FDBusiness.com

Following six months of planning, preparation and training, Bord Bia in conjunction with the Irish food and drink industry is hosting Marketplace 2015, running from Sunday March 22nd to Saturday March 28th. The week-long business development event aims to build new trade relationships with retailers, food service buyers, ingredient buyers and distributors from across the globe.

Marketplace 2015 is the largest international food buyer event ever staged in Ireland, with in excess of 400 food and drink trade buyers from 30 countries travelling to Dublin to meet, and do business, with Irish food and drink producers. In addition to buyers from Ireland’s traditional export markets – the UK and Continental Europe – Bord Bia has secured buyers from Australia, Algeria, Bahrain, China, Indonesia, UAE, Japan, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, and South Africa. Over 100 delegates are travelling from Asia alone including the largest ever Chinese trade delegation to travel to Ireland. The registered buyers represent every sector of the industry including dairy, beef, lamb, pigmeat, alcohol, seafood, prepared foods, grocery, bakery, confectionary & snacks and speciality foods.

Bord Bia Chief Executive Aidan Cotter says: “This is the largest business development event for the food and drink industry hosted by Bord Bia in Ireland. It represents a huge opportunity to showcase the breadth, depth and capabilities that has enabled the industry to build a €10.5 billion export platform and reach out to 175 markets around the world.”

Over 215 of the international buyers will be accompanied by Bord Bia on 11 targeted itineraries visiting farms, factories, retail stores and manufacturing facilities all around the country. From Kilmore Quay to Killybegs and Tyrellspass to Tullamore, the buyers will visit in excess of 100 sites nationwide to examine first-hand Ireland’s world-class agri-food industry. As part of the itineraries, some buyers will also meet with relevant stakeholders including Minister Simon Coveney TD, senior officials from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Teagasc, Food Health Ireland, Irish Dairy Board and IDIA.

On Thursday (March 26th), all of the overseas buyers (400 in total) will join 140 Irish food and drink buyers to gather at the Convention Centre Dublin (CCD) for a major one-to-one business development event. Some 185 Irish food and drink companies, ranging in size and profile from small enterprises to multinationals, will meet the 540 buyers during 4,500 pre-scheduled ‘speed-dating’ style meetings taking place throughout the day.

Following feedback from previous Marketplace events, Bord Bia developed a comprehensive training programme for companies to ensure they were adequately prepared for this year’s showcase. Through a series of training workshops Irish companies availed of advice on choosing export markets, logistics, and sales pitch techniques.