News

The latest Alimentaria México show reported 6% growth in the number of visitors, with a grand total of 10,339 professionals. Buyers from 28 countries in America, Asia, and Europe were on hand for the event, doubling the number of nations attending the show. Mention should also be made of the success of the Alimentaria 2006 AI-Invest Business Meetings, which boasted the presence of 22 European companies and 106 of their Latin American counterparts, generating a business volume of close to 600,000 euros.

These are just a few of the figures that attest to the resounding success had by the sixth edition of Alimentaria México, a trade fair which has set records this year in terms of the level of international participation. The International Food and Beverages Show brought together a wide range of players within the agro-food industry, with a total of 400 exhibitors from 27 countries on four continents. Most noteworthy among these international participants were Great Britain, India, France, Spain, Thailand, Uruguay, Costa Rica, Denmark, El Salvador, Germany, Argentina and Australia. Rounding off the list were Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, the Netherlands, Italy, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Belgium, South Korea, Ecuador, the United States and Vietnam.

Likewise, Alimentaria México brought together the country’s entire agro-food industry, with participation from national companies and producers in the Mexican states of Michoacán, Oaxaca, Sinaloa, Sonora, Campeche, Tabasco, Chiapas, Tlaxcala, Querétaro, Estado de México, Distrito Federal and Guanajuato, chiefly. Plus, Chiapas, Guanajuato, Hidalgo, Michoacán, Querétaro, Sonora and Tabasco had their own state pavilions.

As for visitor numbers, the United States, Spain, Colombia, Argentina and Guatemala were the countries whose nationals were highest in number among the Alimentaria México 2006 public.

According to Victor Pascual, director of the International Food and Beverage Show, these figures clearly reveal the fact that “Alimentaria México 2006 can boast excellent results in terms of the rise in professional visitors, international buyers, the number of participating countries and the number of Mexican companies that took part for the first time”.

Yet another of Alimentaria México 2006’s achievements was the inauguration of a new pavilion. In an aim to innovate and offer added value, the show’s organizers unveiled the Alimentaria Equipo Pavilion. This area strives to satisfy demand from food service and restaurant professionals for equipment, accessories and services for their businesses.

Visitor and exhibitor satisfaction
Ninety-eight percent of visitors to Alimentaria México stated that they were willing to participate again in the next edition of the trade fair. Meanwhile, 92% of exhibitors surveyed claimed to have fulfilled their sales targets, and 88% of those considered it possible that they would exhibit in the 2007 edition.

As for the average visitor profile, 33% were involved in food and beverage distribution and marketing, while 34% belonged to the food service sector. There was a 5% increase in participation among food manufacturers and equipment and service suppliers, taking their share up to 23% of total visitors.

What’s more, it was established that over 80% of trade fair participants were involved in their company’s purchasing decisions, and of those, more than 65% came to the show in search of new suppliers.

The products that sparked the greatest interest were frozen foods, beverages, meat products and canned goods.

Parallel activities
Alimentaria México 2006 rounded out its range of exhibitions with a full set of informative and dynamic activities. Here we can make special mention of the quality, experience and innovation acknowledged in the 2nd edition of the Congress on Trends in Food. A number of public figures with ties to the world of gastronomy participated in a conference with highlights like cooking with transgressive ingredients such as flowers and insects, and the presence of Humberto Sato, the creator of the Nikkei concept, that is, Japanese-Latino fusion cuisine. According to the survey conducted among participants, the Congress on Trends in Food was rated “Productive, Original and Excellent”.

Another great success story was the Al-Invest Alimentaria 2006 Business Meetings, set up by Eurocentro Bancomext and sponsored by the European Commission. Over 100 companies from Germany, Spain, France, the Netherlands, Italy, the UK, Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru and Nicaragua took part in this event.

One more activity bearing witness to the show’s international scope was the extensive Wine Tasting programme. Ranging from Spanish wines to ‘New World’ varieties and vintages from France and Italy, Alimentaria México offered all the right tools for achieving a global understanding of the universe of wine. And, of course, there was a special symposium dedicated to Mexican Drink Tasting Sessions, with tequila and mezcal playing a starring role.

Alimentaria México 2006 also played host to the final stage of the National Sommelier Competition. The champion was Gerardo Téllez Zamorano, who will go on to represent Meixco at the World Sommelier Competition held in Barcelona next year.

Plus, the Seminars on Nutrition were the place to find the most newsworthy issues on eating practices and new nutritional models. And, once again, the Innoval Pavilion had all of last year’s newest product launches on display.

In addition to offering informative activities of a general interest nature, the Alimentaria México 2006 programme also focused on involving show participants in specialized issues in specific sectors. A few examples include: “Jabugo Ibérico Ham and how to cut it”, “Exporting to the US” and “The role of eggs and chicken in local eating habits” – just some of the commercial presentations held at the last show.