Alimentary expensive plant to the crisis and gathers to 142.000 operators of the sector

After the celebration of Alimentary 2012 a premise has remained clear: again, the living room contributed to exhibit the potential and strategic character of the sector agroalimentario. An activity surpassed only by the tourist in contribution to the national GDP (a 7,6 %), with a production above the 80.700 million euros and an increase of 11% in the exports during the year 2011, according to data of FIAB. The contest did not have it easy: on the one hand, the coyuntura of current economic crisis; by the another side, the general strike of the 29-M. But the figures speak by himself alone and according to the organisation, Alimentary 2012 attained to attract the visit of more than 142.000 operators, 1,4% more than in the previous edition. The international assistance reached the 40.000 visitors, the 29 % of the total, and 11% more than in the year 2010.

Alimentary 2012 closed his doors the past 29 March after four days of intense activity ferial in the Big enclosure Road of Fira of Barcelona. The living room congregó –to fault still of the definite data– to 142.000 professionals and near of 4.000 companies expositoras. These figures earn special importance in the current context of crisis and ascertain the fortress of the alimentary industry like clear engine of recovery for the Spanish economy.

142.000 professionals visited during his four days of Alimentary length 2012, surpassing the forecasts of the Alimentary organisation Exhibitions, joint venture between Fira of Barcelona and Reed Exhibitions. The assistance of international professionals also beat all the records with 40.000 visitors from 60 countries, a 11 % more than the last edition of Alimentary, in the year 2010.

And is that Alimentary 2012 stood out so much by the quantity as by the quality of the professional assistants to the event, what in words of the his president, Josep-Lluís Bonet, supposes the confirmation of the fortress of a sector like the alimentary: “the sector is planting expensive to the crisis with positive data and that has a big economic transcendence in the present and future of the country”. In fact, this has been one of the constants of the XIX edition of Alimentary, the claim of greater visibility and recognition of an economic engine like the alimentary industry, only surpassed by the tourist in contribution to the national GDP (a 7,6 %), with a production above the 80.700 million euros and an increase of 11% in the exports during the year 2011, according to data of the Spanish Federation of Industries of Feeding and Drunk (FIAB).

By his part, Josep Antoni Valls, director of Alimentary and general director attach of Alimentary Exhibitions, company organiser of the fair, described to the alimentary of “sector that vertebra the economy and the progress, totally engaged with the health, the sustainability, the employment, the economy, the social cohesion, the culture, the innovation, the rural world and the mark Spain”. Likewise, the director declared that “Alimentary 2012 has testimoniado the big quality of the alimentary industry, that has dumped with the fair projecting a flawless image and with enormous win to go out forward”.

Like this then , and after a week of intense activity ferial in the Big enclosure Road of Fira of Barcelona, Alimentary revalidates his condition of Spanish contest of reference for the sector agroalimentario and his position between the three alimentary fairs more important of the world.

The internationalisation is one of the main values of Alimentary, that represents to a sector formed in 96% by SMEs that have in the living room his only platform of promotion and exit to the outside.

To favour the international business, Alimentary propició more than 8.000 meetings between Spanish and importing companies of all the world and has invited to some 500 international professionals beside FIAB, ICEX, AMEC, ACC1Or and the Camera of Trade of Barcelona. Between the assistants to these bilateral meetings stand out representatives of Walmart (Argentina), Pao of Açucar, (Brazil), H-And-B and Palace of the Ironinging (Mexico), Pomobel (Angola), Azbuka Vskuza (Russia), Meijer, H-And-B Group and Head office Market (USE), Spar and Hyper City (India), Park'n Shop, City Super and Cofco (China), Shinshegae (Korea), Ace and Zas (Japan) and Head office Foods and Makro (Thailand). Some of the companies that have taken advantage of these contacts to open new markets are Cadademont, Gullón, Maheso, Borges, Miguel Torrres, Ortiz, Aljomar, Joselito and Five Jotas, between others.

