Magazine: Which trade fair to choose in 2019?

Szilvia Máté 
managing director
BD-Expo

Szilvia Máté, managing director of BD-Expo Kft. recommends the EuroCIS, ProWein and HOFEX trade exhibitions to Hungarian companies. She told that trade shows have remained important in sales, but both exhibitors and visitors want the related informative online platforms too, telling them about prices, deadlines, etc. They plan everything in their user profile, ordering what they needs, calculating costs, preparing for business negotiations, etc.

EuroCIS – 19-21 February 2019, Düsseldorf

EuroCIS has been organised independently from EuroSHOP for more than 10 years. It brings together the latest technologies, products and services for trade visitors. In 2018 there were 12,000 visitors and 470 exhibitors came from 29 countries, covering an area of 13,400m².

ProWein – 17-19 March 2019, Düsseldorf

ProWine Asia – 7-10 May 2019, Hong Kong

ProWein is the most important wine and spirits trade fair in both Europe and Asia. In 2018 there were more than 60,000 visitors at the Düsseldorf event, where 6,870 exhibitors were present from 64 countries. ProWine Asia started in Singapore in 2016 and Hong Kong hosted the event in 2017 – since then the two cities take turns as organisers.

HOFEX – 7-10 May 2019, Hong Kong

The leading food trade exhibition in Asia is waiting for visitors with nearly 3,000 exhibitors in 15 pavilions. Two years ago 46 countries came with their own national pavilions, including Hungary. In 2019 the event will take place at the same time as ProWine Asia.

Márta Kakuk
official representative of
Koelnmesse in Hungary

Márta Kakuk, the official representative of Koelnmesse in Hungary spoke to us about the opportunities created by the ISM and Anuga trade fairs for Hungarian FMCG companies. Despite living in a digital world, trade fair visitors still value personal relationships very much. Ms Kakuk’s experience is that exhibiting companies still place little emphasis on marketing, in spite of the fact that the marketing package that they buy makes up for a considerable part of the participation fee.

ISM – 27-30 January 2019, Cologne

The No.1 sweets and snacks trade show in the world, held at the same time as packaging technology trade fair ProSweets in 2019. In 2018 the trade show covered an area of 110,000m². 1,656 companies from 73 countries brought their products and services for 37,500 visitors from 144 countries to see.

Anuga – 5-9 October 2019, Cologne

Anuga is held every second year and it is special because it unites 10 trade shows under the same roof, focusing mainly on the trends of the future. In 2017 approximately 165,000 visitors came from 198 countries to be part of the world’s biggest food-themed trade exhibition on 284,000m²; 107 countries sent 7,400 companies to exhibit.

Tünde Simon-Lutring
Messe Berlin’s
Hungarian representative

Tünde Simon-Lutring, Messe Berlin’s Hungarian representative calls readers’ attention to the Internationale Grüne Woche and Fruit Logistica trade fairs. She revealed: participants really like that they can prepare for these events using the online communication tool called Virtual Market Place, fixing dates for meetings and exhibitors introducing themselves in detail already before the event.

Internationale Grüne Woche – 18-27 January 2019, Berlin

Internationale Grüne Woche, is one of the top food, agriculture and horticulture trade fairs in the world. In 2019 for the third time a Professional Center will be part of the programme: here exhibitors and trade visitors can meet and negotiate in perfect conditions. In 2018 400,000 visitors checked out the stands of 1,660 exhibitors from 66 countries.

Fruit Logistica – 6-8 February 2019, Berlin

Fruit Logistica is the leading trade fair in the fruit and vegetable sector, with ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA and CHINA FRUIT LOGISTICA also being organised in Asia. The trade show is the perfect occasion for making business relations more efficient. In 2018 no less than 3,200 exhibitors from 84 countries showcased their products and services to 80,000 visitors from 130 countries.

Gabriella Szántó
communications director
HUNGEXPO

Gabriella Szántó, communications director of HUNGEXPO Vásár és Reklám Zrt. recommends the Sirha Lyon trade show. Her view is that most companies have realised by now that trade fair presence forms part of a complex sales process: in addition to direct selling, relationships with partners are nurtured, new partners are acquired, the database is increased and even new workforce can be recruited.

Sirha – 26-30 January 2019, Lyon

Sirha Lyon is the most important food, gastronomy and hospitality trade fair in the world. In 2017 Sirha Lyon received 3,000 international exhibitors and 208,000 trade visitors on 132,000m²; in 2019 the trade show is going to be 10,000m² bigger.

Trade magazin recommends the following trade fairs:

Prodexpo – 11-15 February 2019, Moscow

Last year’s Prodexpo attracted 62,000 visitors to see what 2,387 companies from 65 countries had to offer, on 100,000m². Alcoholic drinks, vegetable oils, canned food, sweets, baked goods, meat products, fish and fruits of the sea, dairy products and gourmet foods are in the centre of attention at this trade exhibition.

BIOFACH/VIVANESS – 13-16 February 2019, Nuremberg

BIOFACH is the world’s leading organic food trade fair, which is held at the same time and in the same place as organic beauty product trade show VIVANESS. In 2018 3,248 exhibitors from 93 countries came; the approximately 50,000 visitors represented 134 countries.

Gulfood – 17-21 February 2019, Dubai

Gulfood is one of the biggest food and hospitality trade fairs in the world that can serve as a gateway to the markets of the Middle East and Asia. Its success is indicated very well by the fact that several exhibitors sign major partnership contracts during the fair – this doesn’t happen often at these types of events.

IFE – 17-20 March 2019, London

One of the world’s top food trade shows, where visitors get the chance to discover the latest trends and to meet thousands of international manufacturers and brands. At the same time suppliers have the opportunity to meet the most important retailers and wholesalers, importers and exporters, and with HoReCa buyers.

Tuttofood – 6-9 May 2019, Milan

In 2019 new features of the major international trade exhibition will include new initiatives and workshops, for instance Milano Food City, where Tuttofood exhibitors introduce their products and services to the restaurants, citizens and tourists of Milan. In 2017 Tuttofood had 80,146 visitors from 141 countries, to the delight of 2,850 exhibitors.

PLMA – 21-22 May 2019, Amsterdam

At the 2019 PLMA ‘World of Private Label’ international trade show more than 2,600 companies will showcase their products and services. Fresh, chilled and frozen food products, dry goods and drinks, and non-food categories such as health and beauty, household and kitchen products, car care and garden products are all featured.

FachPack – 24-26 September 2019, Nuremberg

In 2019 the packaging technology trade fair celebrates its 40th anniversary. In 2018 as many as 45,000 visitors went to FachPack, where 1,644 exhibitors presented their products and services. 92 percent of exhibitors established new business relationships during FachPack and 98 percent of visitors were satisfied with what they got.