Planet

Food fairs, Tuttofood overtaking Anuga

October 31, 2021

The year 2021 records the overtaking of Tuttofood (Milan) over Anuga (Cologne), among the Old Continent’s food fairs, in terms of number of visitors. A success that exceeds all expectations and deserves some reflections.

Tuttofood and Host, Anuga and Cibus

Fiera Milano Rho exceeded 150,000 visitors this year, thanks to the combination of Tuttofood and Host-with the addition of Meat-Tech-at the same time. Food products, machinery and equipment in different halls of the same exhibition area.

The occasion was worthwhile to attract the different skills-industrial and logistics, purchasing and quality, sales and marketing-of the various players in the supply chain, including microenterprises. With the flywheel effect of the exhibitors themselves, 2,700 in Milan last week.

Anuga-the premier trade fair for the food industry in Europe, on the other hand, took a hard hit, with only 70,000 visitors. Not only in comparison with Milan but also in comparison with its previous edition in 2019, when there were 170,000 tickets. Out of the game now is Cibus Parma, as expected, with less than 40,000 visits. (1)

Unlikely excuses

The leitmotif of measures to contain Covid contagion is not enough to explain the above numbers. The three fairs applied the same protocol, requiring Green Passes at the entrances. Only Cologne perhaps, of the three fairs, had a historical share of non-EU visitors to explain a restriction-related decline. But even this is not enough to explain its drop in visits, -60%.

Some people in Parma allege that the data are falsified by the opening of Tuttofood to the general public, instead of just trade operators, ‘like a country fair.’ But the argument has little credibility, considering that the Milan fair is distinctly B2B-as is the Parma fair after all-and ticket costs (65 euros Tuttofood, 80 Cibus) are dissuasive to the general public.

Possible reasons

It is easier to understand that Milan-already the capital of fashion and furniture-is finally reaping the benefits of Expo 2015. Occasion in which both the city’s connection with food and its exhibition size and capacity were affirmed. As well as the ease of arranging public transportation (plane, train, subway) and accommodations.

It adds to the global reputation of Italy’s quintessential metropolis, the epicenter of business and shopping. With an attractiveness that can rival Paris, where Europe’s other major food fair (Sial) is based. Objectively unattainable for Cologne and Parma, much to the anathemas of Governor Stefano Bonaccini. (2)

Perspectives

Italian industry follows business, as is logical. And it is not alone in seizing the opportunities associated with Tuttofood, where a pavilion was all but dedicated to foreign exhibitors. From Scandinavian countries to Asia, as well as the United States.

The challenge now, in the writer’s humble opinion, is digital innovation. Accompanying a large physical fair with its web version. On a multilingual platform that allows people to visit the fair and interact with exhibitors online as well, with cutting-edge effectiveness and sustainability.

Dario Dongo