NovelFarm Expo 2027 – Pordenone, Italy

• February 17, 2027
  Event date:
• February 18, 2027
  Event end:

What to expect

NovelFarm Expo 2027 is the only event in Italy fully devoted to new cultivation techniques, soilless farming and vertical farming, and over the years it has become the national benchmark for indoor agriculture innovation. What you can expect is a highly professional, trade-only environment where the entire value chain of controlled environment agriculture is physically present and operational, not just represented by brochures. The exhibition halls at Pordenone Fiere are transformed into working farms, with living vertical towers producing leafy greens, strawberries and herbs under dynamic LED recipes, hydroponic and aeroponic systems circulating real nutrient solutions, climate control units managing temperature and dehumidification, and software dashboards showing live data on pH, EC, water consumption and energy use.

The strength of NovelFarm lies in its intelligent co-location with AquaFarm and AlgaeFarm thematic areas. While NovelFarm focuses on agritech innovations, aeroponics, hydroponics and aquaponics, the adjacent areas bring in aquaculture, sustainable fisheries, shellfish farming and microalgae cultivation. This convergence is not accidental, it reflects the way modern food production is evolving toward integrated multi-trophic systems where the waste of one species becomes the nourishment of another, creating artificial ecosystems with high productivity and minimal waste. For a visitor, this means you can in one visit compare a vertical farm lighting system, discuss a recirculating aquaculture system, and explore microalgae as a high-value ingredient for nutraceuticals and cosmetics.

Beyond the hardware, the event is built around knowledge transfer curated by the NovelFarm Scientific Committee. You will move seamlessly from a live demonstration to a technical conference, to a B2B meeting, to a startup pitch. The atmosphere is deliberately B2B, which keeps conversations qualified and business-oriented, whether you are a grower looking to scale from pilot to commercial, a greenhouse owner transitioning from soil to soilless, a researcher looking for an industrial partner, or an investor scouting proven technologies in automation, robotics and farm management software.

Event dates

Event Dates: 17-18 February 2027
Opening Hours: 09:00 AM to 06:00 PM on both days
Event Type: International trade show and conference, trade professionals only
Venue Location: Pordenone Fiere, Viale Treviso 1, 33170 Pordenone, Italy
Co-located Themes: AquaFarm and AlgaeFarm integrated areas

The dates are officially confirmed in the Italian trade fair calendar and the event occupies multiple halls of the Pordenone Exhibition Centre.

Visiting this event? Don’t miss out on these amazing activities and local experiences while you’re here.

Venue & event site

Venue Name: Pordenone Fiere – Pordenone Exhibition Center
Full Address: Viale Treviso, 1 – 33170 Pordenone, Italy
Exhibition Complex: An avant-garde exhibition center composed of 9 halls with 30,000 sqm of internal exhibition area and 70,000 sqm of external exhibition area, managed by Pordenone Fiere S.p.A.

The venue is recognized as a strategic exhibition hub in the heart of Europe, open toward Eastern European markets and easily reachable from major airports. For NovelFarm, the site is organized to provide a continuous visitor flow that connects the indoor farming technologies with the complementary aquaculture and algaculture sectors. The central entrance serves as the main access point with registration desks, visitor services, press office, cloakroom and information points. Inside, the exhibition is laid out with wide aisles that accommodate both compact pre-built stands for startups and large custom installations for HVAC, lighting and automation manufacturers. Live growing zones are integrated directly into the floor plan, allowing you to see plants growing under different systems without leaving the exhibition.

Supporting infrastructure includes a dedicated conference arena with a plenary hall and two parallel session rooms equipped for simultaneous translation in Italian and English, a business lounge reserved for pre-scheduled B2B meetings and investor encounters, and service areas that include a bar, restaurant, free Wi-Fi coverage, daytime and night-time security, logistics and freight handling, and technical assistance for exhibitors. The entire complex is designed for professional trade fairs where efficiency, safety and comfort are prioritized.

Full technology programme

Programme Curation: The full technology programme is coordinated by the NovelFarm Scientific Committee, which selects speakers and topics based on scientific rigor, commercial relevance and innovation potential. The programme integrates exhibition, conferences and live demonstrations into a single learning journey.

Core Focus: The agenda covers the complete chain of indoor and soilless farming, starting from genetics and substrates, through systems design, climate and light engineering, water and nutrient management, automation, data management, harvesting and post-harvest handling. A significant part of the programme is dedicated to sustainability metrics, including energy consumption per kilogram of produce, water recirculation efficiency, life cycle assessment, and circular use of biomass and nutrients.

