Having played host to a great many international exhibitors and experienced trade visitors from right across the NGP sector, the third EVO NXT drew to a close in Milan on Friday 4 April. Over two days, SuperStudio Maxi gave participants the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the latest products and equipment in the NGP segment, and also to gain key knowledge benefits. The programme provided the perfect framework for this with countless keynotes, panels and master classes. International experts and industry insiders provided information and discussed the key developments and challenges in the industry. The focus was on topics such as tobacco harm reduction, regulations and market trends.

Dortmund, 7 April 2025 – Messe Dortmund launched the EVO NXT business festival in 2023 as a modern-format event with a unique atmosphere perfectly suited to the dynamic next-generation product (NGP) sector. At the event – staged this time in Italy – exhibitors, experts and participants demonstrated the amazing potential of the NGP sector, which was reflected in the large number of countries from which the participants came – including the UK, the US, India and China. A large number of European countries such as the Benelux countries, Finland, Sweden, Poland, Estonia, Spain and host country Italy were also represented. Prominent businesses as well as promising newcomers and innovators convened and met with key inspiring executives and industry experts. The aim was to analyse the present and future of the industry together, and to benefit from knowledge sharing.

Special challenges such as political regulation, growing health and environmental awareness among consumers and market developments were the focus of much attention at EVO NXT and featured strongly in the big-name supporting programme. Panels, keynotes, master classes, product presentations and talks were well attended on both days thanks not only to the choice of relevant topics, but also to the list of speakers which included representatives of well-known manufacturers such as BAT, Imperial Brands, ICE and CLEW as well as key international industry associations such as the European Confederation of Tobacco  Retailers (C.E.D.T.), the German Association of the Tobacco Industry and Next-Generation Products (BVTE) and the Independent European Vaping Alliance as well as scientific enterprises such as TobaccoIntelligence, Sanova and Euromonitor International.

Transnational dialogue opportunities proved highly popular

The events on government regulation and the special requirements associated with developing alternative nicotine products such as pouches proved particularly conducive to indepth dialogue and lively discussions. EVO NXT participants benefited in particular from the international credentials of delegates and speakers. Great use was made of the unique opportunity to discuss these challenges with industry representatives and insiders from different countries. The master classes in the Vision Room in particular were characterised by in-depth discussions and led to important new business contacts spanning national borders.

New formats such as the hybrid event entitled 'Eyes on Brussels' on Day 2 of the business festival also met with great interest. Representatives of Tobacco Europe, the European umbrella organisation for manufacturers of tobacco and nicotine products, discussed the foremost political developments in Brussels and their impact on the nicotine industry with guests present in the Vision Room and with many viewers who joined online. The participants clearly had a great need to talk, and the knowledge input was useful for their own businesses.

New partner GINN brought relevant topics to the stage

EVO NXT's new partnership with the Global Institute for Novel Nicotine (GINN) proved just as valuable. Four events in the EVO NXT programme were organised by GINN. All four featured big names, and the seating by the EVO NXT Stage and in the Vision Room was

correspondingly full. On Friday morning, for example, GINN – in conjunction with Tobacco Journal International – hosted the 'Global Nicotine Industry Trends & Innovation' event which was chaired by Editor-in-Chief Marc Reisner. He spoke to Nihar Dholakia, Director of Dholakia Tobacco, Mónica Andrade de Orbe, Senior Consultant for NGP and GINN Country Manager for Spain, Lukas Zdrazil, Brand Strategy Expert at ICE, and Ray Hou, HNB Product Director at REJO, on fundamental issues such as product development, consumer

preferences, market dynamics and the regulatory environment. The GINN master classes saw industry experts discuss the market situation and regulatory developments in the US and Spain in a very target-group-specific manner with people including Sydney Hiller from Sanova, Miguel Ángel Martínez Cuadrado, President of the Unión de Asociaciones de Estanqueros de España, Jacobo Truan Aguirre, Partner at EPPA, a management consultancy with extensive expertise in regulatory processes, and Lorenzo Guaragna, Head of Legal Analysis at TobaccoIntelligence.

Finally, visitors were taken on a real-life deep dive in the third Mission Mixologist Battle staged in conjunction with partner Hertz & Selck, the Hamburg-based premium aroma manufacturer. Live on Thursday afternoon, liquid artists Goran Kristic (GASD GmbH),

Filip Tokic (Dotmod d.o.o.), Paulo Alves (Dexter/Feal) and two-time winner Cristian Gallardo González (Vapers Experience) shared their individual aroma creations with the audience. Goran Kristic came out on top in the end, putting an end to Gallardo González' winning streak.

Day 1 of the festival wrapped up with the popular – and sold-out – Get Together event. In a unique atmosphere, high above the rooftops of the city's lively Navigli district – the hub of Milanese nightlife – the networking also continued away from the event location. With refreshing drinks in hand and an exclusive selection of food, business contacts were cultivated and, above all, new ones were made well into the night.

Four zones full of innovations

Of course, EVO NXT featured not just top speakers and exclusive knowledge input, but also international businesses that use the business festival as a platform for presenting product innovations and their latest gizmos. The concept featuring four subject-matter 'zones' once again provided structure and clarity for the third EVO NXT. Innovative hardware designs, exciting liquid creations and nicotine-free options awaited visitors to the E-Zone where e-cigarettes, various fillings and individual components such as mouthpieces and battery holders were presented. Once again, the hemp plant was the centre of attention in the Green Zone. The growing market for heat-not-burn products was set out in the Heat Zone, and alternative nicotine products such as pouches and snus were on display in the O-Zone. The broad, international field of exhibitors in this zone reflected the rapid development that

this segment has undergone in just a short space of time.

Next stop: Prague

When one show closes, the run-up to the next one gets underway. And so the organisers at Messe Dortmund are already looking to the future as part of their follow-up and follow-on activities. “In recent years, EVO NXT has proven that innovative formats are in tune with the times, especially in a modern, vibrant sector such as the NGP industry,” summarised Angelika Bauer, Deputy Managing Director at Messe Dortmund. “Here in Milan, we've once again brought together key industry representatives, decision-makers and driving forces to power this sector forward and prepare it for the future. By moving to Italy, we automatically brought in new perspectives. A different attitude to life, a different regulatory environment, different organisations. It's precisely this change of perspective that we want EVO NXT to retain. And now I can already reveal that we'll be taking the up-coming EVO NXT to Prague!”

The new home for next year's festival has already been decided. Do keep a close eye on the various EVO NXT channels to avoid missing out on any of the upcoming info. Details to follow on LinkedIn, Instagram, the EVO NXT website and in our newsletter.