With just hours to go until Anuga 2015, which runs from October 10 to 14 in Cologne, Germany, ESM caught up with Dietmar Eiden, vice-president of trade fair management at Koelnmesse to find out what lies ahead at this year's event.
ESM: What can people expect from Anuga 2015?
DE: Anuga 2015 will host approximately 6,800 exhibitors from around 100 countries. The complete Cologne fairground of 284,000 square metres is fully booked. This underlines Anuga’s role as the leading international business platform for the food and beverage business.
Top companies are as much a part of the respective range of products and services as small and medium-sized companies. This particular mix of large and small makes up the special attraction of Anuga and applies to all areas of the event.
ESM: Anuga is unique in that it features various specialised trade shows under one roof. Why do you think so many visitors and exhibitors see it as a vital event?
DE: Anuga offers diversity, internationality and quality on the highest level. The range of exhibitors and the hall plan together demonstrate that Anuga is again, in 2015, the decisive information and sourcing platform of the international food business. ‘Ten trade fairs in one’ is not only a slogan, it is the fast lane to successful business, new contacts and top networking.
ESM: With an expected 100 countries being represented at this year’s show, are there any countries in particular that dominate in terms of visitors and/or exhibitors?
DE: The leading country participations include Italy, France, Greece, Great Britain, Spain and Turkey. Countries such as China, India, Korea, Mexico, Singapore and Thailand are also very well represented, as well as Austria, Switzerland and Poland. Major contributions are also to be provided by Argentina, Brazil and Malaysia. Newcomers among the country pavilions this year include the Fiji Islands, Georgia, Qatar, Moldavia, Saudi Arabia and the Ukraine.
Visitors come from all parts of the world to Anuga. In 2013, we registered buyers from 187 countries. The European countries are leading here, of course, but we also had numerous attendees from the Americas, from the MENA region, and from Asia. Nowhere else will you find such an international gathering of the food and drink business.
ESM: Will there be any major themes running through the show this year?
DE: We will focus more than ever on trends this year. For example, there is our new product showcase, Anuga Taste15, which features the best innovations of Anuga 2015, chosen by a journalist jury. In addition, we have the Anuga Trend Zone, in cooperation with Innova Market Insights, which will feature analysis of the major trends affecting the industry. A more academic approach will be provided by the German Institute of Food Technologies (DIL), which will stage its third iFood conference at Anuga.
ESM: One of the discussion themes planned for Anuga Drinks will focus on the trend towards naturalness and alcohol-free drinks. Why is this of particular interest?
DE: For some years now, naturalness has been a decisive factor in the drinks business. New products with a more natural appearance have gained market share all over the world. This development goes hand in hand with demand for healthier lifestyle products and a more conscious attitude towards food and drink. The same is true for alcohol-free drinks. They match much better with the wish to stay fit, healthy and young. These categories represent a huge potential market for the drinks industry.
ESM: Private label has been going through big changes in recent years. Will this area be dealt with at the show?
DE: For topics such as private label, which can be found in all ten Anuga trade fairs, we introduced the theme of Anuga Subjects, which organises Anuga not spatially, but virtually.
So, if you’re looking for private label, for example, our comprehensive database will give you a general overview and thus help you identify and seek out your contact within the Anuga trade fairs. Two years ago, nearly 2,800 Anuga exhibitors indicated that they could offer private-label products. It will definitely be the same in 2015. This makes Anuga one of the biggest private-label food and drink events in the world.
For more information, visit Anuga.com
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