Organised by FEPEX and IFEMA MADRID, Fruit Attraction 2022, which takes place in the Spanish capital, Madrid, will celebrate its 14th edition next month from 4 to 6 October and include representation from the UAE and Saudi Arabia
Dubai, United Arab Emirates-: Fruit Attraction, the International Fruit and Vegetable Trade Fair, organised by IFEMA MADRID and FEPEX, has confirmed that more than 80,000 F&B professionals and 1,700 exhibitors from the industry representing 52 countries are expected to attend to the event, including buyers from the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
With three weeks until the event’s launch, exhibitor numbers are expected to increase further, with key players from the industry continuing to commit. More than 55,000 square metres will be utilised by the international fruit and vegetable market participants, with eight halls of the IFEMA MADRID dedicated to the show, a 38% increase from the previous event and denoting pre-pandemic levels of attendance.
María José Sánchez, Director of Fruit Attraction, said: “In terms of exhibitors, 52% of the total participation is from the Spanish market, with a broad cross-section of the country’s fruit and vegetable communities participating. This ratifies the sector’s confidence in Fruit Attraction, whose success lies mainly in the great interest in the Spanish fruit and vegetable market for international sales, precisely in a key month for campaign planning.
“However, with a large international presence, Fruit Attraction is also a key trade event for production, marketing and distribution from an international perspective.”
Organisers of the event have also created a dedicated buyers programme, offering participants a platform for international promotion and expansion through the International Guest Programme, which has confirmed the attendance of 600 buyers from 70 countries, including heads of retail purchasing, importers and wholesalers invited from all over the world.
As part of this programme, the event will host the Guest Importing Country feature, including buyers from the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Canada. Fruit Attraction will promote relations with these markets, backed by a complete programme of round table discussions, guided tours of the fair, and B2B sessions.
In addition to the substantial European participation, which includes France, Italy, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Portugal, Poland and Germany, there will also be group participation from Serbia and Albania, and other countries, including Colombia, the United States, Korea, Peru, Chile, South Africa and India, and an increase in African participation, especially from Kenya, Guinea and the Ivory Coast.
The event will have several key areas, including the Fresh Produce and Related Industry, which will be joined by Fresh Food Logistics, a platform to serve the logistics, transport, and cold chain management for fresh food, which has registered 100% of the contracted space.
Fruit Attraction is once again committed to transformation solutions through innovation, sustainability and digitalisation with the Smart Agro Area, innovative products that apply information technologies to the fruit and vegetable sector, and Biotech Attraction, research and technological development in agrobiology/plant biotechnology. Likewise, the Ecorganic Market, the exclusive space for the marketing and export of organic products, continues to gain momentum. For their part, strawberries will play a leading role at this edition with the Fresh&Star area.
The Innovation Hub and Foro Innova will be dedicated to innovation and business innovations in the sector. In this area, Fruit Attraction will once again host the Innovation Hub Awards, which have become a fundamental event for supporting the entrepreneurial commitment of the sector with categories including Fresh Produce, F&V Industry, and Sustainability and Commitment Actions.
Another highlight of the event is the Factoria Chef section. This area represents the gastronomic space within Fruit Attraction with attractive demonstrations and cooking shows.