An igniting spark was all that was needed

That “spark” was Udo Funke, since October 2006 the new project manager for BioFach and Vivaness and the successor of Heike Slotta. He has tackled his new job with great enthusiasm and is now well established in the post. The 44 year-old business studies graduate has been working for 16 years in the trade fair business, and he has brought even more new ideas to the already successful BioFach concept 2007. Organic-Market.Info accompanied him to Paris, Milan and Madrid on his journey to meet the press.

By the way: the German word Funke means spark.

Picture: Udo Funke: always on the ball

“It is a huge honour for me to be in charge of a fair like this,” says Mr Funke. From 1999 to September 2006, he worked at the Freiburg Fair where he was responsible, among other things, for the Intersolar Trade Fair. So “eco” was already a part of his vocabulary when he received the tempting offer from NürnbergMesse. “At the time, I was looking for a new challenge, and Nuremberg has such an outstanding reputation for trade fairs.” Around 250 employees work at NürnbergMesse.

(Picture: BioFach press conference in Paris)

“I regard personal communication as very important,” Mr Funke explains. It plays an important role both when representing NürnbergMesse in public and when dealing with the seven members of the BioFach team who work for him on the preparation and implementation of the biggest international organic trade fair worldwide. When the pressure is on – just before and during the fair – the team expands to up to 15 employees. “The market is developing extremely rapidly, and the onus is on us to adapt – sometimes at short notice.” One of his aims is to keep on improving the internal processes, such as the coordination with the various BioFach fairs in other countries.

(Picture: Press conference at the opening of BioFach 2007 with Petra Trommer, Head of the Communications Department and Claus Rättich, member of the management board of NürnbergMesse).

His particular preoccupation this year has been the subject of wine. “This year, we have completely revamped the Wine Hall (4A) where the wine exhibitors from 13 countries display their products.” Altogether there are 330 wine exhibitors at the BioFach 2008. The cosmetics hall Vivaness, measuring 2000 m², also has more exhibition space than last year. And it’s not only organic wine from all over the world that is there in the modern wine hall, flooded with light; the olive oil bar – in its seventh year – radiates new splendour. The Wine Hall, the place to indulge in the latest trend and to enjoy culinary delights, is the perfect ambience for organic olive oil as well.  From 21 to 24 February 2008, as the visitors move from the taste parcours to olive oil sampling, their senses will be constantly stimulated. For the first time a prize will be awarded for the best olive oil produced organically. The special thing about this award is the people doing the tasting of the olive oil, because the visitors themselves will make the final decision.

(Picture: Even the newspapers have noticed: it’s the spark that was missing!)

Mr Funke expects about 45,000 visitors will come to BioFach 2008 and he thinks the number of exhibitors could rise to 2600. The area covered by the fair could be as high as 43,000 m², with the figure rising to 89,500 m² when the communal and traffic areas are taken into account. In recent years, the way the numbers are going has been extremely positive. Compared to the roughly 19,000 m² in 2000, when NürnbergMesse took over BioFach from the previous organisers, the area now occupied by the fair has more than doubled. More than 30 % of visitors to BioFach come from other countries, and in the case of the exhibitors the figure is more than two-thirds (68 %). These percentages have scarcely changed since 2002.

When asked how he would like to see BioFach developing in the coming years, Mr Funke explains: “In five years, the fair could easily expand from the current ten halls to 14.” He can see no end to growth in the immediate future. Bearing in mind the increasing importance of organic agriculture and the organic market everywhere, and considering the fact that BioFach is the biggest specialist trade fair of its kind, there are excellent prospects for further rises in the number of exhibitors and the exhibition space they occupy.

Feedback from the industry itself regarding Mr Funke has been positive: “Mr Funke is a very competent person and charming discussion partner who combines a sense of humour with the neccesity of reaching solutions,” says Angela Caudle, executive director of IFOAM. 

Klara Ahlers from Lavera comments: “I work with Mr Funke on the advisory committee at BioFach and Vivaness. I value in particular the fact that he is receptive to suggestions from the committee. In my experience, he takes proposals seriously and ensures that they are implemented.”

(Picture on right: Press conference in Madrid)

The opinions of the project team members are favourable too: “He’s a breath of fresh air that does BioFach and Vivaness good. A dynamic international trade fair needs, now and again, to look at things from a different angle. Of course, we don’t want to lose sight of the values we have been working with,” says Nina Berger, who has been in the BioFach team for four years. “What I appreciate a lot in Mr Funke are his social skills.” And Sabrina Hendelmeier, who has been in the BioFach team since 2001, adds: “Working for BioFach and Vivaness and being a part of the organic industry’s most important international platform is great fun and always a new and exciting challenge.”

Mr Funke finds the work no less pleasing: “I find the dynamism, the aura and the internationalism of BioFach a hugely positive experience.” Bearing in mind the international nature of BioFach, his knowledge of languages is of great benefit to him, and not just during the four days of the fair. He uses his languages in everyday communication, in conversations with exhibitors from Japan, Brazil, USA and France. He speaks fluent English and French, and his knowledge of Spanish and Italian is enough for a few introductory sentences. This ability immediately enables him to win over his audience, people who may have come from Turin or Bologna to Milan specially to attend a BioFach press conference. (Picture on left: Mr Funke knows how to listen too)

Mr Funke sees himself mainly as someone who gets things done and as a facilitator. He freely admits that the substance has to come from the industry itself. When asked about his favourite organic product, he becomes pensive. The huge choice obviously makes it difficult for him to decide. His wife Martina takes care of the shopping. She recently moved with their two daughters (seven and nine years old) to their detached house in Neumarkt, 30 km south east of Nuremberg. Mr Funke likes spending his free time with his family best of all. Free time includes cycling, hiking, skiing, swimming, inliner skating and ice skating.

Overview of BioFach 2008

21.2.-24.2.2008 in the Messezentrum Nuremberg

Innovations

• Topic of the year: wine and natural personal care
• Hall specifically for wine and olive oil
• Africa pavilion

Special exhibitions and events (hall):

● IFOAM-Café (1)
● Vivaness-Oasis (7A)
● Vivaness-Relax Garden (7)
● Organic Wine Fair, presentation of the winners of the International Organic Wine Award, Vinotheques with wine experts and tasting

● Special exhibition gastronomy and bulk consumers (3)
● Olive oil bar (4A)
● Ristoro Italia (4)
● Novelties (3 + 7A)
● Organic bar (2)
● BÖLW-Café (6)
● Internet-Café (3)
● Beer Village (3)
● Product of the year (press lunch)