The exhibition will be held from 24 to 27 March 2014 in Fira Barcelona…
Alimentaria 2014 will be held in Fira’s Gran Vía venue, in Barcelona, from 24 to 27 March. The organisers are planning for an expected 60,000 m² net commercial exhibition space, out of which 10,000 m² will be geared towards entertaining and commercially dynamic activities; in the opinion of the show’s Director, J. Antoni Valls, ‘realistic’ aims that, “will adapt to the difficulties of the current economic climate, both in Spain and Europe.” Preliminary marketing has also been well received by the market, clearly shown in the fact that 34% of the available space has already been hired.
The strategic plan of Alimentaria 2014 is based on the key points employed in the agri-food industry, the main driving force in Europe’s economy, with the aim of dealing with future challenges. The show is the most significant promotional and relationship platform in the food industry, trade and distribution, while the commitment of the industry leaders can be clearly seen in the creation of the organising committee – an advisory body defining core strategies – chaired by Josep-Lluís Bonet, also Chairman of Fira de Barcelona and Freixenet. According to Bonet, Alimentaria’s success lies in its, “huge professionalism, the high degree of industry knowledge and the experience built up down the years,” and he also stresses that the committee’s role, together with the organisers’, is “beyond doubt”.
Commitment to the industry
Organised by industries, Intervín, Restaurama, Intercarn and Multiproducto will once again be the leading shows at Alimentaria 2014, along with the International Pavilion, a significant point of convergence for professionals from every continent. Recent and newly created initiatives such as the Olive Oil Business Area, Gluten Free Project, Sweet Business Area and Pizza & Pasta Concept will also work towards capturing market segments with huge scope and potential for each of the host shows. For the second edition in a row, the indispensable The Alimentaria Hub will reinforce its commitment to sustainability, innovation, brand quality, consumer health, employment in the industry and the conservation of the rural environment, with its economic potential by virtue of its close ties to gastronomy and tourism.
More specifically, The Alimentaria Hub will again bring together professionals with direct interests or links to food and drink and will place the emphasis on important core developments, for instance corporate social responsibility and, the new channels of digital marketing on social networks via a convention of bloggers specialised in food, internationalisation and globalisation as well as new formats in retail, among other themes. Moreover, in 2014 The Alimentaria Hub will strongly focus on entrepreneurs by facilitating the contact set-up between StartUps and Business Angels, which both share
the interests of the industry. The successful first edition of The Alimentaria Hub in the previous edition of the trade fair has lead the organisers to put together an equivalent edition for hotels, catering and restaurants called: The Gastronomic Hub. From the Restaurama show, this hub will hold: a gastronomic congress, the gran finale of the Chef of the Year; Spain, Land of 100 cheeses; the oil tasting and sampling bar Olive Oil Bar and the now-classic
Vinorum.
Widespread satisfaction
Alimentaria 2012 attracted over 4,000 exhibiting companies from 75 countries and 141,826 visitors, with the attendance of international visitors beating every previous record – 39,792 from 143 different countries, an increase in internationality of 11%. More than 384 international buyers were invited by the organisers, which in turn gave rise to 8,000 business meetings. The evaluation surveys carried out after the show reflected that 7 out of every 10 exhibitors were completely satisfied with their participation and will recommend it to others. Making new contacts, gaining customer loyalty and attracting key buyers were most valued by participating companies, who also highlighted the increase in quality and the international nature of the visitors. These visitors also highly rated Alimentaria 2012, giving it a mark of 4.2 out of 5, while 83% of those that attended stated that they were very satisfied with their visit. The surveys also outlined the high degree of loyalty: 88% of visitors and 78% of exhibitors confirmed that they will return for Alimentaria 2014.