News

400 exhibitors from 23 countries and 4 continents were present at the exhibition. 50% of the companies were from abroad (i.e. not Mexican). 9,757 professionals visited the Mexican fair, 10% more than last time it was held. 5,000 products presented and 250 business meetings between more than 130 firms.

· Alimentaria México 2005, the most comprehensive and unique exhibition in the country, covering food and beverage in the same fair, was a great success
· More professionals than ever attended the fair - 9,757 professionals, 10% more than last time, visited the fair to find out about the more than 5,000 products on display
· More exhibitors than ever – 400 companies from 23 different countries and 4 continents.
· More international than ever - Alimentaria México 2005 has established itself as the Mexican international benchmark exhibition. There were also more of the leading Mexican firms present at the fair.
· Highly satisfied exhibitors – nearly 9 out of 10 exhibitors surveyed said they were satisfied with the results of their participation in the fair and are interested in taking part again in the future.

The 5th Alimentaria México International Exhibition held on 1, 2 and 3 June at Centro Banamex in Mexico City exceeded all expectations. This was the third time the fair had been organised by Alimentaria Exhibitions and it showed itself to be a unique, benchmark event - the most important platform for the food and beverage industry in Mexico. The final balance sheet is full of figures indicating that the fair has grown stronger in terms of innovation, promoting new products and generating new customers, and has tightened its grip on the top spot as Mexico’s leading international exhibition.

ALIMENTARIA MÉXICO – A BUSINESS-ORIENTED FAIR

Exhibitors
Some 400 exhibitors took part in the fair, 50% of them from abroad. The number of Mexican firms and the space provided for them also grew, an objective the organisers had had in their sights for some time, as it helps to consolidate the fair and generates a greater degree of loyalty. The 23 countries represented included Singapore, Portugal, Spain, Canada, United States, Argentina, Germany, France, Italy, Guatemala, Brazil, Ecuador, New Zealand and, of course, Mexico, with firms and manufacturers mainly from Michoacán, Oaxaca, Sinaloa, Sonora, Campeche, Tabasco, Chiapas, Tlaxcala, Querétaro, the State of Mexico, Mexico Federal Distict and Guanajuato.

Satisfaction among the exhibitors
The survey results show that 85%, i.e. nearly 9 out of 10, of the exhibitors who were asked said that they were completely or extremely satisfied at having participated in the fair. Moreover, 88% said that they intended to continue taking part in Alimentaria México in the future.

Visitors
A total of 9,757 professionals from the distribution and food services sectors came to the exhibition to see the more than 5,000 products on display. This figure represents an increase of 10% compared to the time before and was mostly due to a larger number of visitors from the food services side of the industry. Nearly 30% of foreign visitors were from the United States, 17% from Spain, 15% from Argentina, 8% from Guatemala and 7% from Canada.
All in all, the fair brought together a business community of 11,665 professionals.

Forty-six per cent of the professional buyers at the event belong to the food distribution channel, in other words, wholesalers, independent retailers, supermarket chains, specialist and general importers, gourmet departments in department stores, exporters and convenience store chains.

On the other hand, 36% of the visitors belong to the food preparation sector, including independent restaurants, restaurant chains, catering and take-away services, factory canteens, school and university canteens, airline catering services, hospital catering services, bars, cantinas and nightclubs.
The remaining 18% of the people who came to the Mexican fair were food industry suppliers.

Another fact that emerged from the survey carried out at the exhibition is that 83% of the visitors are involved in decision-making in their companies.

Visitor satisfaction
Almost all the professionals surveyed at the fair said they would be back to Alimentaria México next time. As many as 86% said they were satisfied at having come to the exhibition and had achieved their objectives. A full 90% said they would return next time the fair was held.

Another interesting fact was that 6 out of 10 professionals said that their reason for coming to Alimentaria México 2005 was to find new suppliers and products.

Meat products, dairy products, seafood, poultry products, farm produce and frozen produce stood out among the vast range of articles from the different sectors making up the food and drinks industry in which visitors showed particular interest.

Business meetings
The exhibition halls displayed all kinds of regional products from the 23 different countries present at the fair. Spain was well represented, with 70 firms making the trip to the capital of Mexico to take part in what can already be regarded as an unmissable event and a benchmark for North America. This was the largest number from any one country in Europe.

The presence of over 130 companies from Argentina, Columbia, Guatemala, Mexico, Spain, Italy and the United Kingdom was extremely fruitful with around 250 business meetings, showing the fair’s international potential.

The AL-INVEST programme, supported by the European Union, was organised as part of the business activities. As a result, European food and drinks firms met with their counterparts from Mexico and the rest of Latin America to set up joint investment agreements.