Integrated Topics: Some of the topics and technologies associated with innovative farming methods continue to be featured within the co-located areas. In particular, the focus on algae cultivation continues through AlgaeFarm, which retains its own dedicated space providing opportunities for industry professionals to connect and explore technologies related to microalgae and microorganisms, while AquaFarm covers sustainable aquaculture, small-scale and professional fishing, and fish processing technologies.

Programme Format: The two-day programme includes plenary keynotes that frame market and policy trends, technical conferences that provide deep engineering and agronomic data, panel debates that bring together growers, technology providers and retail buyers, and applied case studies from commercial farms. You will also find sessions on controlled-environment mushroom farming, which is emerging as a high-growth segment in Italy, and on the use of robotics, artificial intelligence and precision feeding in integrated systems.

Key speakers & industry leaders

Academic Leadership: Professors and researchers in horticultural science, plant physiology, biosystems engineering, biotechnology and agricultural economics from leading Italian and European universities present peer-reviewed results on yield optimization, nutritional quality, organoleptic consistency and resource use efficiency.

Commercial Growers: Head growers and chief executive officers of large-scale vertical farms and hydroponic greenhouse operations share operational data, lessons from scaling, labor management, and profitability models based on real commercial harvests.

Technology Innovators: Founders and chief technology officers of companies specializing in horticultural LED lighting, HVAC and dehumidification, sensors, IoT platforms, farm management software, robotics for seeding, transplanting and harvesting, and water treatment systems discuss next-generation automation and energy recovery.

Supply Chain and Retail Experts: Buyers and category managers from large-scale retail trade analyze how indoor-grown produce is entering supermarket shelves, consumer acceptance, pricing strategies, and requirements for certification and traceability.

Institutional Voices: Representatives from associations such as EABA for algae, aquaculture federations, sustainability certification bodies and public research institutions contribute regulatory and funding perspectives. All speakers are selected to ensure the content remains highly technical, practical and forward-looking, rather than promotional.

Technology sectors & themes

Cultivation Systems: Hydroponics including NFT, DWC and ebb and flow, aeroponics high-pressure and low-pressure, aquaponics coupled and decoupled systems, vertical rack systems with fixed and mobile gutters, container farms and modular clean-room farms.

Controlled Environment Engineering: Greenhouse structures adapted for indoor use, sandwich panels for clean rooms, HVAC systems, dehumidification and heat recovery, CO2 enrichment and distribution, air flow modeling, and energy-efficient building design.

Lighting Technology: Horticultural LEDs, dynamic spectrum control, photoperiod management, light intensity and uniformity optimization, and crop-specific light recipes for leafy greens, herbs, strawberries, tomatoes and medicinal plants.

Water and Nutrient Management: Water recirculation and sterilization including reverse osmosis, UV and ozone, precision dosing and injection systems, mineral and organic nutrients, biofertilizers, beneficial microbes, and substrates such as rockwool, coco coir, peat-free alternatives and biodegradable mats.

Automation and Digital Farming: Climate computers, IoT sensors for pH, EC, temperature and humidity, farm management information systems, artificial intelligence and computer vision for yield prediction and disease detection, robotic seeding, transplanting and harvesting, and automated logistics and packaging.

Genetics and Inputs: Seeds bred specifically for indoor performance, tissue culture and young plant production, mycorrhizae and biocontrol agents for pesticide-free cultivation, and biostimulants.

Post-Harvest and Value Chain: Cold chain solutions, packaging for living produce, traceability and blockchain, processing technologies for ready-to-eat salads and high-value extracts.

Complementary Bioeconomy Sectors: Microalgae and other microorganisms for food, feed, cosmetic and nutraceutical applications, integrated multi-trophic aquaculture, regenerative farming concepts, and circular bioeconomy solutions.

Sessions, talks & presentations

Plenary Keynotes: Strategic sessions that provide a comprehensive overview of the European indoor farming market, investment flows, energy challenges, and regulatory developments affecting soilless cultivation.

Technical Deep Dives: Detailed engineering presentations on topics such as energy use optimization, comparison of hydroponic versus aeroponic yield and quality, LED efficacy improvements, and water use efficiency in closed-loop systems.

