Foodservice distributor Bidfood New Zealand brings its 2026 'Beyond the Plate' trade show to Mercury Baypark in Mount Maunganui on Tuesday 11 August 2026, one of a national series of trade-only roadshow events for hospitality and foodservice customers.
Foodservice distributor Bidfood New Zealand is bringing its 2026 trade show to Tauranga on Tuesday 11 August, staging the event from 12:00pm to 4:00pm at Mercury Baypark, 81 Truman Lane, Mount Maunganui, according to Bidfood's published trade-show schedule.
The Tauranga leg is one stop on a national roadshow that Bidfood is running under the banner "Beyond the Plate". The company describes the 2026 theme as bringing attendees closer to the suppliers, stories and ingredients behind the products they use every day. It falls the day after the Rotorua show, which Bidfood lists for Monday 10 August at the Energy Events Centre on Queens Drive.
Bidfood New Zealand is a foodservice wholesaler and distributor that supplies restaurants, cafes, caterers and other hospitality and trade customers. Bidfood positions its trade shows as a place for people in the industry to be inspired and educated and to network with customers and suppliers, with exhibitors showcasing new products and new takes on existing lines. The organiser lists events@bidfood.co.nz as the contact for the series.
This is a trade-focused event aimed at Bidfood's hospitality and foodservice customers rather than a public consumer food show. It sits within a wider 2026 Bidfood schedule of regional shows held around New Zealand.
Mercury Baypark, known locally as Bay Park, is a multi-venue events precinct at 81 Truman Lane in Mount Maunganui. Its exhibition capability is substantial: the University of Waikato Sport & Recreation Centre and the Lion Foundation Centre within Mercury Arena together offer a carpeted area of 6,932 square metres that can hold up to 350 stands, according to the venue's own exhibitions information.
On movement and access, the venue reports 5,000 free on-site car parks, along with electric-vehicle charging stations in Carpark A, bike stands at the main entrance of Mercury Arena, and full accessibility with lifts to second-floor areas. The precinct sits a short drive from Tauranga's city centre and the accommodation clustered around Mount Maunganui and the wider Tauranga area, making it a practical base for exhibitors and trade visitors travelling in for the day. On-site catering is provided by Bay Catering and audio-visual services by Bay Audio Visual. Mercury Baypark is a BEIA Gold member venue.
For the Bay of Plenty's hospitality and foodservice sector, a national distributor bringing its supplier showcase to a regional centre gives local operators direct access to new products and industry connections without travelling to a main-centre event. As a recurring, trade-only fixture staged at a purpose-built exhibition venue, the Tauranga show is a small but regular contributor to the region's business-events calendar.
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