Media representatives from across France and further afield, including ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine, were in Paris yesterday for the official launch of M.A.D.E., the new evolution of MDD Expo, which takes place at Paris Porte de Versailles on 28 and 29 March.
This year’s event, which will welcome more than 5,000 attendees, will be positioned to encourage “co-creation between manufacturers and distributors,” Sébastian Gillet, exhibition director, announced at the launch, adding that the event is now more international than ever before, with exhibitors hailing from 37 different countries.
“[M.A.D.E. is a] new show, based on strong values, to create food partnerships between retailers and suppliers,” Gillet explained, and with a myriad of different meeting options taking place at the show, including ‘speed meeting’ events and optional private meeting rooms, it is tailor-made for business.
Research carried out by the show’s organisers, Gillet added, found that “buyers who come to the show are looking for more than just products, they are looking for know-how”, and, as such, M.A.D.E. has broadened its horizons to include areas such as foodservice to complement its already strong retail angle.
Ensuring visitors maximise their time at the show is a key focus for Gillet and his team, and with this in mind, each attendee will be able to avail of a bespoke guided tour, based on his/her interests and target areas, illustrating the extra effort that the organisers are taking to help boost the show’s effectiveness.
Also presenting at the launch was Rachel Blumel, head of sustainable food-chain development at Coop de France, a collective comprised of 17 farming cooperatives from across France, representing some 2,600 producers and growers. As she explained, M.A.D.E. is “very important” in ensuring that the farming sector gets its voice heard by mainstream retailers.
In addition, Christine Barthe, director of FEEF (Féderation des Entreprises et Entrepreneurs de France), highlighted the importance of the show in promoting the “differentiation offered by the SME sector”, while Sébastian Monard of Nielsen France gave a detailed illustration of the state of the French market.
Pictured is Sébastian Gillet, exhibition director, and Julie Voyer, executive director of M.A.D.E., with Stephen Wynne-Jones, editor of ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine (centre), at the launch in Paris.
For more information, visit www.madeparis.com.
© 2017 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Stephen Wynne-Jones. To subscribe to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine, click here.
