EquipHotel 2026: a focus on outdoor

There is great anticipation for the latest edition of EquipHotel, a biennial B2B event that showcases trends and developments in the hospitality sector to an audience of professionals. From 2 to 5 November, at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, the event will bring together at least 1,200 exhibitors (30 per cent of whom are from outside France) and 80,000 attendees – according to figures from the last edition. The focus will be primarily on new developments – in terms of products and installations – capable of capturing the latest innovations and inspiring new and diverse design concepts. It is precisely the theme ‘Hospitality in all its forms’ that serves as the common thread running through the four thematic areas – Tech & Services, Wellbeing, Design and Foodservice – and the programme of talks, conferences, demonstrations and experiential zones, all designed to showcase new ways of designing living spaces, modes of use and the customer experience.

The first major trend in the spotlight is the growing importance of outdoor spaces in the hospitality sector. Urban terraces, rooftops, courtyards bursting with greenery and lounge areas by the sea or in the mountains: outdoor spaces are now a natural extension of the customer experience and a key element in the design of hotels and accommodation facilities, which are rethinking their outdoor spaces to welcome guests all year round, thus moving beyond their seasonal function. At EquipHotel, this discussion runs alongside a focus on materials, comfort and sustainability, featuring exhibiting companies such as Emon Design, Millboard, Lumipod, Nardi, Renson Outdoor, Aluvy, Crema Outdoor and Protezioni.

The theme of craftsmanship and local savoir-faire is also becoming increasingly significant in the hospitality sector, leading to a preference for bespoke design, limited editions, one-off pieces and rare materials, rather than uniformity and standardisation in furnishings. This has led to the creation of the new exhibition space “Exclusive Collection by EquipHotel”: an exhibition area of around 1,000 square metres hosting a selection of exhibitors from the Réseau Excellence EPV Contract and Ameublement français – two organisations that have recently formed an alliance with the aim of promoting and showcasing French savoir-faire and which, within the context of EquipHotel, are bringing this collaboration to fruition.

Also linked to this theme is the exhibition “Do not disturb, Éloge de l’intime”, which once again showcases French craftsmanship and its publishers. Four creatives with complementary talents – Jean Michel Wilmotte, Paul Emilieu, Maison A & G, and Mathilde de l’Ecotais – will each create a setting in which their vision of intimacy and hospitality takes shape. Finally, also worth noting is L’Atelier Rouge, designed by Paris Society Consulting and the agency Saguez & Dash: a 400-square-metre signature bar that transports visitors into a world built around a single conviction: a drink must be understood in order to be fully enjoyed. All this takes place over four unmissable days.