Yesterday, IFEMA Madrid and FEPEX presented the participation data for the next edition of Fruit Attraction, to be held from October 8 to 10.
Fruit Attraction will celebrate its 16th edition from October 8 to 10 with the largest participation in its history. The fair will be held on 70,000 square meters, have 2,146 exhibiting companies from 56 countries (+7% over last year), and an expected attendance of more than 100,000 professionals from 145 countries.
It's the first time the fair will be hosted in 10 pavilions of the Madrid fairgrounds, which means an occupancy increased by more than 9% compared to 2023. Fruit Attraction 2024 will turn the city of Madrid into the global epicenter for the marketing of fresh products. The fair also continues consolidating its position as a fundamental instrument of internationalization and a meeting point for the professionals who make up the entire supply chain.
On this occasion, the Fresh Produce Area accounts for nearly 70% of the fair and is 6% bigger than in the previous year. The Auxiliary Industry Area accounts for 24% and increased by 4%. The Fresh Food Logistics Area also recorded an increase of more than 26%. As a novelty, this year Hall 1 will be dedicated to Innova&Tech, which brings together the Biotech Attraction and Smart Agro sectors, aimed at innovation, research, and technological development companies.
National companies account for 55% of the companies participating in the fair. All of Spain's fruit-and-vegetable-producing autonomous communities will participate in the fair, confirming Fruit Attraction is an effective tool for generating business opportunities and accessing new international markets, precisely in a key month for campaign planning.
The international segment recorded significant growth, accounting for 45% of the total occupancy and experiencing a 22.5% increase in area. Similarly, the number of exhibitors grew by 18%, with the incorporation of 102 new companies.
Andalusia will be Fruit Attraction's Guest Region in the fair's 16th edition. The Regional Government of Andalusia, through the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Rural Development, aims to promote the regional agri-food sector and is one of the fair's main sponsors for the third consecutive year.
Through its participation, the Regional Ministry will promote Andalusian fruit and vegetable products, their production methods, and their identification in the market. They also aim to increase consumer awareness of the region's products and increase recognition of those with differentiated quality labels.
Andalusia will also promote its Gusto del Sur differentiated quality label at its stand at the fair. More than 110 companies and associations have joined the label, recognized by Europe, since its launch. Up to 280 products from different sectors and subsectors now carry the label.
One of the main objectives of Fruit Attraction is to offer a platform for international promotion and expansion. In this regard, IFEMA MADRID, with the collaboration of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food and ICEX, is once again activating the International Buyers Program, which attracts more than 700 buyers from 70 countries, as well as retail purchasing managers, importers, and wholesalers to the fair.
China and Saudi Arabia will be this year's 'Guest Importing Countries'. Fruit Attraction will open and promote trade relations with these markets, backed up by a full program of round tables, guided tours of the fair, and B2B sessions.
Avocado will be the star product this year, concentrating various initiatives around this superfood that has experienced significant growth in Spain in recent years, both in cultivation and exports. There will be different workshops and demonstrations around this product at Fruit Attraction. In addition, the Global Avocado Congress will be held a day before the start of the fair.
The Walnut and Pecan Congress will also take place on Monday, October 7, within the framework of the fair. Alongside these events, Fruit Attraction 2024 is offering a full program of activities.
On the one hand, the forums will host dozens of presentations distributed in different spaces. The fair will host the Biofruit Congress -organized by Ecovalia-, Biotech Attraction, the V Fresh Food Logistic The Summit -organized by Alimarket- among other interesting sessions. It will also hold 37 presentations by exhibitors at the Fruit Next Forums.
The Innovation Hub - at the nexus of Halls 1 and 3 - with around 40 products, will be the area dedicated to innovation and new business developments in the sector. In this area, the fair will once again host the Innovation Hub Awards, an event that has become a fundamental event to support the sector's entrepreneurial commitment, with its usual categories: Fresh Produce; F&V Industry, and Sustainability and Commitment Actions.
As usual, the fair will have its Factoria Chef gastronomic space with attractive demonstrations and cooking shows. It's a unique scenario to promote fruit and vegetable production in the international channel underlining these foods' quality, excellence, and infinite consumption possibilities.
For the first time, Fruit Attraction will award the Best Stand. The fair will also hold the XIV APAE Journalistic Awards and the Fruit Attraction Award, the latter dedicated to international media of recognized prestige in the fruit and vegetable sector.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food will support Fruit Attraction, and Minister Luis Planas will preside over this year's opening ceremony.
The participation figures, news of the fair, and the presentation of Andalusia as a guest region were announced at a press conference held by IFEMA Madrid and FEPEX yesterday. IFEMA Madrid's executive vice-president, Daniel Martínez, and the director of Fruit Attraction, María José Sánchez, spoke on behalf of IFEMA Madrid, and FEPEX's director, José María Pozancos, spoke on behalf of FEPEX. The Director General of Food from the Ministry of Agriculture, José Miguel Herrero, the delegate of the Andalusian Regional Government in Madrid, Teresa Astolfi, and Salomé Martinez Aparicio, Deputy Director of the Food Industry at the Institute for Foreign Trade, ICEX, also participated in the presentation.
For more information: www.fepex.es