Of the wall of 4.000 companies expositoras of Alimentary, 1.300 (32%) were foreign, pertinent of 75 countries like Thailand, Dubai, Sweden and Japan, that premièred participation in Alimentary; in addition to the presence of China –that has duplicated space–, Indonesia, India, Iran, Brazil, Chile, United States and the practical whole of the countries of the EU. During this edition ascertained , besides, the important growth of the Asian participation that confirms the interest of the continent by the Spanish gastronomy.

By his part, Mexico premièred in Alimentary 2012 the distinction of country invited with the contribution of 40 display units and the dinamización of activities linked to the gastronomy of the Aztec country.

In addition to a commercial platform, of contacts and opportunities of business, Alimentary 2012 has put of self-evident the vigour of the Spanish gastronomy and his narrow relation with the alimentary industry and the tourist sector.

According to data of FIAB, the consumption of Spanish foods in the countries of origin of the tourists increases 40% during his stay, standing out the purchase of wine, ham and oil. It is a clear example that the sector of the feeding has to exert as big ally of the tourism and take advantage of the opportunity that provide the more than 57 million tourists that visit the country every year. This fact is, besides, very linked to the exports, where the alimentary sector has a big potential, being one of the few with some positive commercial scales. The FIAB foresees that the exports register an increase ineranual of 15,9% during the six first months of the year 2012, with a value estimated of 10.300 million euros.

In this sense, the Minister of Agriculture, Miguel Arias Cañete, announced in Alimentary that the Government proposes rediseñar in this term of office his politics of external promotion in the field of the feeding improving the trinomial feeding, tourism and gastronomy and “unifying political in accordance with the autonomous communities”, as well as the next activation of a “national strategy of defence of a sector that is the one who more patent and innova”.

Between the activities of Alimentary that have contributed to enhance the best Spanish gastronomy, and the tendencies of present and future of the catering have stood out the International Congress of gastronomy BCNVanguardia, that has centred his program in the integration of the innovation in the businesses of catering; the Taste & Flavours with Sweep It To it of Oils of Oliva Gourmet, the Iberian ‘Restaurant in Company and the catas of Vinorum; the big final of the IV Contest Cook of the Year; Spain, the Country of the 100 Cheeses; and the space of première Food Experience, Markets &Trends with workshops, talks and demonstrations on manufacturing and conservation of foods of IV, V and SAW range and international gastronomic cultures.

One of the big novelties of Alimentary 2012 was the space 'The Alimentary Hub', a centre that grouped all the activities of the fair that look for to improve the innovative and multidimensional character of the industry and identify his opportunities of business. With the support of Nestlé, BBVA, AZTI-Tecnalia, AECOC, Santiveri, APPLUS+, IRTA, FIAB, Foundation Triptolemos, the Ministry of Agriculture, Feeding and Environingingment, ICEX, Group GP, and the Government of Catalonia; in 'The Alimentary Hub' sucedieron diverse activities, congresses and exhibitions around the R&D, the nutrition, the globalisation, the marketing and the corporate social responsibility, amongst other subjects. The International Congress of the Mediterranean Diet, Innoval, the Prizes Best Pack, the Days of transfer of R&D of FIAB, the I Forum Nestlé of Creation of Value Shared, the business meetings of FIAB, AMEC, ACC1Or and the Camera of Trade of Barcelona, in addition to the Mundidulce Business Meetings and Olavaria Business Meetings have harvested a big success of participation.

At the same time, Alimentary presented the last novelties of the industry, from ice creams of mussels, quicos or chistorra, until tequila pink, beer of romero, water with caffeine and stuffings with nuts; going through paellas ecological in tin, nougat covered of edible gold, palomitas of chicken, vegetal teas in dust and sausages of tuna.

More than 1.700 journalists accredited to give coverage to the event, although the follow-up of the living room did not go only face-to-face. The social network Twitter supposed a big platform of diffusion of the living room with more than 30 million impressesions. A total of 3.500 tuiteros issued more than 13.000 tuits referents to Alimentary 2012.