Fi Europe co-located with Hi Europe will cover specialty food ingredients from sensory to functional, as well as processing solutions and services across the whole supply chain. On December 1, 2020, Fi Europe and Hi Europe will open the doors as co-located events in Frankfurt for the first time.
The decision to co-locate the two events was based on research conducted among visitors and exhibitors. More than 65% of exhibitors said they would support an annual co-located Fi Europe and Hi Europe, and 75% of visitors confirmed they would visit the show every year. When asked about innovation, more than 80% of visitors and exhibitors stated they had launched a new product or a new ingredient in the past 12 months – which organizers Informa Markets say backs the decision to offer a yearly event at which novelties can be shared with a wide audience while they are still “hot”.
Informa Markets said it is taking into account the rapid pace with which new trends, consumer demands and challenges now occur.
No change until 2020
Group director Natasha Berrow said, “We want to offer our exhibitors and visitors a trade show that is unique not only in its thematic coverage, but also in its innovative and fresh character. It should be a platform for tomorrow’s trends, not only today’s. We want to give our exhibitors and visitors a wider spectrum of alternatives and options. With Germany and France alternating as hosting countries, we will be covering the two most important markets for the European food and beverage industry.”
Julien Bonvallet, Fi Europe brand director, said, “Clean label, free from, sustainability and functionality are the trends that have moved and advanced the industry in recent years, and they have a common denominator: the health-conscious consumer. With a desire for better, more natural and healthier food and beverages this consumer has brought those issues to the table.”
This year’s Fi Europe & Ni will remain unchanged as a single event, running from December 3-5, 2019 in Paris. After the first joint event in Frankfurt in 2020, the show will return to Paris in 2021.