Crop-Specific Tracks: Dedicated sessions for leafy greens and herbs focusing on continuous production, for strawberries and small fruits focusing on everbearing varieties under controlled environment, for tomatoes and high-wire crops adapted to soilless, and for emerging high-value crops.

Sustainability Panels: Discussions on zero-waste farm design, integration of renewable energy and waste heat, valorization of residual biomass, and sustainability certification for indoor farms.

Business and Retail Forums: Practical business sessions covering how to build a bankable business plan for a vertical farm, cost per kilogram analysis, partnerships with large-scale retail and food service, direct-to-consumer models, and branding for pesticide-free produce.

Scientific and Applied Research: Poster sessions and short oral presentations from universities and R&D centers on plant physiology under controlled environments, nutrient recipes, and microbiome management.

Workshops & demonstrations

Live Growing Demonstrations: Fully operational installations that grow basil, lettuce, microgreens and strawberries throughout the event, with agronomists explaining daily management, nutrient balancing and climate adjustments in real time.

Lighting Workshops: Interactive sessions where you can observe the impact of different light spectra and intensities on plant morphology and secondary metabolites, led by lighting manufacturers and independent researchers.

Nutrient Dosing Masterclass: Hands-on training on formulating nutrient solutions for different water qualities and crop stages, troubleshooting pH and EC fluctuations, and managing recirculating solutions.

Automation Demo Zone: Robots performing seeding, transplanting and harvesting tasks, with engineers explaining integration requirements, throughput, labor savings and return on investment.

Software Lab: Trial stations where you can test farm management platforms that control irrigation, climate and yield forecasting using anonymized commercial farm data, with guidance on data integration and API connectivity.

Aquaponics Integration Demo: A combined system showing fish, plants and beneficial bacteria working together, demonstrating how waste from one component becomes input for another, with explanations on system sizing, biofiltration and food safety compliance.

All workshops have limited seating and are available on a first-come, first-served basis with on-site registration through the event app.

Ticket types & registration

Registration Policy: NovelFarm is open to trade professionals only and admission is free of charge upon registration and verification. This policy has been consistently applied in recent editions and continues for the upcoming edition.

Standard Trade Professional Ticket: $0 USD, free after online registration and approval. This includes access to NovelFarm exhibition halls, co-located thematic areas for aquaculture and algaculture, all open conferences and workshops, and access to the official event app and exhibitor directory.

Premium Business Pass: $75 USD, converted from previous premium services at Pordenone Fiere. This pass includes guaranteed seating in conference rooms, access to the business lounge, inclusion in the B2B matchmaking platform with priority meeting scheduling, and a printed conference proceedings copy.

On-Site Registration Fee: $20 USD administrative fee if you register directly at the central entrance without prior online registration. Online pre-registration is strongly recommended to avoid queues and to ensure entry.

Exhibitor Staff Badge: Included in the exhibitor package, with additional badges available at $30 USD per person.

Speaker and Press Badge: Complimentary upon accreditation.

Registration is completed through the official website. After verification, you receive a QR code for fast-track entry at the central gate. Trade verification may include company website, business card or professional association membership.

Startup & investor opportunities

Startup Exhibition Package: $800 USD for a 4 sqm pre-built stand with fascia name, furniture, power, company listing in the official catalog and online platform, pitch slot on the Innovation Stage, and inclusion in the startup guide distributed to investors and corporate partners.

Pitch Sessions: Curated sessions where selected startups present their technology to a panel of agritech investors, venture capital firms, accelerators and corporate venture arms from agribusiness and food retail. Each pitch is followed by Q&A and direct feedback.

Investor Lounge: A private, quiet area reserved for one-to-one meetings between investors and founders, with support from the organizing team for matchmaking and scheduling. Qualified investors receive a complimentary investor pass upon verification.

Innovation Award: The NovelFarm Innovation Award recognizes the most promising technology in vertical farming and controlled environment agriculture, judged by the Scientific Committee and industry media. Winners receive high visibility across press and partner channels.

Corporate Open Innovation: Large agribusiness companies and greenhouse builders attend specifically to scout technologies for licensing or acquisition, creating additional exit opportunities for early-stage teams.

Exhibitors & technology companies

Exhibitor Profile: The exhibitor base represents the full supply chain of indoor farming and has consistently included more than 110 exhibitors across two pavilions with 7,000 sqm dedicated to innovation in recent co-located editions.

Systems Integrators: Companies delivering turnkey vertical farms, hydroponic greenhouses and container farms, including structural engineering, climate and irrigation integration.

