Over the years Fruit Logistica has grown in size to become the world’s leading international fruit-trade fair, and a must for anyone in the industry. This year is likely to be no exception.
Experts and industry leaders from around the world will be travelling to the Berlin Exhibition Grounds for Fruit Logistica 2005, which takes place from February 10-12, with around 22,000 visitors expected.
This year the organisers, Messe Berlin, are expecting to have more than 1,300 exhibitors from 65 countries stretching over 48,000 square metres. The numbers are considerably up on previous years, with around 1,000 exhibiting in 2004 and 855 in 2003.
The show has also been extended by more than a third and will now cover eight halls, compared with 36,000 square metres over six halls last year.
Nine countries, from Europe, the Americas and Asia, will also be making their debut at the event.
These include: Albania, Canada, the Czech Republic, El Salvador, Ireland, Japan, Malta, Slovenia and the Ukraine, all of which will be presenting their products and services.
This year will also see more than 17 UK companies represented at the show, including Wealmoor, Utopia and Worldwide Fruit.
A spokesman for the show said: “The strong demand for additional stand area comes, above all, from European exhibitors who, although already strongly represented, are keen to increase their involvement even more.”
He said it was particularly true in the case of exhibitors from France, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Turkey.
“Added to this is the fact that the participation of all the major German companies, which has traditionally been very strong, will also see a further increase. This means, that the total exhibition display area will grow by more than 30 per cent.”
The constant expansion, year after year, throws considerable weight behind the organisers claim to be the world’s most important meeting place for the fresh produce industry.
As usual, the show will feature a wide range of produce from all around the world, but will also provide a platform for logistics providers to the industry, as well as packaging solutions, storage concepts and point of sale display techniques and equipment. A technical centre will provide a focal point for many of these key services, highlighting some of the leading hardware now on the market.
At the same time, a services market will be available to showcase technological solutions for everything from logistics management through to marketing training, further education and trade forums.
The show embraces a wide audience, ranging from growers and importers to wholesalers and retailers while including packaging specialists, shipping and disposal companies and trade associations. In effect, anyone with a connection to the fresh produce world will find something for them.
The 13th Fruit Logistica will be officially opened on February 9 by federal minister Renate Künast in Hall 3 of the ICC Berlin and the keynote speaker will be Dieter Brandes, international consultant for discount strategies and former managing director and member of the supervisory board of Aldi Nord.
The 24th Fresh Produce Forum, entitled “Special Report on fresh produce trading in Germany: Figures, Trends and Strategies”, will also take place from 2pm to 5.30pm on February 9 in Hall 15.2 at the ICC Berlin. German trade magazine Fruchthandel Magazin, in association with the Cologne business consultants BBE Unternehmens-beratung, will be presenting the findings of a new survey of the current fruit and vegetable market, its distribution channels, the situation in the retail food sector and consumer habits.
This will be followed by a panel discussion offering an outlook on future trends and possible strategies to help companies to strengthen their position in the market. The speakers will be Ulrich Eggert and Dr. Susanne Eichholz-Klein of BBE Unternehmens-beratung Cologne, Dieter Brandesas, and representatives of the European fruit-wholesale and retail trade.
Trade forums running throughout the three-day show will also provide an ideal opportunity for professionals to exchange ideas and compare notes.
A programme of these events will run alongside the main show and will include topics such as “quality and brand policy in Belgium: Flandria, 10 years on”, which takes place on Thursday from 10am to 11.30am in Hall 6.1. The forum will look at how quality and food safety was put at the top of the list of policy priorities in Belgium’s fruit and vegetable sector.
Italy will also be under the spotlight with the afternoon session looking at “quality produce from Italy - innovative and safe”. Representatives of Italy’s fruit and veg sector will discuss the latest trends and current trade and consumer issues.
On Friday, the morning topic will look at fresh produce in the supermarket and consider strategies and approaches on how to win over the customers and provide the business of selling fruit and vegetables with a new impetus.
The afternoon session will be a discussion on fruit and vegetables in a healthy diet. Nutrition experts will explain how fruit and vegetables are beneficial to human health on a daily basis.
Also on Friday afternoon, in cooperation with Centralmarkt Roisdorf-Straelen, the trade publications Rundschau für den Lebensmittelhandel and Fruchthandel Magazin, along with Blumenbüro Holland will, for the fifth time, present an award to honour the best flower displays in the retail trade in Germany.
The Deutsche Frucht Preis award will also be made by Fruchthandel Magazin and Rundschau for the best greengrocery displays, and a new award will be introduced this year, the Marketing Award 2005, for the most successful point-of-sale promotional activities.
Saturday’s morning discussion will look at solutions for product tracing and efficient consumers response (ECR) in fresh produce. Key issues for discussion will include radio frequency identification and ECR.
For more information on the show visit www.fruitlogistica.com.
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