Ten French companies - Blue Whale, Innatis (Cardel and Pominter), Mouneyrac, Tifanette, La Blottière, Harmonie, Distrimex and Primland - came together at Asia Fruit Logistica in Hong Kong on September 4-6th to meet their clients and identify other business opportunities on the Asian continent. The event was generally well received, despite being disrupted again this year by the threat of a super typhoon. French exhibitors report back after the 3-day event.
"Asia is a very dynamic trade zone" (Daniel Soares - Interfel)
"It is a real shame because the show got off to a good start, but I was left disappointed," explains Daniel Soares, international director of Interfel. "The approach of super typhoon Yagi disrupted a day and a half of the show, which is half the total duration of the event. The level 8 alert, which closes all public events, inevitably led to a drop in visitor numbers and a late opening on Friday. It is a show that could be of interest to the French because Asia is a very dynamic trade area. In fact, two additional French companies were present this year. But the organizers of the event have to minimize the risks so that the return on investment is worthwhile. This is the second year that the event was disrupted by a typhoon. The organizers should think about changing the venue or date of the future editions in order to minimize these risks."
"Our appointment book was never empty" (Pascal Corbel - Cardell Export)
Asia Fruit Logistica is an event that Pascal Corbel has been attending ever since it was first launched. "It is the second year that a typhoon has prevented us from having a full event. In discussions between exhibitors, we agreed that it might be worth relocating the event in the future, to Singapore for example. Despite the typhoon and drop in attendance, we were constantly busy. Our appointment book was full and we were able to see almost all the clients we had come to meet."
"The event confirmed the influence of French apples on the international scene" (Bertrand Recoulat - Pominter)
According to Bertrand Recoulat of Pominter (Innatis Group), this year's edition once again confirmed the appeal of the Asian market. "It was a fine event overall, although attendance was average compared to 2022 when it was held in Bangkok. But it is still an event that is ideally placed in the calendar, given that we are at the start of the season. It allows us to define the programs for the rest of the season with our already existing clients. For the others, it is the perfect opportunity to relaunch their business. We had some very interesting conversations and once again, we felt that French apples have a certain influence on the international scene, with particular interest in our brands and related varieties for this market: Juliet®️, Lolipop®️, HoneyCrunch®️ and Zingy®️. It is a smaller event than in Madrid or Berlin, but it is still essential for our company. The Madrid and Berlin events are still very much focused on the European market, whereas Asia Fruit Logistica enables us to see our clients on the Asian market as well as in the Middle East."
"Asia Fruit Logistica is a key event" (Emilie Raveleau, La Blottière)
Emilie Raveleau, export area manager for Asia, has no regrets about coming to the event. "We saw our usual clients and it was an interesting event in terms of participation. There were perhaps fewer people than in previous years, but we had some high quality encounters. The typhoon disrupted our schedules a little but in the end, we managed to see all the clients we wanted. Given our activities on the Asian continent, this event remains a must for us."
"A typhoon is not going to stop us" (Jean-Baptiste Pinel - Primland)
Jean-Baptiste Pinel, managing director of Primland, is delighted to have taken part in the event. "We are very pleased to have participated. We were the only French kiwi producers. The event gave us the opportunity to see all our clients in the region, spread across Taiwan, Thailand, China and Vietnam, and to make new contacts. As exporters, we have been present on the Asian market since 1993 and will continue to export our growing range of kiwis. We also now have obtained the right to export our Nergi mini kiwis to China, so a typhoon is not going to stop us!"