embassy were listed.
The show is aimed at people who buy for food and drink businesses: restaurant and café owners, bubble-tea and coffee chains, hotel purchasers, franchise operators, importers and distributors, supermarkets and e-commerce sellers. A hosted-buyer programme sets up meetings between exhibitors and qualified buyers from South China, Hong Kong, Macao and Southeast Asia.
The competitions are a big part of the atmosphere. In 2026 the Shenzhen halls host a Shenzhen round of the China Barista Championship, brewing and latte-art qualifiers, the World Fashion Drinks Competition China final and the HOTELEX International Chef Competition run with the Shenzhen Cuisine Association. Around them are the HOTELEX coffee, wine and food festival, a bar and spirits show, a food ingredients show and a lifestyle market.
For Shenzhen's huge café and tea-shop scene, this is a convenient one-stop place to taste new coffee beans and tea bases, compare espresso machines and tea-making equipment, and find packaging and private-label suppliers. For foreign visitors, the move to Canton Fair season comes with English visitor services and an English-language app.
Why go
- Taste and compare coffee, tea bases, syrups, dairy and bakery ingredients for a café, tea shop or restaurant
- Source espresso and tea-making machines, ice-cream equipment, kitchen gear and tableware from Chinese makers
- Find private-label, OEM and food-packaging suppliers for a drinks or snack brand
- Watch barista, latte-art, drinks and chef championships on the show floor
- Combine it with the autumn Canton Fair: overseas buyers get free entry and English visitor support
Our take
Hours are 09:00–17:30 on 13–14 October (last entry 17:00) and 09:00–16:00 on the 15th. Shenzhen World is in Bao'an next to the airport, on Metro Lines 12 and 20. Bring business cards and a clear list of what you're sourcing, and download the DTSHoReCa app to find exhibitors by category before you walk the halls.
Go if you're
- Café, bubble-tea and restaurant owners and chain purchasers
- Hotel purchasing and F&B managers
- Importers, distributors and franchise operators in food and drink
- Supermarket, convenience-store and e-commerce buyers
- Drinks and snack brands looking for OEM or private-label partners
Who exhibits
Some of the companies at the 2026 edition, from the organiser's exhibitor list and press.
Forums, awards & what else is on
- China Barista Championship, Brewers Cup and Latte Art qualifiers (Shenzhen rounds, 2026)
- World Fashion Drinks Competition China final (2026)
- HOTELEX International Chef Competition with the Shenzhen Cuisine Association (2026)
- Hosted Buyer Programme with pre-arranged meetings for distributors, hotel groups and food-service operators
- HOTELEX Shenzhen coffee, wine and food festival
- Runs alongside: Connexion ShenZhen (umbrella event)
- Runs alongside: ProPak Shenzhen (food processing and packaging)
- Runs alongside: Hotel & Shop Plus Shenzhen (hotel and commercial space)
- Runs alongside: HNC Expo (health and nutrition)
- Runs alongside: Shenzhen international food ingredients show
- Runs alongside: Shenzhen bar, western dining and drinks show
Days & opening hours
Hours are the organiser's. Last entry is usually 30 minutes before closing, and the last day often closes early.
How to get in
- Just turn upTrade visitors can almost always register at the on-site counter. Bring your passport and a business card.
- Or pre-register onlineFree, about 3 minutes. You get a QR e-badge and skip the counter queue. Organiser's registration page ↗
- Collect your badgeShow the QR (or your passport) at the badge desk. Screenshot it first — venue Wi-Fi is slow on day one.
Online trade visitor registration; free for overseas buyers per the Connexion site
Flying in? The visitor guide
What international buyers ask us most, in one place.
Many passports get 30 days visa-free, and 55 nationalities can use 240-hour visa-free transit via Shenzhen when flying on to a third country. Check your eligibility before booking.
Link a Visa or Mastercard to Alipay or WeChat Pay before you fly — booths, taxis and canteens rarely take cards. Keep ¥500 cash for samples.
Get a roaming eSIM: Google, WhatsApp and Gmail don't work on hotel or venue Wi-Fi. Suppliers will ask for your WeChat, not your email.
Pre-register, bring your passport to collect the badge, and pack 200 business cards. Photograph each card next to the booth number — you'll forget by day two.
Hall English is patchy outside the big brands. A freelance interpreter costs ¥800–1,500 a day; book a week ahead for big fairs.
Don't carry 40 kg home. SF Express and DHL counters sit in the main lobbies and will ship samples door to door from about ¥200.
Hotels on site sell out months ahead. Bao'an Center or Qianhai are 25–30 min away with far more choice.
- Wear proper walking shoes — 20k steps a day is normal.
- Taxi queues after 5pm are brutal; walk to Shenzhen World North station or book a Didi for 4:30pm.
- Food courts sit along the central corridor; the ones at the far ends are quieter.
HOTELEX Shenzhen 2026: the full edition page →
Co-located the same week
One trip, one badge queue: these run alongside HOTELEX Shenzhen at Shenzhen World.
HOTELEX Shenzhen: FAQ
When is HOTELEX Shenzhen 2026?
Tue 13 Oct – Thu 15 Oct 2026. Doors open at 9am; the last day closes at 4pm.
Where is HOTELEX Shenzhen held?
Shenzhen World Exhibition & Convention Center (深圳国际会展中心), 1 Zhancheng Rd, Fuhai, Bao'an District. Take metro Line 12/20 to Shenzhen World station.
Is HOTELEX Shenzhen free to visit?
Yes for trade visitors. Pre-register online to skip the queue, or just turn up and register at the counter with your passport.
Is HOTELEX Shenzhen open to the public?
No — it's trade only. Register with your company details and bring a business card.
How does HOTELEX Shenzhen relate to Connexion ShenZhen?
HOTELEX is the hospitality and food-service show inside Connexion ShenZhen, the organizer's umbrella event that also includes ProPak Shenzhen, Hotel & Shop Plus, HNC Expo and cleaning and lighting sectors in the same venue.
Is it only for hotels?
No. Despite the name, much of the floor is coffee, tea, drinks, bakery and restaurant supply, and the organizer targets café and tea-shop operators, chains, importers, supermarkets and e-commerce buyers.
Can I watch the barista competitions?
Yes. Shenzhen rounds of the China Barista Championship, brewing and latte-art contests and the World Fashion Drinks Competition China final are held on the show floor.
Why did it move to October?
From 2026 the Shenzhen shows run in October instead of December, so overseas buyers can visit Shenzhen before the autumn Canton Fair in Guangzhou.
Is there an exhibitor list?
Yes. The organizer publishes an online exhibitor directory (about 650 companies in September 2026) searchable by product category, and an app called DTSHoReCa for visitors.
Who organises HOTELEX Shenzhen?
Shanghai Sinoexpo Informa Markets International Exhibition Co., Ltd.. SZMeetups is an independent guide — registration happens on the organiser's site.
Sources
Researched from the organiser's own pages, last checked 2026-09-26. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.