From 5 to 7 October, the professionals that make up the entire value chain of the global fruit and vegetable sector will have the opportunity to meet again in Madrid, where a special edition of Fruit Attraction is going to be held. The event will return after the interruption caused by the pandemic, giving the sector once again the advantages of face-to-face meetings.
"This year, unlike in previous ones, the fair will be held in the first week of October. This has been done in response to the demands from the fruit and vegetable sectors of Andalusia, the Levant and Murcia, which considered this date much more suited for a better planning of the campaign," says Raul Calleja, director of Fruit Attraction. "Moreover, this way our event won't coincide with the PMA Fresh Summit held in the United States, allowing us to continue growing in Latin America, which is one of the fair's objectives."
The sector's response has been very positive and, for the time being, participation is at the same level as in 2019, the last regular edition before the pandemic. "When it comes to participation intention, the entire first batch of allotments and space reservations has already been made, and there is still a long way to go," says Raul. "We are aware that if everything continues to develop positively, those companies that are postponing the time to make a decision will be strongly encouraged to participate."
The current coronavirus situation across Europe, including Spain, invites optimism. The significant efforts made are going to make it possible to reach the goal of immunizing 70% of the adult Spanish population by August, and the incidence of the disease is steadily declining as more people are vaccinated. Consequently, Fruit Attraction is very likely to take place with all guarantees. "We have already started the usual trade fair activity at Ifema and all the hygiene and safety protocols are working perfectly. It is the closest thing to a normal fair, but with the use of masks," says Raúl Calleja.
Largest investment so far in the international guest program
In addition to the safety offered by the improvement of the health crisis in Europe and the implementation of the COVID passport, Fruit Attraction is offering participants the International Guest Program: a tool to facilitate the international mobility of potential customers from anywhere in the world, making it possible to invite them to travel to and stay in Madrid. "This program is supported by Icex and the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and, with a budget of over 1.5 million Euro, it is going to be the largest investment in the history of Fruit Attraction. We have also extended the deadline to participate in the June program until the first week of September, taking into account that many are still hesitant."
This year, the position of Guest Importing Country will be shared by Brazil and Ukraine. "Brazil is once again the Guest Importer Country because of its growth potential and how its fruit imports from the European Union are performing, while Ukraine has been chosen because of the strategic importance conferred by its geographical location as an importer and re-exporter," says Raul.
New at Fruit Attraction
To its already wide range of specialized spaces, forums and activities, this year Fruit Attraction will add a new exhibition space devoted to research, technology and innovation in the fruit and vegetable sector, as well as the digitization of companies and farms. "This new space will be located in Hall 5 and will bring together the three areas of solutions and services related to innovation in the agricultural sector: Biotech Attraction, Smart Agro and Smart Water&Energy. It will serve to showcase all the technological solutions that help companies be more competitive in the international markets," said the director of the fair.
This year, the fair will also launch Fresh Food Logistics. "Located in Hall 6, it will bring together the entire range of cold chain solutions, from field to retail," says Raul. "It will be complemented by the Fresh Food Logistics Summit, dedicated to refrigerated logistics, in which relevant topics for this sector will be discussed. Reaching increasingly distant markets requires traceability throughout the value chain, and the cold chain is strategic in this sense to be able to deliver products in the best conditions," he says.
The fair will also have a specific area for startups, financing and investment funds for the fruit and vegetable sector, which will facilitate meetings and workshops between investors and companies.
Also, avocados, one of the most popular fruits in the world, are going to be a flagship product this year at Fruit Attraction. They will be used in a number of gastronomic events, showcookings and other activities. "This year, there is also going to be a retail edition, in which this channel is going to have a leading role in all the events and conferences planned to take place," says Raúl.
LIVEConnect
Parallelly to the regular fair, the Fruit Attraction LIVEConnect platform will complement and enhance the physical edition of the event, offering a new hybrid experience.
"We will open the platform at the end of June and it will function as a real working tool. We will be adding content, offering conferences, monographic meetings.... It will also contain a directory of companies, products and people from the entire sector participating in the fair who can be contacted. In fact, 100% of exhibitors will be registered on the platform, as will 95% of visitors. Previously, we had a visitor's guide with a directory of companies and where they were located, and now we are transferring all of this, and much more, to a digital environment through this platform. The fair is eminently a face-to-face event and we are relying on technology to ensure a better return on investment, both for the exhibitors and for the visitors and buyers," says the director.
"We are very optimistic. There is great willingness to participate again in fairs; to bring back the strength of the face-to-face meetings. In the end, Fruit Attraction, more than a fair, is an instrument for the fruit and vegetable sector, and we feel highly supported by the whole sector. It is time to regain momentum in this very special year in which there has been so much uncertainty. It is not the time to wait and see what happens, but to make things happen," says Raul Calleja.