Madrid – IFEMA and FEPEX have, via a virtual meeting, exclusively presented to the media the new edition of Fruit Attraction 2021, which will be held in person from October 5 to 7 in Madrid.
At the online event, José María Pozancos, CEO of FEPEX, explained the main business opportunities in the fruit and vegetable sector internationally. “In Spain’s foreign trade, exports have exceeded 1.4 billion euros, experiencing a growth of 7%.”
At the European level, “European trade has risen 4% and has reached about 5.4 billion euros, with European exports on about 1.8 billion euros.”, Pozancos added.
In relation to Fruit Attraction, he has highlighted its importance as the first sector fair to be held in person and adds that “it will be set up as a production and consumption fair. With production based on the diversity of Spanish and European production, which is characterised by diversity and innovation. With innovation aimed at strengthening the evolution of the sector ”.
For his part, Raúl Calleja, director of Fruit Attraction, stressed that the fair is a commitment to reconnecting the entire fruit and vegetable community, based on innovation, quality and diversity, so that operators and retailers from all over the world can take advantage of the key moment to plan their campaigns. “Almost 38% of the attendees at Fruit Attraction are from abroad, and the forecast is that this number will continue to grow.” And he added that “Fruit Attraction is important for the fruit and vegetable industry to promote relationships between the entire value chain of the fruit and vegetable industry”
In October, Fruit Attraction will once again become the epicentre of the sector, becoming the first face-to-face food and agriculture fair in the world.
New features
This year the fair is including several new elements, among which is the Fresh Fruit Logistic area, which will bring together all the suppliers that offer cold chain traceability, and the Biotech Attraction space, creating a new space for innovation and digitalisation, as well
as a specific area for start-ups, since the fruit and vegetable sector is becoming a key market for investment funds. In addition, avocados will play a leading role in this edition with the Fresh&Star area.
Fruit Attraction will be the world’s first hybrid fruit and vegetable fair.
Raúl Calleja spoke of the term “Phygital”, to refer to the Fruit Attraction LIVEConnect platform; a digital tool that enhances and complements the face-to-face event with new features, providing mutual support. “It is a new value proposition that complements the face-to-face event with digital elements free of time and geographical constraints . This does not mean that there are going to be simultaneous online and offline fairs, but rather the synergy of both channels will be harnessed”, he points out.
All the fair’s participants will be present on the F ruit Attraction LiveConnect platform. This is an updated catalogue of fruit and vegetable supply, and a comprehensive directory of businesses and staff. It will be permanently operational, and this will allow for lead generation, expansion of the networking network, while also enabling meetings to be arranged and the the content library to be consulted both during and after the fair.
Sanitary measures
IFEMA has developed a whole protocol to ensure a safe, reliable and comfortable work environment, with measures such as: e-tickets for access using mobile telephones, temperature and capacity control, the mandatory use of masks, minimum safety distance with controls implemented for queues and signage on the ground, a no contact policy, screens reminding visitors of the instructions to be followed and a cleaning and disinfection protocol.
