A whole nutritional sector looks forward feverishly to this event every three years. On Saturday, 4 May, IFFA – The No. 1 for the meat industry – opens its doors for six days. Optimistic and with unbroken high business expectations, meat-product manufacturers from all over the world meet with their suppliers in Frankfurt am Main. 1,039 exhibitors from 49 countries are ready to present innovations and business ideas for all process stages in meat-processing operations big and small.
On 120,000 square metres of exhibition space, nine percent more than previously, trade visitors from the meat-processing industry, the trade and butchers will find a vast range of products and services. Wolfgang Marzin, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Messe Frankfurt: “This year’s IFFA is completely new: it is being held for the first time in a new setting in the western section of our Exhibition Centre and is celebrating its seventieth birthday. From a small trade exhibition in post‑war Germany, it has developed into the world’s leading trade fair for the international meat sector and is today bigger than ever before.”
Thanks to the inclusion of the new Hall 12, which opened last year, IFFA has been able to expand and is being held for the first time exclusively in the western section of Frankfurt Fair and Exhibition Centre. The result is a circular layout linking Halls 8, 9, 11 and 12 with short walking distances for visitors and exhibitors. Many exhibitors have taken advantage of the new location to increase the size of their exhibition stands and presentations. The top ten exhibitor nations are, after Germany, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Denmark, France, China, Poland, the USA and Belgium.
IFFA 2019 is being held against the background of positive economic developments in the meat-processing machinery sector. Global meat consumption is growing, the spectrum of products in the convenience segment is expanding and the level of meat processing and, therefore, value added are rising. This is reflected by increasing investments in machines and equipment for processing and packaging. Richard Clemens, Managing Director of the VDMA Food Processing and Packaging Machinery Association, says, “IFFA stands for a clear focus, an unrivalled expert density and a high level of internationality on both the exhibitor and visitor sides. It is the world business summit of the meat industry and sets trends for tomorrow’s production. The future of the meat industry is formed at IFFA – through innovations, intelligent solutions and intensive discussions.”
IFFA is a must for the butchers’ trade, too. A look at developments taking place throughout the sector helps butchers make decisions regarding investments in new technologies, as well as to discover new concepts and strategies for the future. Herbert Dohrmann, President of the German Butchers’ Association (Deutscher Fleischer-Verband – DFV), says, “In common with many of my colleagues, I have great expectations of this year’s IFFA. Our members are working to capacity and the economic background is good, too. This is the right time for investments – especially in digital technologies. In other words, now is the perfect time to gain an overview of the latest innovations in the sector at IFFA.”
The top themes of the sector at IFFA
All new developments and improvements in the mechanical-engineering sector are designed to ensure the safe, hygienic, efficient and economic processing and packaging of meat and meat products. Companies are working on numerous solutions to increase food safety, to improve resource efficiency, to optimise production processes and to integrate digital solutions.
Given that they are working to capacity, the top priority for the butchers’ trade is greater efficiency. The digital revolution offers butchers a wide variety of opportunities to become more efficient, to grow despite recruitment difficulties and to take advantage of the good economic situation. The time is ripe to digitalise operational processes and to open up new sales channels.
IFFA, the international hotspot
IFFA is distinguished by top ratings in terms of exhibitor and visitor internationality: 62 percent of the companies taking part in this year’s IFFA are headquartered outside Germany. The growth in exhibition space occupied comes primarily from Europe. Eight of the top-ten exhibitor nations have increased their exhibition space by double-digit percentages, especially Spain, Denmark, Poland and France. Moreover, US companies have boosted their presentation space by no less than 43 percent. The largest exhibitor nation is Germany with 393 companies.
The proportion of visitors from outside Germany at the last IFFA in 2016 amounted to 67 percent. Roughly one in two foreign visitors comes from Europe.
Further information and tickets to IFFA at www.iffa.com.
Press releases & images:
On the internet:
Information about all trade fairs in the Food Processing Business Unit of Messe Frankfurt at www.food-technologies.messefrankfurt.com.
Background information on Messe Frankfurt
Messe Frankfurt is the world’s largest trade fair, congress and event organiser with its own exhibition grounds. With over 2,500* employees at 30 locations, the company generates annual sales of around €715* million. Thanks to its far-reaching ties with the relevant sectors and to its international sales network, the Group looks after the business interests of its customers effectively. A comprehensive range of services – both onsite and online – ensures that customers worldwide enjoy consistently high quality and flexibility when planning, organising and running their events. The wide range of services includes renting exhibition grounds, trade fair construction and marketing, personnel and food services.
With its headquarters in Frankfurt am Main, the company is owned by the City of Frankfurt (60 percent) and the State of Hesse (40 percent).
Further information is available at: www.messefrankfurt.com
* provisional figures 2018
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