Interpoma 2020 ? focus on varietal innovation

The world of apples is in considerable ferment. Traditional varieties that have characterized the global market for many decades are facing a crisis of overproduction: they struggle to win over consumers, while fruit growers can often no longer cover the costs of production. New and promising varieties, on the other hand, are widening the range in sales outlets, offering new and exciting tastes and sensory qualities that are sometimes superior to the standard product. This environment of major and sudden changes is also witnessing the holding of the 12 th edition of INTERPOMA, the only event entirely dedicated to the world of the apple worldwide, which is going to take place from November 19-21 2020 in Bolzano (South Tyrol/Italy). Thanks to the success of the passed editions, over 20,000 experts from the global apple sector are expected to visit – the past edition in 2018 saw 70 countries represented – and preparations are well under way: While the list of exhibitors is already almost complete, the event program is beginning to take form. The central topic of the edition 2020 is going to be varietal innovation. New varieties of apples are entering the market with great success: many of these are protected by a varietal patent, the result of careful selection from public or private breeding programs, often marketed under their own brand. New taste profiles and superior sensory characteristics are shifting consumer choices towards these new varieties, with a major impact on the market and the sales success of traditional varieties. Subsequently, the offer is constantly growing, boosted by many new varieties that want to be part of this success, but still have to prove themselves in terms of quality and the ability to win over consumers. To give a further impetus to innovation in the apple sector, the upcoming edition of Interpoma has a special new event in store: a prize to honour innovative ideas and projects in the global apple business – the so called Interpoma Award. The award is going to be presented during the trade show, then again once every two years, with each edition dedicated to a specific topic. The first edition in 2020 will concentrate on varietal innovation: therefore the award could either go to a new type of breeding program, a new apple variety or a marketing project whose proven success has been able to significantly assist the global apple industry. The candidate projects will be evaluated by a jury of experts appointed by Fiera Bolzano, the organizer of Interpoma. Moreover, numerous other initiatives are going to enrich the event program of Interpoma 2020, both inside and outside the exhibition halls: Interpoma Taste, an area where visitors can taste numerous apple based products that are yet to make their market debut; or BZ loves Apples, an initiative that is going to transform entire city of Bolzano into a true capital of the apple, with a series of events aimed to attract locals and tourists: tastings, showcookings and trips to the vast orchards around Bolzano, to discover the places where South Tyrolean apples begin their life cycle. Finally, there are the traditional Interpoma Tours, guided tours reserved to traders and the media, which offer first-hand experiences of the most innovative production and processing plants in South Tyrol. The past edition in numbersThe 2018 edition of Interpoma was held on an exhibition area of 25,000 m², with 490 exhibitors from 24 different countries. It welcomed 20,000 visitors, with 25% from abroad representing a total of 70 different countries.