Press kit
Dear colleagues, media representatives!
PIR Expo has been operating in the hospitality industry since 1997. Over these years we have established and maintained close links with the companies present in the HoReCa market, restaurateurs and hoteliers, chefs, bakers, baristas and barkeepers.
We will be happy to help you in preparing materials for your publications: we will comment on the industry development, suggest to you competent market experts, arrange interviews with hospitality business persons of interest to you, including VIP-visitors to exhibitions and recommend our own news and articles.
The company profile
PIR Expo (PIR Information Project)– is an information & exhibition project of the hotel, restaurant and catering industry in Russia and the CIS countries.
Since 1997, PIR Group has been acting as the professional event organizer for the HoReCa market experts, and since 2012 the company name has been associated with PIR Fair food festival for general consuming public. Every year the company-initiated projects bring together premium quality product enthusiasts, restaurateurs, hoteliers, chefs and pastry chefs, suppliers, investors, journalists and everybody else who wants to keep abreast of the latest developments and trends in the hospitality business and the catering segment. In 2013, the company business moved to a new level. Focused on everything related to the catering and hospitality business, the company combined projects designed for the market professionals under the general title PIR Expo. Also in 2014 was created a separate unit of exhibitions for bar industry professionals from other Russian cities outside Moscow – MBS on TOUR.
PIR Expo makes business in close cooperation with the Federation of Restaurateurs and Hoteliers of Russia and the National Guild of Chefs.
The company projects:
b2b area:
- PIR Expo – the largest exhibition project for all professionals from the food and hospitality industry and allied sectors in Russia and the CIS countries. The project suggests diverse format events organized concurrently at Crocus Expo International Exhibition Centre (presentations, trainings, competitions, discussions). Every year over 800 exponents from various countries take part in the project, over 500 professional events are organized, PIR Expo brings together over 50 000 visitors on its site.
PIR Expo includes:
- PIR. Restaurant Equipment– an international exhibition for experts in the professional equipment field of the HoReCa segment
- PIR. Food– an international exhibition for the restaurant business professionals
- HOTEL. Development, design and operation – an international exhibition for the hotel business professionals
- Moscow Bar Show – an international exhibition for the bar industry professionals
- Moscow Coffee and Tea Expo– an international exhibition for the coffee and tea industry professionals
- International Kremlin Culinary Cup – international competitions of professional chefs and pastry chefs
- Russian Culinary and Service Championship – national competitions of Russian restaurants representatives, professional chefs and pastry chefs
- Youth Culinary and Service Championship «Student PIR»– competitions among students of the Russian specialized education institutions
- Professional events outside of the PIR Expo format:
- MBS on TOUR – regional international exhibition project the bar industry professionals
b2c area:
- PIR Fair – culinary fair of world and domestic regional food products
Information activity:
- PIR Bulletin – electronic news weekly dedicated to the food and hospitality industry
The company history
PIR Information Project entered the market in 1997 under the name PIR Group. Now the company is called PIR Expo and is known primarily as the organizer of the international exhibition project PIR Expo for HoReCa industry professionals.
The company organized the first ever exhibition in 1998. It took place in Sokolniki Exhibition Centre under the title «PIR. Food and Entertainment». The first exhibition brought together mainly suppliers of processing equipment and services for the hospitality industry facilities. The 2000-s witnessed the Russian restaurant market boom. That period appeared a crucial point in the history of PIR.
In 2000, as part of the exhibition and with support from the Government of Moscow, the First Russian Culinary and Service Championship – a large-scale national competition of chefs and pastry chefs – was held. The championship drew special attention of chefs and restaurateurs and that of food products suppliers. It was then that the exhibition was ticketed as the key event for the HoReCa market professionals.
In 2002, the exhibition moved to the Shopping Arcade. In 2005, the Shopping Arcade hosted the first International Kremlin Culinary Cup competitions attended by teams of chefs and pastry chefs from 21 countries. During four years, PIR took place in an exhibition hall in the very center of Moscow until it overgrew this platform.
In 2006, the exhibition occupied vast spaces in Crocus Expo. For the first time ever food products suppliers and producers were provided a separate exhibition pavilion to organize thematic forums focused on national cuisines.
In Crocus Expo, the exhibition grew increasingly international in nature. Trade promotion offices and professional associations from many countries regard PIR as a real opportunity for entering the Russia market. National areas are being organized for the first time ever as part of the exposition: collective exhibition stands of food products and professional kitchen equipment and utensils producers from Italy, France, Spain, Japan, Turkey, Germany, China and other countries.
Competitions under the exhibition went global – since 2006 International Kremlin Culinary Cup is being formally held under the auspices of the World Association of Chefs Societies (WACS). (In 2006 PIR joined WACS as an extraordinary member, and two years later it was granted the status of a corporate member of the Association).
