CHICAGO – The international food and beverage industry supplier fair Anuga FoodTec is slated for March 23 – 26, 2021 at the Koelmesse exhibition center in Cologne, Germany. 

The decision to move forward with the convention in-person comes after the city of Cologne has reopened for business after lockdown and successfully held a travel-related expo in August and has trade shows scheduled for November and January. The exhibition center has created a framework designed to keep conditions suitable for trade fairs. 

“Due to numerous hygiene and protection measures in accordance with our B-SAFE4business concept, the (August) travel event was a great success,” said Mette Petersen, president and managing director of Koelnmesse Inc. “The German federal and state governments’ ban on major gatherings still applies to events such as festivals, concerts and sporting events. Trade fairs with a business-to-business orientation are fundamentally different from this. Their focus is on personal conversations and business contacts. And they are starting to take place now.” 

Koelmesse has seen travel expand throughout Europe and is confident international travel with appropriate safety measures will be steady by early 2021. 

More than 1,800 suppliers from over 50 countries are expected to showcase their products at Anuga FoodTec, along with a multi-faceted technical program including workshops, conferences and guided tours. 

“We are convinced that our trade fairs offer exhibitors and visitors ideal platforms for accelerating their return to business and for a rapid success after the crisis,” said Petersen. “With all food-related expos—everything from ingredients to process equipment to packaging materials—canceled in North America in 2020, and possibly into the start of 2021, Anuga FoodTec will be the must-attend event for people involved in all facets of the food and beverage industries. The expo promises to provide a comprehensive overview of the latest technologies and ingredients.” 

Plans for Anuga FoodTec 2021 include: 

  • Focused visitors: All tradeshow visitors will be familiar with the special demands of the food and beverage industry. Attendees can expect to profit from competent, concentrated and focused discussions. 

  • Worldwide media attention: Over 6,200 items of coverage were published from journalists all over the world for Anuga FoodTec 2018. Over 37,000 industry experts follow Anuga FoodTec on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. 

  • Exclusive visitors: Over a quarter of visitors (28%) don’t attend any other trade fair. 

  • High internationality: Visitors come from 155 countries around the world. 

  • Top presence: The world’s largest food groups such as Nestlé, PepsiCo, Anheuser-Busch, JBS and many more attended FoodTec 2018. 

  • Top decision-makers on-site: Eighty-seven percent of visitors are involved in purchasing decisions for their companies. 

  • Coverage of all food and beverage industries: Visitors include members of the dairy, meat, produce, pastries, oils, fats and beverage industries. 

  • Accessibility: Thanks to its central location in Europe and the direct train connection to the fairgrounds from the three international airports--Frankfurt, Düsseldorf and Cologne/Bonn, visitors can reach the trade fair conveniently. 

For more information about the trade fair visit here.