Climate and Energy Providers: Manufacturers of HVAC, dehumidification, heat pumps, CO2 systems, energy management and renewable energy integration for indoor farms.

Lighting Manufacturers: International brands presenting latest horticultural LED fixtures, controllers and light planning software.

Irrigation, Water and Nutrients: Companies offering dosing systems, pumps, filters, reverse osmosis, UV and ozone sterilization, water treatment and nutrient formulations.

Automation, Robotics and Software: Robotics companies for seeding, transplanting and harvesting, sensors and IoT platforms, farm management information systems, computer vision and AI analytics providers.

Seeds, Substrates and Inputs: Seed houses specializing in varieties for indoor performance, substrate producers including rockwool and coco coir alternatives, biological solutions, biocontrol and biostimulants.

Post-Harvest, Packaging and Services: Cold chain, packaging for fresh and living produce, traceability solutions, certification bodies, universities, R&D centers, consultants and finance providers.

Exhibiting at NovelFarm offers an opportunity for professional updating, networking and business in indoor, soilless and vertical farming sectors, with direct access to an audience that has a clear purchasing intent.

Networking & business meetings

B2B Matchmaking Platform: After online registration, you gain access to the official app that allows you to search exhibitors and visitors by interest, technology, crop, business type and geographic market, and to request and confirm meetings before arrival.

Business Meeting Area: Pre-bookable tables in a quiet, serviced area for 30-minute structured meetings, with hostess support and refreshments. This area is designed to maximize meeting efficiency away from the exhibition floor noise.

Thematic Networking Events: End-of-day aperitifs and meetups organized by topic, such as vertical farm operators meetup, greenhouse growers transitioning to soilless, agritech investors meetup, and young researchers forum.

Guided Tours: Curated tours for first-time visitors, international delegations and retail buyers, led by members of the Scientific Committee or experienced agronomists, ensuring you see the most relevant technologies for your specific interest.

International Delegations: Organized incoming buyer programs from Eastern Europe, Middle East and North Africa, leveraging Pordenone’s strategic position toward Eastern European markets, with support for translation and logistics.

Event rules & visitor information

Admission Policy: NovelFarm is open to trade professionals only. The minimum age for entry is 18 years. Student access is allowed with valid university ID and prior approval from the organizer. The organizer reserves the right to verify professional status at entry.

Conduct and Distribution: Professional conduct is expected at all times. Distribution of promotional material outside your own stand is not permitted. Canvassing or disruptive behavior may result in removal from the venue.

Photography and Filming: Photography for personal and business use is allowed, but filming of specific proprietary technologies may require explicit permission from the exhibitor. Press must obtain a press badge from the press office at the central entrance.

Services on Site: Luggage storage, first aid, free Wi-Fi, bar and restaurant facilities, and ATM are available inside the complex. Daytime and night-time security and transport, shipping and insurance services are provided for exhibitors.

Languages: The official languages of the event are Italian and English, with most conferences delivered in English or with simultaneous translation to ensure international accessibility.

How to get there

Strategic Location: Pordenone Fiere is in a strategic position open toward Eastern European markets and easily reachable from major airports and high-speed rail lines. More than 4 million people can reach the exhibition center by car in less than 1.5 hours from surrounding provinces.

By Car: The exhibition center is located at Viale Treviso 1, 33170 Pordenone, close to the A28 motorway exit Pordenone. From Venice the distance is approximately 90 km, from Trieste approximately 70 km. The venue is well signposted and offers extensive external areas for visitor and exhibitor logistics.

By Train: Pordenone railway station is on the Venice-Udine high-speed line with connections to Milan, Venice, Bologna, Trieste and beyond. The station is approximately 3 km from the fairground and connected by taxi and local bus services.

By Plane: Three international airports serve the area: Venice Marco Polo, Trieste Airport and Treviso Airport, all within an hour’s drive, plus Ljubljana Airport across the border. During major fairs, shuttle services are often organized from these airports and from Pordenone station.

Public transport & parking

Local Public Transport: Local buses connect the city center and railway station with the exhibition center. During fair days, Pordenone Fiere typically enhances service with dedicated shuttle bus services from the station and from designated city parking areas to the central gate.

Taxi Services: Taxis are available at Pordenone station and in the city center. The ride to Viale Treviso takes approximately 10 minutes and is the most convenient option for visitors with luggage or tight meeting schedules.

