Barcelona’s Almentaria food and drink industry trade fair is celebrating achieving a 1.4 per cent increase in visitor numbers for its recent 2012 edition, despite the final day of the show coinciding with Spain’s national strike.
According to organisers, some 142,000 industry professionals and almost 4,000 exhibiting companies took part in the annual event, which once again took place at the Fira de Barcelona conference centre from 26-29 March.
International attendance also reached 40,000 visitors – 29 per cent of the total and 11 per cent more than in 2010 – from 60 countries, with a particularly strong presence from Asian countries, including China, Japan, India and Thailand.
Organisers Alimentaria Exhibitions claimed the figures were “particularly pertinent given the current crisis and prove the strength of the food industry as a clear driving force behind the recovery of the Spanish economy”.
To boost international trade, Alimentaria said it set up over 8,000 meetings between Spanish companies, importers and retailers during the four-day fair, with attendees including representatives from Walmart Argentina and Brazil’s Pão de Açucar.
