IFT FIRST 2027 Guide: Chicago Dates, Expo & Attendees

IFT FIRST 2027 runs from 11 to 14 July at McCormick Place in Chicago. Organised by the Institute of Food Technologists, it combines a scientific programme with an expo of more than 1,000 exhibitors and around 18,000 attendees.

Ingredient suppliers, flavour houses and equipment makers meet food and beverage R&D teams, product developers and quality leaders. This guide covers what to know and how suppliers can reach the people who choose ingredients.

IFT FIRST 2027 at a glance


Next edition	11-14 July 2027
Venue	McCormick Place
City	Chicago, Illinois, USA
Typical month	July
Frequency	Annual
Attendance	~18,000
Exhibitors	1,000+ exhibitors
Industry	Food science, ingredients & food manufacturing
Organizer	Institute of Food Technologists (IFT)
Official website	ift.org/ift-first-event

About IFT FIRST

IFT FIRST combines a scientific program with a large expo where ingredient suppliers, flavor houses and equipment makers show innovations to food and beverage R&D teams.

Key topics: alternative proteins, sugar reduction, clean label, food safety, sustainability and AI in product development.

Where does IFT FIRST take place?

McCormick Place, Chicago.

Does it change location? No. Chicago every July.

Spices and grains on display. Photo by Babak Eshaghian on Unsplash.

Who you’ll meet at IFT FIRST

Food scientists and R&D teams
Product developers
Quality and safety managers
Ingredient buyers
Academics and students

The audience is specialised and spread across many roles, from senior leaders to hands-on professionals. Not every badge is a buyer, so it pays to know which organisations and titles are coming before you plan meetings.

Need the IFT FIRST attendee list? I extract it from the official event app and website, enrich each profile and hand it over as a clean CSV or Excel file. Start here

Target industries at IFT FIRST

Ingredients, flavors and colors
Alternative proteins
Food safety and quality
Processing and packaging
Nutrition and health
Food R&D software and AI

Why B2B teams should care about IFT FIRST

Ingredient decisions often start in R&D labs, long before procurement gets involved. IFT FIRST is where product developers and food scientists from manufacturers explore new ingredients and technologies.

For ingredient and equipment suppliers, the best targets are R&D and product development leaders at food and beverage manufacturers. Separating them from academics and students, and segmenting by product category, makes outreach much more relevant.

Who should attend IFT FIRST?

Best for: vendors with a clear niche inside the food science community who want to meet its leaders in one place.

Less ideal for: broad lead-generation campaigns. At IFT FIRST, a short list of well-chosen meetings beats a large booth with no plan.

How much does IFT FIRST cost?

Option	Price / details
Also good to know	Expo-only and full registration on ift.org (member discounts)
Also good to know	Expo-only typically low hundreds; full several hundred to ~$1,000+
Typical cost	Low hundreds for expo; more for full program.

Prices change between editions and by registration date, so treat these as a guide and check ift.org/ift-first-event before you buy.

Event app and digital platform

IFT provides an event app (agenda, exhibitors, maps).

The official app is good for finding a booth or a session. It is much less useful for prospecting: data is thin, you can’t export it, and messaging limits stop you from reaching more than a handful of people a day.

Pros and cons of IFT FIRST

Pros	Cons
Strong R&D and product-development audience	Technical audience, not always budget holders
1,000+ suppliers in one place	Narrow focus
Annual in Chicago

How to prospect at IFT FIRST

When	What to do
6-8 weeks before	Get the attendee and exhibitor list. Segment it by job title, company size and industry, and remove existing customers and competitors.
3-5 weeks before	Start outreach on email and LinkedIn. Mention the event, give a specific reason to meet and offer two or three time slots.
Show week	Confirm every meeting 48 hours ahead, keep a short list of walk-in targets, and log every conversation in your CRM the same day.
1-5 days after	Follow up while the event is still fresh, then add non-responders to a nurture sequence.

Product developers love samples. If you invite prospects to your booth, offer a specific application demo for their category, such as a sugar-reduced beverage or a plant-based protein.

Already exhibiting at several shows this year? I can track the same buyers across events so nobody falls through the cracks. Talk to me about IFT FIRST and your other shows.

Frequently asked questions

When is IFT FIRST 2027?

11-14 July 2027. Dates can shift, so confirm on the official website (ift.org/ift-first-event) before booking travel.

Where is IFT FIRST held?

McCormick Place, Chicago.

Does it move? No. Chicago every July.

How much does a IFT FIRST ticket cost?

Low hundreds for expo; more for full program. See the pricing table above for pass types.

Who attends IFT FIRST?

Mainly food scientists and R&D teams; product developers; quality and safety managers; ingredient buyers.

Can I get the IFT FIRST attendee list?

Event organisers rarely sell attendee lists. Prospector builds one for you from the event app and website: attendees, exhibitors and speakers, enriched with job title, company, company size, industry, LinkedIn profile and work email where available, delivered as a CRM-ready file before the event. Ask about IFT FIRST here.

Get the IFT FIRST attendee list

If IFT FIRST is on your calendar, the best time to build your target list is now, while there is still time to book meetings. Contact me on Prospector with the event, your target roles and your CRM, and I’ll tell you what I can deliver and how fast.

Photo credits

Cover image: Photo by Trnava University on Unsplash
In-article image: Photo by Babak Eshaghian on Unsplash

Sources

Event details were last checked in October 2026. Dates, venues and prices can change, so confirm them on the official event website.