DOT Innovations 2026: Trend Explorer 2026, Festival of Flavor
DOT Innovations 2026: Trend Explorer 2026, Festival of Flavor

Show off your brand in 5 easy steps:

#1

Select Your Trend

#2

Share Your Products

#3

Schedule Culinary Consult

#4

Submit Trend Recipes

#5

Submit Your Recipe Photo

Event overview

Our exclusive operator booth preview will be more fun than ever. During this happy hour, you’ll create samples inspired by our featured trends and collaborate with Connections Powered by CSSI to ideate on an innovative sample for 250 individual portions.

This year, Trend Explorer takes place on the show floor from 4-6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 22, 2026.

2026 Overview of Trends

With inflationary tough times, the ‘treat yourself' mentality prevails, and even those cutting back are finding reasons to indulge in foodservice.

Playful Plates

This trend reflects a shift from serious eating to joyful indulgence, surprise, spontaneity, and creativity.

Playful Plates
Functionally Diverse
Protein Renaissance
Not Your Mother's Snacks
Loaded & Layered
Global Comfort

Exhibitor Brief

Get Brief

Download all the information you need, such as the timeline, trend details, and important dates and deadlines.

1

Trend Selection:

Deadline Friday, February 6, 2026

Datassential has identified the hottest food trends…now it’s time to bring one of them to life. Choose the trend that will inspire your sample using the form below, but hurry! Space is limited to 15 sign-ups per trend.

Choose Your Trends

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
2

Cross-Product Utilization:

Deadline Friday, February 6, 2026

Share your product(s) with other exhibitors to use as part of their sample concepts. This is optional, but it’s a great way to increase your brand’s exposure at the show! Want in? For each product you want to share, fill out the form below.

Supplying your products to others should be at no cost to them. Reciprocally, using products from other exhibitors will be supplied to you at no cost. 

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Name(Required)
3

Schedule Culinary Support:

February 23 to February 27, 2026

Need feedback? Want to collaborate with a seasoned culinary professional? Schedule your free appointment with Chef Steve Madonna during the week of February 23 to February 27, 2026.

Schedule Now
4

Submit Your Trend Recipe:

Deadline Friday, March 13, 2026

Once you’ve determined your sample concept, please provide your recipe details no later than Friday, March 13, 2026 so we can get to work on booth signage and promotions. (Only one submission per manufacturer is needed.)

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
5

Submit Your Recipe Photo (optional):

Deadline Friday, March 27, 2026

Please provide a photo of your recipe no later than Friday, March 27, 2026. (Only one submission per manufacturer is needed.)

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Accepted file types: jpg, png, jpeg, webp, avif, Max. file size: 20 MB.

Contact Us

Have a question about the event? We’re happy to help. Please reach out to Brandon Glaser for any Trend Explorer questions, or Charlsie Pinkerton for general Innovations 2026 questions.