China's largest dedicated health and nutraceutical trade exhibition wrapped its Shenzhen edition with record numbers, drawing 138,342 trade visitors to the Shenzhen World Exhibition & Convention Center from October 13–15, 2026—a 25.25% increase year on year. Overseas attendance surged 60.2% compared to the prior edition, underscoring the exhibition's expanding reach as a hub for global ingredient sourcing and functional food innovation.
Scale and Scope
Organized by CCCMHPIE and Sinoexpo Informa Markets, the event was co-located within the fourth Connexion ShenZhen, a 180,000-square-meter multi-sector gathering covering foodservice equipment, food processing, catering, hospitality, and commercial appliances alongside the health and wellness vertical. More than 2,000 exhibitors from around the world participated. The health and nutrition sector alone recorded 29,753 visits across the three days. For operators and buyers focused on functional food and beverage sourcing, the numbers signal serious commercial momentum in categories spanning dietary supplements, nutraceuticals, traditional Chinese medicine-derived ingredients, ingestible beauty, and age-tech products.
Leading nutraceutical and health ingredient suppliers including SIRIO, Prinova, MEGA Group, CSPC, and Tanlaer Pharma (U.S.) were among the exhibitors presenting new formulations and supply chain solutions. Contract manufacturing and private-label production services also featured prominently—a signal that international brands are actively scouting Chinese manufacturing partners to support product launches in Western markets.
Why Operators Should Take Note
The show's programming went well beyond product displays. More than 30 concurrent forums and seminars addressed compliance frameworks for cross-border business, regulatory trends, synthetic biology in ingredient R&D, microbiome health, and AI-driven innovation for older consumers. Discussions specifically explored e-commerce growth for health brands and overseas market expansion strategies—topics directly relevant to foodservice and hospitality operators building wellness-oriented menu programs.
A dedicated livestreaming zone, developed in partnership with Douyin E-Commerce Global and Tencent Marketing, connected exhibiting brands with both on-site trade buyers and online consumers during the lead-up to China's Singles' Day shopping festival. The integration of live commerce with a B2B trade floor reflects a broader shift in how health and nutrition suppliers are reaching buyers across both retail and foodservice channels.
The show's Tonic Food Zone drew particular interest, with sessions examining how food-medicine homology ingredients—botanicals used in both culinary and therapeutic applications—can be translated into modern functional food products. That category sits squarely at the intersection of consumer wellness demand and restaurant menu innovation, a space where operators globally are increasingly active.
What Comes Next
With Shenzhen concluded, the organizers are pointing the industry toward HNCEXPO-Shanghai 2027, scheduled for June 22–24, 2027, at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai. That flagship edition is positioned as the premier platform for global health and nutrition companies to meet Chinese and international buyers, with a broader national and international audience than the Shenzhen regional show. A return to Shenzhen is also confirmed for October 13–15, 2027. For foodservice and food manufacturing professionals tracking ingredient supply chains, regulatory developments, and functional food trends out of Asia, both dates represent key sourcing and intelligence opportunities in the year ahead.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
