FDBusiness.com

Maximum internationalisation. This will be the premise of Alimentaria 2014 that, more than ever, has its sights set on foreign markets. The show has doubled its efforts for this edition to attract buyers from all over the world so that the 3,800 plus participating companies can see an increase in their export opportunities.  Alimentaria will again champion innovation and quality of agri-food brands, allying itself with gastronomy and haute cuisine to achieve greater exposure and international recognition of the food and beverages showcased by exhibitors.

From March 31st to April 3rd, Alimentaria will again fill practically Fira de Barcelona’s entire Gran Via Exhibition Centre, occupying 85,000m2 net space. The organisers estimate over 140,000 visitors, 35% of them from outside Spain.

With this objective, the Barcelona show has been promoted around the world to identify and attract buyers and distributors from emerging markets. Apart from the clear case of Latin America, Asia and the Middle East are also priority geographic areas, since it is there that agri-food exports have great growth potential.  However, the show will also have an impact on European countries, the main destinations of Spanish food products (68.3% of the total). Since 2009, the Spanish food and beverage industry has been increasing sales abroad at an annual rate of around 10%.

The Managing Director of Alimentaria Exhibitions and chief executive of the show, J. Antonio Valls, explained that Alimentaria 2014 had put all its efforts into attracting the best of international demand. “In the fair, foreign operators will find the magnitude, strength, innovative character and export potential of our agri-food industry”, says Valls. The objective is to organise over 8,000 work meetings between exhibitors and professionals in visiting delegations from 60 countries. Valls added: “Alimentaria strengthens this industry’s natural foreign market goals, providing an effective platform to help participating companies, above all SEMEs, gain access to new markets”.

The Spanish Food and Drink Industry Federation (FIAB); the Spanish Foreign Trade Institute (ICEX); The Multi-Sector Business Association (AMEC); and ACC1Ó, among other organisations are participating actively in the international promotion of Alimentaria 2014.

Industry and gastronomy in 12 shows
Meat products, wine and olive oil are leading Spanish exports and this importance is also reflected in the range of exhibits at Alimentaria that, taking advantage of the international success of Spanish haute cuisine, has managed to meld the synergies between industry and gastronomy in order to achieve greater international exposure. For Valls “Alimentaria is major recognised showcase for promoting the quality and added value of our country’s food and beverages among buyers from around the world”.

With a little more than four months to go, 88% of available space at Alimentaria has already been booked. The emblematic Barcelona trade fair, which covers all product families in the food and beverage industry, showing the interrelations between them and their connections with the world of gastronomy, is divided into 12 monographic shows:

– Intervin, Wine and Spirits
– Intercarn, Meat and Meat Products
– Interlact, Milk and dairy Products
– Multiproducto, General Food products
– Olivaria, Olive Oil and Vegetable Oils
– Mundidulce, Sweets, Biscuits and Confectionary
– Expobebidas, Water, Soft Drinks and Beers
– Expoconser, Preserves and Semi-Preserved Products
– Interpesca, Seafood, Aquaculture and Farmed Fish Products
– Congelexpo, Frozen Foods
– Alimentación Ecológica, Organic Food
– Restaurama, International Eating Out

There will also be a Pavilion for the different Spanish Autonomous Communities (Pabellón de las Autonomías ) and an International Pavilion for foreign companies and institutional representatives from over 50 countries.

Alimentaria will also be increasing the number of specific micro-events, such as the Premium area, for haute cuisine and delicatessen firms; the “Gluten-Free Isle” with products appropriate for coeliacs and solutions for other food intolerances; the “Cocktail & Spirits” space in Intervin, in which companies of distilled beverages will promote high quality products and brands and will carry out demonstrations of cocktails and mixed drinks; “Pizza&Pasta Project” dedicated to these Italian specialities; and the “Sweet Business Area” for the confectionery industry and “Olive Oil Business Meetings” for oil manufacturers. .

Height of culinary experiences
The big new feature of this edition will be the space “The Alimentaria Experience”, linked to the Restaurama show, which will encompass all the activities related to restaurants and gastronomy. There will be live culinary demonstrations, culinary master classes and workshops, tasting sessions and conferences, among other activities, with the aim of showing trends and providing inspiration and solutions to restaurateurs.

Some of the most internationally recognised Spanish chefs will be passing through this space, such as Joan Roca (Restaurant El Celler de Can Roca), Carles Gaig (Restaurant Fonda Gaig), Carme Ruscalleda (Restaurant Sant Pau), Romain Fornell (Restaurant Caelis), Nandu Jubany (Restaurant Can Jubany), Francis Paniego (Restaurant Echaurren) or Maria José San Román (Restaurant Monastrell), among many others. This area will also provide the setting for the final of the Chef of the Year Competition, in which professional chefs from all over Spain will be competing.

“The Alimentaria Experience” will also include a wine tasting space in “Vinorum” entitled “50 Rompedores” (Ground Breakers), which will showcase a series of wines that are breaking the traditional mould of the industry in order to attract new consumers, mainly young people.

Different manufacturers of pre-prepared products that usually supply the Horeca channel will be exhibiting. Here, they will show portions of fresh, clean foodstuffs that have a longer shelf life thanks to vacuum or modified atmosphere packaging technology or heat treated cooked food whose expiry date is extended by weeks, months and even years. They are growing sectors which provide restaurateurs with multiple applications and advantages.

Alimentaria has the support and cooperation of Grup GSR; Grupo Caterdata and Food Consulting for all these activities, which will take place in Pavilion 8.

Hub of knowledge, innovation and trends
Alimentaria is not only a recognised business and internationalisation platform, but also, for a few days, will become a hub of knowledge, debate, education, innovation and trends for the food and beverage industry. In this sense, the trade fair will again feature the Alimentaria Hub in Pavilion 2, which will host simultaneously multiple initiatives, congresses, seminars, business meetings, themed and product exhibitions, presentations of publications, launches, etc.

The core themes of the Alimentaria Hub contents are: Innovation (R&D&I) + Brands; Nutrition, Health and Well-being; Internationalisation and globalisation; Distribution and Retail; Marketing and Communication and Corporate Social Responsibility

The list of activities taking place in the Alimentaria Hub includes the International Mediterranean Diet Congress; the Innoval Awards and the new initiative, The Food Factory, which will bring together innovative start-ups with high growth potential and Business Angels willing to invest in them.

About Alimentaria Exhibitions
Alimentaria is a leading international trade show organised by Alimentaria Exhibitions, a Fira de Barcelona company specialising in events for the food and beverage industry. Its portfolio of shows includes Bta. -Barcelona Food Technologies-, Alimentaria & Horexpo Lisbon, Alimentaria Mexico, Alimentaria Brazil and Seafood Expo Southern Europe.