Fi Europe reports expanded attendance across physical and online show
Organisers of this year’s Fi Europe have hailed the event a key success, with overall attendance growth across its combined live and online elements of the show, writes Neill Barston.
The physical event was held this month at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, with its online equivalent increasing in visitors by 13,000 online and in person in 2021 to 21,881 to date.
As the organising team noted, the top 3 countries in attendance were France, Netherlands and Germany, with Italy, UK, Spain, Belgium, Poland, USA and Denmark completing the top 10 list. Visitors were able to meet with and explore opportunities from 934 exhibitors – almost one third up on 2021.
Julien Bonvallet, Food Group Brand Director at Informa Markets, said: “We’re thrilled with the success of Fi Europe 2022 in Paris and online, with high-quality visitors and exhibitors showcasing pathbreaking solutions and products. It’s extremely heartening to see the entire F&B industry come together, build new business relationships, and share ideas and expert insights.”
Show highlights included live presentations to the winners of the Fi Europe Innovation Awards and the Startup Innovation Challenge; the New Product Zone, showcasing the latest ideas from leading industry players, and the Innovation Hub, where keynote speakers explored challenges and opportunities as well as sustainability and future-proof solutions.
Eagle-eyed visitors will also have spotted Food ingredients’ new logo and branding as it appeared in various locations across the four halls. Part of a new identity for the Fi portfolio, the bright and bold branding centres around a simple logo with the letters Fi set inside freeform coloured circles. Together, these elements represent the idea of tastemakers of the world coming together to create the world of taste. The organic nature of the logo also links to Informa Markets’ commitment to sustainability.
The even included representation from a number of major brands across the ingredients spectrum, with many highlighting applications for the confectionery, snacks and bakery segments.
Cargill commented on its appearance: “It was great to be back on the FiE floor this year and to participate in such a buzzing event. FiE 2022 was a real reminder of the value of meeting again in person. It was the perfect opportunity for us to catch up with hundreds of our customers and partners from Europe and beyond, and to inspire them with new business opportunities. We continue to see FiE as the premier event for food ingredients supply and partnership – and long may it continue to set the tone
The Gelita group added: “We were so excited to be back in person at FiE this year. Expectations were really high for this “re-start” event… And what can we say? All our expectations have been fulfilled – not only by the numbers of visitors, but also by the high quality of contacts we generated,” added the company of the event, which is set to return to the Messe Frankfurt, Germany, from 28 – 30 November, and online to audiences around the world from 20 – 30 November 2023.