The second day of an event is usually the busiest, and although that may also be true for Fruit Attraction, the difference wasn't as big as one might expect. Some halls even saw a decrease of traffic, despite the rain ruining any outside parties, forcing people to stay inside the halls more. That being said, even in the halls where traffic was slower, the quality of the meetings was a big upside of the second day of Fruit Attraction.
French homage to the Olympics
The French exhibitors were very happy and satisfied. The first day was very dynamic: lots of people and good sales appointments. The second day was even more dynamic than the first, the aisles were full, which made it hard to walk through the hall. The Madrid fair solidified its importance, some of the exhibitors noted that 'this is THE place to be.' There wasn't as much innovation this year, but some companies launched new packaging or added new product to their range. Some companies were exhibiting for the first time. And Interfel, the French syndicate of the fresh fruits and vegetable sector, organized a different event this year with "Olympicnic"- which included tastings, show-cooking and even games, in reference to the Olympic Games. The visitors were able to play mini-golf and basketball.
Timing important for Dutch exhibitors
Dutch exhibitors are generally very satisfied with the fair in Madrid. The international character of the fair and the timing, which is favorable for many products, certainly plays a role in this. Due to the cloudy weather this year, people who normally stay outside also came inside in large numbers. Trading companies indicate that due to shortages in various products, product security has become increasingly important, meaning that discussions between customers and suppliers are at a different level than just the price.
Slowdown for Hall 2 after strong first day
The Turkish exhibitors in hall 2 had seen a very good first day, but a bit of a slower second day in terms of traffic. Most of the Turkish exhibitors were very happy with the location in hall 2. Despite the lower amount of people walking through the hall, exhibitors had scheduled a lot of meetings and spoke of a successful day, regardless. It was noticeable a couple of companies that used to have very large stands on Fruit Attraction, chose not to exhibit at all this year, instead opting to walk around as visitors. One of which stated their focus will be on Fruit Logistica instead.
No complaints from Spanish exhibitors
After a very good first day, the second day kept being as busy. The Spanish exhibitors say the first day there was perhaps a bigger volume of visits, but the second day gathered better quality visits. It's notable that none of the Spanish exhibitors had any complains about this year's edition of Fruit Attraction, everyone seemed very happy with how everything turned out. The exhibitors talk about more meetings this year and more closed contracts being finalized during the fair. Every year, the event becomes more important for strategical business during this moment of the season. There is remarkably an increase in the interest for Spanish organic fruits and vegetables.
Cooldown after busy first day for Arab and north African countries
The second day was rather quiet on the stands of exhibitors from Arab and north African countries, concentrated in Halls 2 and 4. Several exhibitors commented that the fair was beginning to wind down after a busy and enthusiastic first day. One Egyptian exhibitor summed it up by saying, "in hall 4 we're getting 50% fewer visits than on the first day, but we're doing well since hall 2 is almost dead." A Rwandan exporter says, "The bulk of the work was done on the first day. We're trying to take advantage the rest of the fair, leave our stands and walk around a bit. We can expect a relaxed third day too."
Busy second day for Italians
The Puglia stand presented an important novelty, the result of a business incubator activity of the Global Fresh Fruit Consortium: an innovative device for assessing almond yield. The new management team of the European KiKoKà Consortium was also presented, as were the new packaging options for Golden Delicious from the Melinda Consortium.
On the subject of Italian grapes, several companies reported that the campaign was practically over. "So, coming to the show is no longer about planning, but about celebrating the results achieved so far, first and foremost the high prices already at the level of the first link in the chain, i.e. the producer," stressed one grower present at the show. The vegetable season is an unknown quantity: in general, there is a delay of 10 to 20 days in the Apulian areas, due to unfavourable weather conditions such as drought.
The campaign for organic yellow pulp kiwis has started, and in about ten days it will be time for the green pulp fruit. "Compared to last year, we are about 10 days earlier, which is an advantage but also a disadvantage,' says one exhibitor. The disadvantage is that there is still New Zealand fruit on the markets, which makes it harder to get our product to market.
Many first time exhibitors, Hall 4 'buzzing'
On the second day, hall 4 was absolutely buzzing, with the pavilions of a combination of the Southern Hemisphere major fruit and vegetables supplying countries located next to each other. This includes South Africa, Chile, Peru, Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Uruguay and other South American and African countries. The major shipping lines as well as large logistics companies were also located in Hall 4.
There were a number of first-time exhibitors at the show. At the back and along the sides of Hall4 the small booths of many new companies were lined up. Most notably Washington Apples as well as USA Pears had a joint stand for the first time. They say because the show in Madrid has grown in importance, they have decided to exhibit after only attending for years as visitors. "Here in Madrid it allows us to connect with customers from around the world".
Other first-time exhibitors were from South Africa, In2Fruit who supply ready to eat fruit and avocado to Marks & Spencer were delighted at the good interest from visitors. Pure Legacy are fruit exporters based in Cape Town, who held many meetings with potential new clients stopping by.
In the Innovation Hall 1 Breedx and Superfruiter from Israel had a joint stand as first time exhibitors. Their new small melons and peppers were available for tasting, which visitors enjoyed. A range of other companies showcased their technology like Aerobotics from South Africa, Hazel Technologies from New Zealand, Hectare, Washington State had a number of technology companies on their pavilion too.
Latin American exhibitors happy to be in Madrid
Banana exporters of Ecuador are pleased that Ecuador strengthens its position as a leader in banana exports, by participating in Fruit Attraction 2024. Ecuador presents a wide range of fresh products that highlight the agricultural wealth of the country, promoting the export of fruits such as bananas, pineapple, avocado and other products.
This year marks a historic milestone with the participation of the largest delegation of Panamanian exporting companies, showcasing 16 prominent companies from Panama.