The new platform opens up fresh opportunities for the exhibition. Every year the exhibition grows by 15 % and in 5 year increased from 32 to 50 thousand square meters. Changes required the project itself, five individual exhibitions were founded as a result: PIR. Restaurant equipment for experts in the professional equipment field of the HoReCa segment, PIR. Food for the restaurant business professionals, HOTEL. Development, design and operation for the hotel business professionals, Moscow Bar Show for the bar industry professionals and Moscow Coffee and Tea Expo for the coffee and tea industry professionals. And that was the right decision, because only in Russia there are 150 000 caterings and 7000 accommodation facilities, not to mention the near abroad. The industry involved 3.5 million people, and the industry continues to evolve, both in quantitative and qualitative terms (annual market growth is 10%).
Another right decision was holding exhibitions in other big cities of Russia – that’s how MBS on TOUR (a separate project for bar industry professionals) was created. The first step in this direction was the exhibition in Novosibirsk in 2013, and its success proved the chosen way of development. Spring 2014 was marked by exhibitions in Rostov-on-Don, Yekaterinburg and Novosibirsk.
Today PIR Expo is included to the top list of exhibition projects for hospitality professionals and is a significant international event. 850 companies from around the world present their products on an area of 50 000 square meters. More than 50 000 Russian and CIS specialists annually participate in 1000 professional events: master classes, seminars, presentations, round tables, competitions.
Each of the above exhibitions is the ideal platform to find effective business solutions and new business partners, increase the personal level of professionalism and acquaintance with the trends of HoReCa industry in Russia and the world.
PIR experts
Ivan Merkulov
President, PIR Information Project,
Vice-president, Federation of Restaurateurs
and Hoteliers
Igor Bukharov
President, Federation of Restaurateurs
and Hoteliers
Alexander Filin
President, National Guild of Chefs
The company projects
Exhibition PIR. Restaurant Equipment
International exhibition for experts in the professional equipment field of the HoReCa segment. The largest in its segment exposition demonstrate automation and control systems, commercial and kitchen equipment, tools and accessories, utensils, and much more. Also, the exhibition offers a range of services for installation, maintenance and supply of complete equipment, design and technology consulting.
Exhibition PIR. Food
International exhibition for the restaurant business professionals. An extensive exposition of well-known companies and new brands products, workshops and seminars from leading restaurateurs and chefs, visits to famous cuisine restaurants, business program and competitions – exhibition offers to visitors these and much more activities. Its members are successful restaurateurs, recognized chefs, top-managers of the HoReCa sectors well-known companies, independent experts.
Exhibition HOTEL. Development, design and operation
International exhibition for the hotel business professionals. Participating companies will present specialized equipment for hotels, plumbing, cosmetics, furniture, bedding, durable finishes, the latest energy-saving technologies. Thematic platforms offer counseling and workshops for managers and staff of hotels.
Moscow Coffee and Tea Expo
International exhibition for the coffee and tea industry professionals. The vivid program of thematic areas offers exclusive seminars and master classes, exciting world-class championships and presentations of different products. An extensive exposition will present high-quality coffee and tea blends from around the world and a wide range of modern equipment.
Moscow Bar Show
The only in Russia and the CIS countries international exhibition for bar industry professionals. This is the authoritative international project gathers all really enthusiastic bar business professionals. Master classes and workshops from leading experts, spectacular competitions, extensive exposition of famous brand products, bar accessories and equipment – Moscow Bar Show offers to visitors a variety of options to spend time usefully.
International Kremlin Culinary Cup
International competitions of professional cooks and pastry-cooks. The competitions are being held since 2005. So far the event is the largest culinary competition in Russia and Eastern Europe. The competitions are held under the auspices of the World Association of Chefs Societies (WACS) and have the status of unique WACS formal (continental) competitions.
Russian Culinary and Service Championship
National competition of Russian restaurants representatives, professional chefs and pastry chefs. It is being held since 2000. The competition brings together leading experts from different regions of Russia.
Youth Culinary and Service Championship «Student PIR»
Competitions among students of profile education institutions. The event is being organized since 2010; competitors include higher education institutions and colleges from across Russia. The championship is designed to increase the status of the catering and hospitality industry professions among the youth.
MBS on TOUR
Regional international exhibition project for bar industry professionals. The goal is to develop bar industry throughout Russia, improve the quality of guest service. In 2014 exhibitions were held in major cities of the Urals, Siberia and the south of the country – Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk and Rostov-on-Don. MBS on TOUR strives to make knowledge about the successful conduct of the bar business more accessible, to give opportunity of skill improvement to experts from different Russian cities and of sharing experiences with Russian and foreign mixology and bar industry stars.
PIR Fair
PIR Fair is a culinary festival of premium quality regional products brought from across Russia and the world. The event is organized with official support from the Government of Moscow. PIR Fair is a unique project for delicacies enthusiasts and those who really appreciate premium quality products and wants to know oats. The event provides an opportunity for buying products from the best suppliers and producers and exploring and finding bright solutions on kitchen dressing, diverse kitchenware and utensils. The event program includes hundreds of master classes by leading chefs and renowned culinary schools on «what to cook and make our day for the New Year».
Electronic weekly PIR Bulletin – electronic news weekly dedicated to the catering and hospitality industry.
Electronic news weekly focused on the catering and hospitality industry. Target audience – 25 000 experts from Russia and the near abroad. The key content: market news and events, opening of new restaurants, cafes, bars and hotels, changes in the legislative and legal areas, analytical articles, statistics and ratings.