This year, the international food ingredients industry will come together at the Frankfurt trade fair venue for Fi Europe. 135 countries will be present when more than 25,000 expected visitors meet over 1.200 exhibitors. Not only the latest developments will be presented here: A multitude of networking opportunities will offer the chance to establish valuable business contacts.
The trade fair combines the real and virtual worlds. The event platform is available both before and after the fair and thus extends the time span for exhibitors and visitors to discover new business opportunities, to exchange ideas or to be inspired by the latest trends and innovations. The time on site can be optimally prepared and used with the personalised appointment planner.
The Fi Europe Conference, which takes place from 28 to 29 November, as well as the Future Of Nutrition Summit on the day before the fair, on 27 November, offer exclusive, paid talks and presentations. Here, the focus will be on current issues and challenges facing the food and beverage industry, but speakers will also highlight the opportunities they present. The speaker line-up with experts such as Kalina Doykova, Senior Research Analyst at Euromonitor International, or Cyrille Filott, Global Strategist Rabobank, promises an outstanding programme again this year.
Attendees of the Future Of Nutrition Summit will have the opportunity to dive deep into disruptive technologies and solutions. Free-to-attend lectures and presentations, on the other hand, can be found in the Innovation Hub and the Sustainability Hub in the exhibition halls.
The topic of sustainability continues to play a central role at the fair. Important aspects include sustainable procurement, labelling and transparency regulatory requirements, environment, social and corporate governance or equality. In the ongoing quest for more sustainability, Informa has recently entered into a partnership with the internationally active organisation "Solidaridad". The Sustainability Hub space will showcase how their work helps create sustainable supply chains worldwide and can assist with ethical and sustainable sourcing of ingredients.
Organised networking opportunities round off the fair's offerings. In addition to numerous informal opportunities, targeted contacts can be made. This is facilitated by data-supported matchmaking. One of the popular events is the Women's Networking Breakfast – here representatives of the industry in particular find inspiration and new contacts.
A special feature of the Fi Europe programme each year are the Awards, which this year will be presented at an evening event on Tuesday 28 November: The Fi Innovation Awards promote innovation and excellence – they recognise individuals and companies that are breaking new ground and making a difference in the industry. The Start-up Innovation Challenge, on the other hand, is explicitly aimed at young companies with novel solutions and offers a real springboard towards success. Visitors to the fair can share in the ideas of the finalists when they present their ideas at the Innovation Hub on 28 November.
Yannick Verry, Brand Manager, Food Ingredients Europe and Americas: "Once again this year, Fi Europe offers everything food and beverage manufacturers need to launch innovations and grow their business: Expert presentations, opportunities for targeted networking and, of course, an exhibition showcasing many new ideas. I'm very excited about the transformational power of all these elements, and the creativity and connections that will come out of this melting pot of talent."
