As with every year, Barcelona welcomes professionals from the world of food at Alimentaria, International Food and Drinks Exhibition. The event, which takes place between 26th and 29th of March, has become consolidated as one of the most important in the world and principal benchmark in this sector.
Diversity in 14 halls
The wide range on display at Alimentaria is distributed throughout 14 halls, depending on the category or origin of the product.
Expobebidas is the hall dedicated to refreshments, water and beer. In pavilion 6 principal brands from the drinks sector come together, all of whom assume the mantle of innovation as a sign of identity.
Interpesca, Pavilion 6 includes a great diversity of produce from the sea, aquaculture and fish farms. The hall plays host to a series of sector-related initiatives, driven by the Ministry of the Environment and Rural and Marine Affairs.
Congelexpo, for its part, is dedicated to frozen products, a sector very popular amongst end consumers. Quality is the principal characteristic of these products, which are exhibited in pavilion 7.
Expoconser, canned produce hall, located in pavilion 7, and hosting the Spanish and international canned produce industry, enjoying notable presence at the fair year after year.
E
The Organic Food hall is testament to the boom in this sector, which has driven trends which are undoubtedly prevailing, and continuing to grow, in Europe over recent years.
Intercarn brings you the best selection of meat and derivative products, which make up a sub-sector currently of great importance on an international level. Over 400 exhibitors from around the world come together in this hall.
Dairy products and their derivatives are present at Interlact. There are more than 260 firms from the sector, all of them synonymous with quality and innovation, both at national and international level.
Intervin is the ideal location for wines and spirits. The best wine-growing firms at an international level congregate in this hall, although it is Spanish production that plays a starring role.
Multiproducto acts as the most diverse hall in the fair, as it brings together brands from an infinity of markets: from rice, to spices, without forgetting pasta.
At Olivaria the Spanish presence plays a leading role, leader in the production of olive oil. The hall exhibits the novelties launched in a sector which increasingly exerts itself to achieve international recognition.
The most sweet-toothed have an unmissable date with Mundidulce, the hall for biscuits, sweets and confectionery. Professionals of the sector may win an award in the “Impulse Stars” competition.
Restaurama, International Hall for food outside of the home, it is the benchmark European space for the HORECA channel and the bakery, ice-cream and patisserie sectors. Over 300 firms make this one of the busiest halls at Alimentaria.
The Regional Pavilion hosts the Spanish gastronomy from the most notable regions of the country. Quality and diversity are both present in this regional range, for the purposes of also gaining strength abroad.
The venue for commercial relations is the International Pavilion (nº2), which hosts close to 75 countries committed to the internationalization of their products, grouped into 6 categories: Western Europe, Central and Eastern Europe, Latin America, North America, Asia and the Middle East.
Premium is the space for the delicatessens. Professionals of recognised prestige, who operate in the sector of high end products, exhibit their new products in this pavilion. Present at Alimentaria 2012 will be, amongst others, firms such as La Antigua, Ahumados Domínguez, or La Catedral de Navarra.
Alimentaria 2012 committed to internationalization
75 countries are committed to internationalization as a key element in the food industry and this aspiration crystallises in the 19th edition of Alimentaria 2012. And so, just as José Antonio Valls, Director of the Fair, stated, one third of the 4000 companies participating in the event are foreign, coming not only from the European Union, but also from the United States, Latin America and the Middle East. In addition, in the Restaurama hall, countries such as Japan, China, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain or Croatia, all show us their best range of produce.
Innovation, protagonist of “The Alimentaria Hub”
In this 19th edition of Alimentaria a new multi-format space is inaugurated, “The Alimentaria Hub”, with the objective of driving the development of new trends in the sector.
The activities that will take place in this hall are based on six fundamental pillars: distribution and retailers; Innovation and R+D; nutrition, health and wellbeing; internationalization and globalisation; marketing and communication; and, lastly, corporate social responsibility.
