Fi Europe 2024: data reveals increased attendance

Informa Markets has released data that has reaffirmed Fi Europe as Europe’s unmissable ingredients event. The annual ingredients industry gathering, which took place at Frankfurt Messe from 19-21 November, attracted 23,221 attendees from 130 countries. Not only did the event see higher footfall than in recent years, it also welcomed an increased number of attendees from the key R&D, product management and procurement functions.

Collectively, this data is evidence that Informa’s efforts to keep the format fresh and exciting were well received. In 2025, Fi Europe will return to Paris Expo Porte de Versailles from 2-4 December.

The food industry relies on Fi Europe as a forum for sourcing new ingredients, keeping abreast of industry trends and developments and making connections. The 2024 edition did not disappoint with its bustling show floor, informative content programme and abundance of networking opportunities. The event app was further developed this year to enhance the in-person experience, allowing attendees to scan one another’s badges and manage all contacts and leads in one place, so that they can easily contact them after the show.

Fi Europe’s carefully curated in-person content programme is always a major draw and this year was no exception. The Future of Nutrition Summit kicked off the proceedings the day before Fi Europe opened its doors, with a full agenda designed to inspire and inform whilst facilitating networking and discussion. Speakers from NASA, Nuritas, NotCo, PepsiCo and Unilever shared powerful and thought-provoking insights into the issues, trends and technologies expected to shape the F&B industry in the coming years.

From Tuesday, the vibrant show floor became the focal point of the event, bringing over 1500 suppliers of ingredients and related technologies and services together with potential buyers. Thousands of ingredients were showcased at the event, reaffirming Fi Europe as the premier platform for sourcing food and beverage ingredients. For the first time, visitors were given the option of buying an early access pass. Uptake was high, and when the exhibition opened at 9am on Tuesday morning, early pass holders had exclusive access to explore the show floor.

Occupying four halls, the venue was zoned, allowing visitors to focus their efforts. Over 80 companies populated the Food Technologies & Solutions zone, which had been expanded for 2024. They were kept busy by a constant stream of visitors keen to learn about solutions for making their operations and supply chain activities safe, sustainable, efficient and resilient. The Petfood Suppliers Hub was introduced as a new zone for 2024, giving the pet food industry a dedicated forum for exchanging ideas, inspiring innovation and forging new relationships. It proved a popular addition, enabling companies to harness the synergies between the food and pet food ingredient markets.

A further first, free access to the Fi Europe Conference was included with all visitor passes. Experts addressed packed auditoriums throughout the two-day conference, which focused on four topical themes: health and wellbeing; plant-based and alternative proteins; reformulation; and tech-led ingredient innovations and solutions. Speakers from a broad cross-section of commercial, academic and research organisations, including EIT, Euromonitor, Innova, Mintel, RaboResearch and Wageningen University, made for a varied and insightful programme.

One of the highlights of day two was the Women’s Networking Breakfast, which featured engaging talks and panel discussions with some of the industry’s most respected female leaders. It was the best attended ever, and the networking was outstanding.
The entire event was designed around inspiring, enabling and celebrating innovation, through features like the Tasting Bar, where attendees had the opportunity to taste ingredients in use through samples such as goats’ milk protein bars, marine collagen water and next-gen energy drinks. The Innovation Hub hosted presentations and discussions as well as the Startup Challenge, and the prestigious Fi Europe Innovation Awards recognised outstanding contributions to the F&B ingredients industry.

Yannick Verry, Brand Director, Food ingredients Europe, at Informa Markets, says: “We recognise that it is crucial for Fi Europe not to remain static, but to evolve and change with the times, to ensure it continues to be relevant and to represent value for money for participants. For 2024 we made some changes and trialled several new features, whilst staying true to our promise of providing a platform for companies to trade, innovate and grow. We are delighted to report that the show embodied all the ingredients of a successful event, and we are already looking at how we can make the 2025 edition in Paris even better.”

These positive sentiments were echoed by exhibiting companies. A selection of quotes follows:

Matthieu Bertoux, Marketing Director, EMEA, Ingredion:

“Food ingredients Europe 2024 was a hugely successful one for Ingredion as we showcased our latest proprietary research focusing on key trends such as clean label – a major talking point at the show. This is no surprise given that 3 out of 4 European consumers seek products made with recognisable ingredients.”

Bastian Hoermann, Global Marketing Director, Sweet Goods & Dairy and Specialized Nutrition, ADM:

“Fi Europe is always a great opportunity for ADM to feature a full range of innovative ingredients and solutions. Along with the expertise and thought leadership of our business leaders and product specialists this all helps to drive awareness, strengthening relationships, generate leads and create new business opportunities.”

Dr. Andreas Nagel, Head of Food Technology and Nutrition Center, JRS Food Ingredients:

“JRS Food Ingredients has successfully used Fi Europe as an important focal point for its international market activities for many years. For us, Fi Europe is a meeting place, market barometer, trend and innovation exchange all in one.”

Katharina Haack, Head of Marketing Communications, GoodMills Innovation:

“For GoodMills Innovation, Fi Europe 2024 was a very satisfying event. In particular, our new fibre and protein fortification solutions, plant-based products and protein-rich pulse flours attracted a lot of interest as they address current market trends. The numerous and high-value expert discussions underlined the value of the show as a platform for innovative food ingredients.” www.informamarkets.com

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