Parking Facilities: The venue has extensive parking facilities with both internal and external parking areas, leveraging its 70,000 sqm of external exhibition area as flexible parking during peak events.

Visitor Parking: $12 USD per day for standard visitor parking in the designated visitor lots within walking distance of the central entrance.

Exhibitor Parking: $25 USD for two days with reserved area closer to the halls for loading and early access.

Accessible Parking: Reserved bays near the central entrance, free with valid disabled permit, with step-free access to the halls.

Early arrival is recommended during co-located events with AquaFarm due to higher visitor numbers.

Accommodation areas

Near Pordenone Fiere: Hotels and B&Bs around Viale Treviso and Via Grigoletti are within walking distance of the fairground. This area is ideal for exhibitors who require early access and late departure.

Pordenone City Center: Located 2 to 3 km from the venue, this area offers 3-star and 4-star hotels, restaurants and evening networking opportunities. It is connected to the fairground by bus and taxi.

Venice Mestre and Treviso Corridor: For international visitors combining business with travel, staying near Venice Mestre provides broader hotel availability and direct train connection to Pordenone in under one hour. This option is convenient for those flying in and out of Venice airports.

Udine and Trieste Area: To the east, this area is convenient for visitors arriving from Slovenia, Austria and Eastern Europe and offers additional accommodation capacity during peak fair periods.

Average hotel rates in Pordenone during fair period range from $90 USD to $180 USD per night for 3 to 4-star properties. Official partner hotels are listed on the Pordenone Fiere website and often include shuttle service on fair days. Booking early is strongly advised.

Accessibility

Physical Access: Pordenone Fiere is fully accessible for visitors with mobility needs. All 9 halls are on ground level with step-free access from the central entrance, wide aisles suitable for wheelchairs and trolleys, and accessible restrooms in each hall.

Reserved Parking and Entry: Reserved parking bays are located closest to the central gate for easy access, and staff at the central entrance can provide assistance with navigation.

Conference Access: Conference rooms have spaces reserved for wheelchair users, and staff at the information point can provide assistance with seating and access to B2B meeting areas.

Assistance and Guide Dogs: Visitors requiring assistance can contact the organizer in advance via the official contact channels to arrange support. Guide dogs are permitted throughout the venue. The venue also provides first aid and clear signage for accessible routes.

Previous year’s highlights

Exhibition Scale: The previous co-located edition occupied multiple halls with more than 110 exhibitors and 7,000 sqm dedicated to innovation and sustainability, showcasing turnkey vertical farms, hydroponic towers, aeroponic systems, LED lighting, climate control and farm management software.

Live Systems: A major highlight was the presence of fully operational aquaponics and hydroponic systems demonstrating how waste of one species constitutes nourishment of another, building artificial ecosystems where food productivity is high and resource waste is minimal.

Conference Quality: The agenda featured high-level technical conferences with moments of discussion, training and in-depth analysis with speakers from all over the world, covering topics such as robotics, artificial intelligence, precision feeding, non-monoculture developments such as integrated multi-trophic and regenerative farming, and emerging technologies.

Market Integration: The event underlined how indoor-grown produce is increasingly entering large-scale retail shelves, with retail buyers participating in panels, and how microalgae and other microorganisms are finding applications in food, feed, cosmetics and nutraceuticals.

Visitor Experience: Feedback emphasized the quality of technical content, the ability to see working systems rather than just catalogs, and the effectiveness of structured B2B meetings in a trade-only environment that ensures qualified leads.

Official registration & tickets

Official Website: https://novelfarmexpo.it/
Organizer Contact: Pordenone Fiere S.p.A., Viale Treviso, 1 – 33170 Pordenone, Italy, Tel: +39 0434 232111, Website: www.fierapordenone.it

How to Register: Visit the official website, select Visit or Exhibit, complete the online form with your company details and professional profile, and receive your QR code via email after validation. The process is free for trade visitors.

Ticket Summary in USD: Standard trade professional ticket is $0 USD free upon online registration and approval and includes access to all co-located thematic areas and open conferences. Premium business pass with lounge access and priority matchmaking is $75 USD. On-site administrative fee without pre-registration is $20 USD. Startup exhibition package with 4 sqm stand and pitch slot is $800 USD. Additional exhibitor badge is $30 USD. All prices are converted to USD and include access to the exhibition, conferences and event app. Tickets are nominative and non-transferable.

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