The international trade fairs InterMopro, InterCool and InterMeat welcomed 13,800 trade visitors from 22 countries, who came to gather information on the innovative food ranges and original niche products of 440 exhibitors from 21 countries and to take home with them scientific and practical findings.
The discussions on subconscious factors that impact consumer behavior and tips on how retailers can use these factors when dealing with customers and presenting their goods met with a very positive response. Exhibitors convinced visitors with products that met today’s customer demands for total freshness, regional approach, traceability and convenience. “Following the last InterMopro/Cool/Meat fairs we received a great deal of criticism. We took these comments very seriously and made conceptual changes,” reports Hans Werner Reinhard, Deputy Managing Director at Messe Düsseldorf. “The extremely positive result of the fair not only confirms our actions but has also generated new confidence amongst a whole series of lost customers,” says a delighted Reinhard.
Innovations awarded
The trade audience also showed great interest in the “Best Innovation Award” which was presented for the first time by a specialist jury selecting the best new products from food fair exhibitors. At the fair visitors took the opportunity to choose their “Best of the Best” from these award-winning products. They selected GÜ London’s “Mango and Passion Fruit Mini Cheesecake” for InterMopro, De Mäkelbörger’s “Kids Cake” for InterCool and Frierss Rudolf & Söhne’s “Brettljause im Geschenkkarton” for InterMeat as the best new products in 2012. For Costantino Marziale, Managing Partner at Marziale Coolinaria attending InterMeat on behalf of Parmacotto, the Düsseldorf food fairs are an established fixture: “This is always a pleasant meeting point every two years. The sector always looks forward to this event.” Kristophe Thijs, Managing Director of the Belgian Meat Office VLAM, added: “Until now contacts have been very good. All Belgian firms are very satisfied with the fair. I hope it continues like this.”
German as well as international food retail took great advantage of the event to hold key range discussions with the industry. Commenting on this Manfred Müller from Sales at Dicke foods makes fun GmbH said: “The Sunday is a key information-gathering day for trade buyers. Then from the Monday the retail trade was here from across the whole sector – from delicatessen-focused retail to discount operations.” This was also confirmed by Denis Wieperich, Managing Director at Lero Food GmbH & Co.KG, who underlined the pleasant working atmosphere of the trio of trade fairs: “The trade fair started really well. We feel we always have more time to discuss with our customers here. On Sunday the first major retail chains were already here. InterCool is a direct trade fair and for us it is more important than other major events in Germany that are too general.” And Wieperich adds: “At this year’s InterMeat we were able to also make good contacts with Eastern Europe. Visitors from Lithuania, Estonia, Hungary and Rumania were here.”
And Christa Langen, from Marketing at Beemster Cono Kaasmakers, simply sums it all up: “The highlight at InterMopro for us was that we had really good visitors at our stand.”
InterMopro, InterCool and InterMeat 2014 will be held in Düsseldorf from 21 to 23 September 2014.