The 2018 Anuga FoodTec event took place from 20 to 23 March in Cologne, and was another record-breaking year for the leading international supplier trade fair of the food and beverage industry.

 

After already registering a growth in exhibition space and a two-digit increase in the number of exhibitors (+13 per cent) in the run-up to the event, Anuga FoodTec 2018 was also able to achieve a significant rise in the number of visitors, as more than 50,000 experts from the food industry informed themselves about the innovations and further developments of the supplier industry from 20 to 23 March. 

 

The number of visitors increased by nearly 11 per cent in comparison to the previous event, while Anuga FoodTec also further increased its level of internationality: visitors from 152 countries (+15 countries in comparison to the previous event) impressively underpin its position as the leading international supplier fair for the food and beverage industry.

 

A truly unique offering

 

Katharina C. Hamma, COO of Koelnmesse GmbH, the show’s organiser, explained: “The concept of Anuga FoodTec is unique and successful. The renewed growth across all key figures clearly underlines this. This year’s increased number of visitors was above all attributable to the rise in the number of trade visitors from abroad. We were particularly able to register significant growth from the countries China, Italy, Korea, Poland, Russia and South America. The huge interest from the international guests and the high quality of the visitors shows us that the alignment and concept of Anuga FoodTec do justice to the demands of the trade fair participants.”

 

“Anuga FoodTec 2018 presented an array of technological innovations from the entire spectrum of the food and beverage industry,” commented Dr Reinhard Grandke, Managing Director of DLG (German Agricultural Society), which organised a specialised programme including conferences, guided tours and lectures, and Chairman of the Advisory Board of Anuga FoodTec. “The extensive specialised programme on the highly relevant key theme, resource efficiency, offered the international audience numerous opportunities to systematically learn more about the optimisation of production processes – always with the aim of consuming less energy and water and reducing the waste of food. In Cologne, the latest scientific findings about food technology were once again linked up with the requirements of business practice in an exemplary way.”

 

Food technology at the highest level

 

Once again this year visitors to Anuga FoodTec experienced the entire production cycle, and in the course of which were able to experience live both individual solutions as well as holistic, cross-process concepts across all production stages and food industries. In all five exhibition segments – Food Packaging, Safety & Analytics, Food Processing, Food Ingredients as well as Services & Solutions – companies presented a cross-industry and cross-production range of exhibition offers. 

 

The key topic of resource efficiency was an omnipresent theme throughout. From Lotus effect packing that reduces the loss of foodstuffs, to saving raw materials such as water or energy in the production process for example, through to production lines with modular parts for individual products, Anuga FoodTec was once again the innovation hub of the supplier industry. 

 

The large variety of offers and impressive exhibitor presences attracted top decision-makers to Cologne. Indeed, exhibitors were impressed by the high quality and professionalism as well as by the internationality of the trade visitors, and reported very good discussions with top-ranking decision-makers. All of the leading food producers worldwide came to Anuga FoodTec.

 

The product show was perfectly enhanced by a comprehensive event and congress programme, which was organised by the DLG. All of the guided tours were fully booked, while the Speakers’ Corner and forums also met with high interest among visitors. Furthermore, the opening conference on the first day of the trade fair, which focused on the leading theme resource efficiency – the opportunities and risks for the food and beverage industry – celebrated a successful premiere.

 

Anuga FoodTec 2018 in figures

 

1,657 suppliers from 48 countries (2015: 1,479), 60 per cent of which came from abroad, exhibited at Anuga FoodTec 2018. These included 655 exhibitors from Germany and 1,002 exhibitors from abroad. Over 50,000 trade visitors from 152 countries attended Anuga FoodTec 2018; the share of foreign visitors was over 63 per cent.

 

The next Anuga FoodTec will take place from 23 to 26 March 2021 in Cologne.

 

Find out more here: www.anugafoodtec.com