A convenient European venue - and in a Country that is a huge fresh produce exporter - an appropriate period of the year (just before the winter campaigns), a brilliant fair organizer. These are the promising qualities that give large growth potential to this newly born event that - according to some of the exhibitors and visitors we interviewed - could further grow, attract more foreign exhibitors and thus become the second most important fair in the Euromed region after Berlin’s Fruit Logistica. A highly gratifying definition and ambitious goal for the organizers, Ifema (Feria Madrid) and Fepex, the Spanish fresh produce export association.

Fruit Attraction gathered on 4-6 November 353 exhibitors, mainly Spanish ones from the most important producing regions. One of the two pavilions was actually organized into separated areas for each autonomous region (Andalucía, Aragón, Canarias, Castilla La-Mancha, Castilla y León, Cataluña, Extremadura, Galicia, La Rioja, Madrid and Murcia), gathering (in separate small stands) the most important companies of the territory, with their typical products.

The widest participation came from the South of Spain, the regions of Andalusia and Murcia in particular, with 49 and 46 exhibitors respectively. While an exceptionally missing participation was that of the region of Valencia, from which only a few companies were present (among these Bonnysa, whose president - Jorge Brotons - is also president of Fepex), probably due to the fact that the region is trying to preserve the local exhibition Euro Agro Fruits.

Among the few foreign exhibitors, the wider delegation (ten companies) was the French one, headed by the export consortium Saint Charles Export of Perpignan. Also Sopexa attended with a stand promoting the new website www.franceagroalimentaire.com, whose aim is strengthening the visibility of French agribusiness products on foreign markets. The only Italian exhibitor was South Tyrol’s cooperative VOG, producer of Marlene apple brand that has been launched on the Spanish market two years ago. Also a Polish exhibitor (Vegdis) and an Egyptian one (Habico group, exporter of spices) attended.

A significant contribution to the success of the first Fruit Attraction, whose aim is to be strongly business-oriented, was given by the programme of invitations (which meant a remarkable investment) that the organizers developed in collaboration with Madrid Chamber of Commerce. Around 270 international buyers therefore gathered in Madrid coming mostly from Germany, UK, Holland, France, Italy, Poloand, Brazil, Norway and Sweden. The crowd of visitors was anyhow notable: according to the organizers, over 8,000 professionals attended the second day of the event (Thursday), which was actually the most crowded of the three. 15% of these were coming from abroad, especially France, Italy, Portugal, Low Countries, UK, Poland and Germany.

Some interesting conferences enriched the first edition of Fruit Attraction: first of all one on “The responses of the European distribution to the crisis”, with speakers such as Gé Happe of Ahold and Jesus Gomez of Dia España. Furthermore, the presentation of two successful businesses: Unica Group, model of aggregation in Spain, and Mercabarna, the leading Spanish wholesale market.

Fruit Attraction is a great bet of the Spanish fresh produce industry, which has been severely affected by the economic crisis and is trying this way to draw again attention to their significant export power and confirm their leadership. Actually the event was supported at institutional level too: the Spanish minister of Agriculture Elena Espinosa inaugurated the event, and other nine regional ministers also visited the fair. So that a general mood of optimism characterized the event, which is expected to further grow next year, according to what was revealed by many participants, that will confirm their presence or be among new exhibitors.

Next edition is already scheduled on 10-12 November 2010.

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In the next days we will publish further reports and interviews from the fair