FRUIT LOGISTICA 2016: Special milestone

A unique global event for the fresh produce industry was experienced in Berlin on 3-5 February 2016 by more than 70,000 trade visitors from over 130 countries. According to Messe Berlin CEO Dr. Christian Göke, "FRUIT LOGISTICA marked a special milestone this year with an unprecedented 70,000 trade visitors. We are delighted by the new attendance record as well as by the high intensity of business and professional networking. The international scope of this event could be experienced in a very unique way." Some 2,891 exhibitors from 84 countries presented a complete market overview of the fresh produce industry. Along with the many oppor¬tunities to initiate and conclude business transactions, the global attention attracted by the trade fair was especially important to exhibitors. The high level of innovative strength in the sector was clearly demonstrated by no less than 27 world premieres. FRUIT LOGISTICA Innovation Award 2016World's Coconut Trading from Spain is the winner of the FRUIT LOGISITICA Innovation Award 2016 for its organic Genuine Coconut. Genuine Coconut comes with a patented seal and straw, and is a simple, genuinely refreshing coconut water drink with minerals and a high nutritional value. Visitors at FRUIT LOGISTICA chose the Northern Greens Kitchen Minis tomato from Denmark as the competition's runner-up. This small, compact and visually attractive cherry tomato plant produces up to 150 fruits in all seasons and grows to only between 9 and 11 centimetres wide and 35 centimetres high. The tomatoes weigh just eight to ten grams. Enjoya, a yellow/red striped pepper grown by the Dutch enterprise Terra Natura International, was chosen as the third-best entry. Enjoya has an aromatic and tangy flavour and contains lots of vitamin C. For the first time the jury also presented a special award, which went to Stoffels from Belgium for its Automato tomato vending machine. Different-coloured cherry tomato varieties are dispensed from three boxes directly into a paper bag. Logistics Hub enjoys successful debutLogistics Hub was a new series of events this year presented in Hall B of FRUIT LOGISTICA. The sessions addressed ten current issues relating to the logistics chain. The well-attended sessions and positive feedback from trade visitors confirmed the growing importance of logistics in the industry. Logistics Hub enabled producers, exporters and traders to find the information they need to help them take the right logistic decisions when it comes to transporting their goods. Exhibitors and trade visitors highly satisfiedAltogether, 89% of the exhibitors reported a positive overall impression of this year's FRUIT LOGISTICA. The three days of FRUIT LOGISTICA set the course for the success of the entire business year. For example, 45.7% of all exhibitors received new orders at the trade fair. Furthermore, 91% of the exhibitors anticipate positive business results following the trade fair. Key objectives for exhibitors at FRUIT LOGISTICA 2016 included presenting their company, developing new business and strengthening existing customer ties. 91.3% of exhibitors said that their participation at the trade fair had a positive impact on business. FRUIT LOGISTICA 2016 was attended by top-level decision-makers from all over the world. 82% of the trade visitors were from outside of Germany. Nearly two thirds of the 70,000 trade visitors were from the EU, 9% from other European countries, 12% from North, South and Central America, 8% from Africa, 5% from the Middle East and 3% from Asia. The level of decision makers among the trade visitors remained high. Some three quarters of the trade visitors hold senior positions in their companies. The biggest trade visitor groups were fruit and vegetable growers, representatives from import/export businesses, followed by representatives from the wholesale and retail trade. A vast majority of trade visitors plan to attend again (90%), and they show a high level of willingness to recommend the trade fair to others (96%). This can be attributed to the fact that 98% of trade visitors gave a positive assessment of their business results at the event. 80.8% were able to establish new business contacts, and 38.5% concluded business deals during the trade fair. Around three fourths of the trade visitors anticipate follow-up negotiations and business transactions as a result of the contacts made at the trade event. FRUIT LOGISTICA was organised by Messe Berlin GmbH in cooperation with Fruchthandel Magazine. The next FRUIT LOGISTICA will take place on 8-10 February 2017.Statements by exhibitors about FRUIT LOGISTICA 2016