Well over 13,000 buyers and visitors from more than 70 countries are expected to pour through the doors of AsiaWorld-Expo for Asia Fruit Logistica this week, finding a trade show that has grown again, with more than 800 exhibitors from 46 countries and 27 national pavilions.
“Asia Fruit Logistica will have its largest ever number of exhibitors and widest range of products on display this year,” said Wilfried Wollbold, commercial director of Asia Fruit Logistica’s organiser, Global Produce Events (GPE).
“Asia is expected to account for more than half of worldwide consumer spend on fresh fruit and vegetables by 2030,” he added. “The Asian region spans more than 20 different markets; they’re all represented here at Asia Fruit Logistica under one roof, with many business opportunities awaiting.”
Visitors can make the most of their time by using Asia Fruit Logistica’s own networking tool, the Virtual Marketplace (VMP). The online platform enables visitors to search exhibitors’ products and services, and even pre-plan meetings through an integrated chat function.
The exhibition is the core of Asia Fruit Logistica’s Business Week, which features a rich programme of events kicking off with Asiafruit Congress the day before and continuing on the show-floor with an information-packed programme of Hall Forums.
Asiafruit Congress: 4 September
Taking place on 4 September, Asia’s premier conference event is the perfect primer to the trade show, providing a unique overview of the key trends and developments in Asia’s fast-moving markets and helping delegates to work out who and what to focus on at the exhibition.
Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, Asiafruit Congress will look back at how business in Asia has changed over the past two decades, and at how it is changing now. Delegates will receive the first copies of the 2018 edition of the Asiafruit Congress Statistics Handbook, showcasing trade trends across Asia in an easy to understand format.
Bringing the numbers to life, key industry experts will highlight the latest market trends and opportunities, from more effective marketing to the vast traditional retail trade in India and Indonesia to a comprehensive market insight on Korea. View the full programme and speaker profiles here.
As well as featuring premium insights from industry experts, the full-day conference hosts the presentation of the Asia Fruit Awards held before the Networking Lunch.
Asia Fruit Awards: 4 September
The unique pan-Asian awards for Asia’s fresh produce business are presented in three core categories: Marketing Campaign of the Year, Importer of the Year and Produce Retailer of the Year. This year will also see the launch of the brand-new ‘Impact’ Award recognising significant contribution to developing the fresh produce business in Asia.
Find out who wins and be there to congratulate them at the Asia Fruit Awards presentation ceremony, which takes place before the Networking Lunch at Asiafruit Congress.
Delegates to Asiafruit Congress receive a full-access pass including a three-day ticket to Asi Fruit Logistica.
Hall Forums: 5-7 September
Information opportunities continue on the show-floor at Asia Fruit Logistica, where visitors can take part in two Hall Forums this year which are free to all visitors. All sessions feature simultaneous translation into Chinese, Japanese and Korean.
Asiafruit Business Forum: better marketing
At Hall Forum 1, Asiafruit Business Forum offers practical ideas and solutions for better fresh produce marketing and business management. Each day will feature sessions themed around a different topic – Production & Trade on Day One, Packaging for Day Two, and Marketing during Day Three.
On Day One, Shachar Karniel of Israel’s Grapa Varieties and Plant & Food Research’s Declan Graham will discuss key breakthroughs in breeding and what they mean for the future of the global fresh produce business. Stepac’s Gary Ward and Ilip’s Mauro Stipa will outline advances in packaging technology on Day Two while CarrieAnn Arias of Naturipe Farms will discuss opportunities in the food service sector on Day Three.
Cool Logistics Asia: practical cold chain solutions
At Hall Forum 2, visitors can take in Cool Logistics Asia, a programme of workshops on perishable logistics running each morning of the three-day show. Cool Logistics Asia will dive into Day One by addressing the changes in perishable trade patterns and perishable product displacement, following on Day Two with advice to maximise cold chain investments. On Day Three, the morning forums will wrap up with speakers discussing changing priorities in distribution, processing and transport packaging.
Discover opportunities for optimising the cold chain in a presentation on Day Two from Gerry Yim, CEO of Hutchinson Port Holdings Trust, who believes ports should be adding value to their service and collaborating with supply chains; and hear from Peter Tanner, head of global service sales at Maersk Container Industry, who will detail the latest in controlled atmosphere technology on Day Three.
Smart Horticulture Asia: hi-tech future
Each afternoon, Smart Horticulture Asia takes place at Hall Forum 2 looking at the latest disruptive technology and digitalisation. Blockchain will be the focus on Day One at Smart Horticulture Asia, Day Two will include a futuristic examination of robotics in horticulture, while Day Three will close out exploring how digitalisation can be used in production and throughout the supply chain.
On Day Three don’t miss Tobias Kars from Scantrust, who will detail traceability opportunities, which are taking off in China; and Vincent Kimura from Smart Yields explaining the new technologies currently revolutionising the way produce is planted, grown, processed and consumed.
Click here for a complete overview of the Asia Fruit Logistica Hall Forum programme.
Media Studio
In addition to Asiafruit Business Forum, Cool Logistics Asia and Smart Horticulture Asia, the new Media Studio at Asia Fruit Logistica features on the show floor this year hosting quick-fire interviews with key industry figures on a range of exciting developments and innovations.
