IFT FIRST · July 12–15, 2026 · Chicago, IL · McCormick Place
Don't just exhibit. Dominate.
IFT FIRST brings together more than 15,000 food scientists, technologists, and industry professionals at McCormick Place. While your competitors wait for badge scans, your brand is already on every attendee's phone — reaching R&D directors, ingredient buyers, and food safety managers all show long.
Need something custom? Contact us — we build tailored campaigns for multi-day, multi-zone strategies.
Why it works
Own the show floor.
IFT FIRST draws more than 15,000 food scientists, R&D directors, ingredient buyers, and food safety professionals — but most exhibitors only reach the ones who walk past their booth. Geofence advertising changes the math: your brand follows every attendee across McCormick Place, multiplying touchpoints without multiplying your budget.
Reach Ingredient Buyers
Put your brand in front of procurement leads and ingredient sourcing managers actively evaluating new suppliers at the show.
Target R&D Decision-Makers
Promote your solutions directly to food scientists, formulation leads, and R&D directors attending sessions and workshops.
Stay Visible Between Sessions
Keep your brand top-of-mind on news, industry, and lifestyle apps while attendees move between keynotes, workshops, and the expo floor.
Drive Booth Traffic
Pull food technologists and CPG brand teams off the show floor and into your booth with targeted mobile ads timed to peak foot-traffic hours.
Amplify Your Speaking Slot
Running a demo, panel, or show-floor presentation? Target attendees before and during your slot to drive a packed crowd of food industry professionals.
Prove ROI
Real-time dashboards show impressions, clicks, and engagement — no guesswork on your IFT FIRST investment.
Reserve your IFT FIRST 2026 campaign
After submitting, a member of our team will be in touch within one business day to finalize your campaign setup and billing.
No payment required today. A member of our team will contact you to finalize details and billing.
Questions? Email info@insightmedialabs.com or call 973-960-1374.
Prefer to talk first?
Free · 30 minutes · Video call
Book your intro call
Pick a time that works and we'll take it from there.
Simple process
Up and running before the show opens
01
Reserve your package
Choose your package. Fill out the form above — a member of our team will be in touch within one business day.
02
Share your message & goals
Tell us your booth number, landing page, and what you want attendees to do. We help you craft the right message for each campaign phase.
03
We design & launch
Our team designs all creative assets and sets up geofence zones around McCormick Place, host hotels, and surrounding areas.
04
Track your campaign live
Your dashboard updates in near real-time with impressions, audience demographics, and engagement data throughout the show.
Common questions
Everything you need to know
What exactly is geofence advertising?
Geofencing uses GPS technology to create a virtual boundary around a physical location, such as McCormick Place or a nearby conference hotel. When someone enters that zone with their mobile device, they become eligible to see your ads across thousands of apps and websites — news, weather, sports, social, and more.
How quickly can a campaign go live?
Once you reserve and provide your messaging direction, we can design, approve, and launch your campaign within 24–48 hours. For Day 1 activation at IFT FIRST, we recommend reserving at least 5 business days before the show opens on July 12.
Do I need to provide my own ad creative?
No — all creatives are included in every package. We design all necessary banner sizes and formats. You simply approve the designs before they go live. If you have existing creatives or brand assets, we're happy to use them.
Who exactly sees my ads at IFT FIRST?
Anyone with a mobile device who enters your geofenced zones — including McCormick Place and surrounding host hotels — becomes eligible to see your ads. At IFT FIRST, that audience includes food scientists, R&D directors, ingredient buyers, food safety managers, CPG brand teams, and food packaging professionals attending the event.
Can I run a campaign even if I'm not an exhibitor?
Absolutely. Geofencing is equally effective for companies attending (but not exhibiting) who want to increase brand awareness with the IFT FIRST audience, schedule meetings, promote new ingredient formulations, or recruit food science talent.
How do you report on campaign performance?
You get access to a live analytics dashboard showing impressions, clicks, and CTR in real time throughout IFT FIRST 2026.
What happens after I submit the form?
A member of the Insight Media Labs team will contact you within one business day to review your goals, confirm creative direction, and complete billing. We keep the process simple — most campaigns are set up in a single call.