The organisers’ aim is to make visiting the fair an opportunity to access the whole of the food and beverage industry. Alimentaria México gathers together the biggest range of products under a single roof and enables visitors to go round four continents in just three days and enjoy what each region has to offer. Mexican firms and producers presented an extremely comprehensive range that was even bigger than last year’s.

Innoval
The Innoval pavilion is the forum for new products and exhibits the most significant of those launched onto the Mexican market in the past 12 months.
In line with its strategy of presenting new products, there were 22 showcases displaying the latest developments for visitors to see, reflecting the stress placed by the fair on the launch of new articles. The Innoval Prize is an award given in recognition of the effort made by Mexican and other companies to develop and create new products and its importance is guaranteed by a top-rank consultative council. In 2005, the three major awards went to tinned pulque (Poliqhui), tinned espresso and cappuccino coffee (Café Punta del Cielo) and ready prepared dishes of mole and liquid mole (Herdez).

The next Alimentaria México
Alimentaria México will continue to be an excellent tool for doing business in Mexico. So it is worth making a note that Alimentaria México 2006 will be held from 6 to 8 June in at the same venue as this year, Centro Banamex in Mexico City.

ALIMENTARIA MÉXICO – A DYNAMIC FAIR

Parallel events
In addition to the usual business activity during the fair, Alimentaria México also staged various parallel activities for professionals visiting it. There were more such activities this year, including the 1st Mexican Gastronomy Congress, nutrition seminars, the National Sommeliers Competition, tastings of wine, tequila, mezcal and coffee, the Al-Invest Business Meetings and Innoval.

One of the most outstanding of these events was TENDENCIAS ALIMENTARIA, the 1st Mexican Gastronomy Congress, which drew a sizeable response from the food service sector. It was attended by 135 people and rated as extremely interesting by 88% of those surveyed. The leading chefs from all over the country, who have been bringing about changes in Mexican gastronomy and reinventing Mexican cuisine on a daily basis, met for the first time in Mexico to share their views on the trends and position of cookery in the 21st century. The programme of this First Gastronomy Congress included a keynote address, eight talks, two round tables and three practical demonstrations.

The keynote address, on “The Position of Mexican Cuisine in the World”, was given by Rick Bayless, chef and owner of the Topolobampo restaurant. The subjects covered by the talks were: New Concepts in Regional Cuisine; Rescuing Ingredients for the New Mexican Cuisine; Innovation and Trends in the Cuisine of Mexico; SlowFood and Ecogastronomy; the New Cuisine of the Old World; Combinations: Harmony between the Cuisine and the Wines of Mexico. The round tables dealt with Mexican Cooking, Part of the World Cultural Heritage and The Challenges and Problems Facing Mexican Cooking.

At the Seminars on Nutrition, Alimento para Todos, I.A.P. (Food for All), the Centro de Orientación Alimentaria (Food Guidance Centre - COA) and the Consejo Latinoamericano de Información Alimentaria (Latin American Council for Information on Food - CLIA) presented a successful nutrition programme aimed at health sector professionals responsible for determining the nutritional content of the diets in their institutions. The seminars were attended by 274 people and the event was considered extremely positive, with 88% of those questioned rating the activity as very interesting.
At the nutrition seminars, Alimentaria México 2005 presented the most important food issues of the moment. Food consumption in Mexico today and new food models were among the aspects examined. The specific issues included Food Services, a Business Opportunity; the Nutritional Panorama in Mexico and its Repercussions on the Food Industry; “Light” Products: Fad or Necessity?

The National Sommeliers Competition was promoted and organised by the Asociación Mexicana de Sommeliers (Mexican Sommeliers’ Association) whose mission is to foster wine culture in the Mexican market. The Asociación Mexicana de Sommeliers is an active member of the Association de la Sommellerie Internationale (ASI) which organises the World Best Sommelier Competition every three years. The winner of the Mexican competition will be one of those going on to take part in the grand final representing Mexico in Barcelona in 2007.

The Tasting Programme: Tequila, Coffee, Pulque and Wine provided a vast range of possibilities for sampling and tasting and over 2,060 visitors took advantage of the opportunity. In addition to the usual wine tastings, supported by the National Association of Wine Growers, there were also sessions dedicated to pulque -an ancient pre-Columbian drink with a special place in Mexican culture that has taken on a new lease of life in this new consumer age-, tequila and, for the first time, mezcal and coffee. According to survey results, these tasting sessions were rated as very interesting by around 85% or 90% of those asked for their opinion.

In the Spanish Pavilion, there were tastings and samplings of Spanish products such as brandy, Serrano ham and olive oil, aimed at professionals working in gastronomy, restaurants, hotels, and food and drinks distribution chains. This activities programme was organised by the Spanish Foreign Trade Institute (ICEX).