Record breaking Vitafoods Europe
Vitafoods Europe 2016 welcomed a total of 17,666 visitors through its doors – an increase of 13% on last year’s number and an all time high for the show.
Held at Palexpo in Geneva from 10-12 May, this year’s event was its 20th anniversary and a truly international affair, with visitors hailing from 115 different countries. 2016 heralded a fresh approach that increased the focus of the event on the key areas that matter most to visitors. In order to offer a richer experience, the show focused on four distinct sectors:
- Ingredients & Raw Materials
- Finished Products
- Contract Manufacturing & Private Label
- Services & Equipment
The show also featured a number of new and returning visitor attractions that placed the emphasis on interaction and meeting the business challenges of today. Making its debut was the Sports Nutrition Zone, where visitors could discover the latest developments in the fast growing sports nutrition category. In the Optimal Health Testing Centre, meanwhile, exhibitors demonstrated how to identify specific health needs and deliver tailored nutrition solutions to meet them.
Also premiering was the Springboard Pavilion, a dedicated space for visitors to engage with start-ups and other entrepreneurs at the cutting edge of the nutrition sector. In addition, the Vitafoods LaunchPad was a new feature where visitors could hear concise, bite-sized presentations from exhibitors about the latest product launches in the nutrition industry. LaunchPad products were also available to view in the New Products Zones.
Another new feature, the Vitafoods Centre Stage, played host to speakers on a range of topics including sports nutrition, business growth strategies, regulatory compliance and formulating for the consumer. It was also the scene of the Vitafoods Venture Den, a new competition giving nutraceutical start-ups the opportunity to pitch to investors and compete for a prize package worth €75,000. In a tight contest, the winner was botanical ingredients supplier Mazza Innovation, which uses a novel extraction method called PhytoClean.
Running alongside the exhibition was the Vitafoods Europe Conference, which boasted a strong line-up of speakers from the worlds of academia, market research and industry.
Chris Lee, Vitafoods portfolio director, comments, “Vitafoods Europe 2016 was our 20th anniversary and it was a truly special international event. We’re delighted at the numbers of visitors we welcomed through Palexpo’s doors and also very pleased that they found the event a stimulating and rewarding environment in which to meet and do business.
“This year’s Vitafoods Europe broke all records in terms of visitor and exhibitor numbers, and the Vitafoods Conference was once again a major success. The global nutraceuticals sector is vibrant and thriving – and Vitafoods Europe is the number one meeting place for the industry, delivering opportunities for people to develop their network of contacts and get business done.”
Vitafoods Europe returns to Palexpo next year from 9-11 May 2017.
