Record Number of Visitors: 45,000 People at BioFach and Vivaness

All the visitors had huge enthusiasm for Vivaness. Even the Nuremberg Trade Fair, the organisers of BioFach and Vivaness, had not anticipated such a positive response. The two specialist trade fairs came to an end yesterday with new records: an increase of around 7500 specialist visitors (+ 20 %) compared with last year thronged through the exhibition halls in Nuremberg. More than a third of producers, manufacturers, retailers and service providers (34 %) came from 116 different countries to gather information from the 2566 exhibitors (+ 23 %) on products and trends in the organic market, that is experiencing a boom  in all corners of the world. A good two-thirds of the exhibitors came from 80 nations abroad.

Picture: Vivaness was very popular with all the visitors

Italy, the country of the year (picture), had a wide range of culinary specialities on display. About 8000 specialist visitors took advantage of more than 150 events arranged by the BioFach Congress and the Vivaness Forum.

Udo Funke, the new project manager for BioFach and Vivaness, was thrilled by his premiere in Nuremberg: “Wherever you look, happy exhibitors and visitors, two superlative trade fairs, an outstanding industry. This is exactly how I hoped my initiation at the Nuremberg Trade Fair would be.” At the press conference on 14 February, before the start of BioFach, Claus Rättich spoke with enthusiasm on behalf of the management of the Fair about the next few days and presented figures to underline the dynamism of the organics industry. Never before had so many German companies come to BioFach, and this year the exhibition space was increased by 18 % to accommodate almost 800 exhibitors.

This year, Vivaness was responsible for a large part of the growth in exhibition space in the new, brilliantly lit Hall 7A that was just about fully booked by 164 exhibitors of natural cosmetics, washing and cleaning materials, natural remedies and natural chemists’ products. For the German manufacturers, leaders in natural cosmetics on the international stage, this is traditionally their big show, and this year they were more than happy with the number of visitors and the public’s interest in them. The natural cosmetics market in Germany is certainly an attractive proposition: the number of companies from abroad rose by 50 % compared with last year.

(Picture: The model Francis Oppong from Ghana looks in amazement at people on stilts in the Vivaness Exhibition Hall)

“The trend in demand for organic products will continue to be positive,” predicts Alexander Gerber, Director of the German Association of the Organic Food Industry. At BioFach 2007, you could actually experience for yourself what was expressed in the figures. 2006 was a great success for the whole organics industry in Germany, with Professor Ulrich Hamm (University of Kassel) and the Office of Market and Price Statistics estimating a rise in turnover of food of approximately 16 % to 4.5 bn euros. The reason for celebration was not only the successful premiere of Vivaness but also the fact that each and every one of the exhibitors at the Nuremberg Trade Fair felt well disposed and really happy with the business contacts they made.

(Picture: Even inside the exhibition halls organic flowers from Holland show spring is on the way)

BioFach 2007 also focused on core values and the mission of the organics movement worldwide. In his charismatic opening address on Thursday, Slow-Food President Carlo Petrini underlined his conviction that only organic agriculture can save the world.

Claus Rättich emphasised the point that quality is more important than quantity and also spoke about the core values to which the organic industry is committed: “The organics industry occupies a leading position in terms of changing values.” He explained that consumers of organics were concerned not only about healthy food but also about authenticity, originality, social responsibility and the environment. BioFach wanted to create a platform for players in the industry who wanted to help shape to the market with their ideas. Various events held in the congress, which ran in tandem with the exhibition, addressed the fundamental issues raised.

(Picture: Visitors on their way up and down to attend events held in the Congress Centre (East) at the Nuremberg Trade Fair)