More than 61,000 trade visitors and 900 exhibitors allowed IFFA 2007 to log a seven percent increase in visitors off the previous show (in 2004), affirming IFFA as the international trade show of choice for many in the industry.

According to reports from Messe Frankfurt, which owns and operates IFFA, nearly one of every two visitors (46 percent) to IFFA 2007 came from outside of Germany, giving the show the true global flavor it was determined to represent. IFFA is without doubt the largest trade fair the meat and poultry industry can experience, and this year’s event was the biggest in many years.

“Five percent more exhibitors and even more growth on the visitor side — not to mention  a level of internationality higher than ever before — provide impressive confirmation of the IFFA success story,” says Detlef Braun, member of the board of management of Messe Frankfurt.

To get an idea of the global scope of the show, after the high number of visitors from Germany, the top 10 European visitor nations were Russia, Spain, Italy, The Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Denmark, Switzerland, Belgium and the Ukraine. The leading overseas nations were the United States, Brazil, Australia and Japan. According to Messe Frankfurt reports, 96 percent of visitors were very pleased with the range of products and services at the fair and were primarily interested in machinery and equipment for processing and packaging meat products (35 percent), and spices, additives and aids for meat and sausage products (31 percent).

All in all, the exhibitors were highly satisfied with IFFA 2007. Top marks were given to the fair by 84 percent of exhibitors, with regard to visitor quality and contacts made to the appropriate target groups, according to Messe Frankfurt reports.

“The growth on both the exhibitor and visitor sides is a clear indication of the sector’s great willingness to invest, and IFFA 2007 gave the dynamically expanding market a further boost,” Braun adds. “Moreover, the trade fair is being used more and more by decision-makers from  related parts of the food sector.”

Berthold Gassmann, chairman of the IFFA Advisory Council concurs, saying, “Our high expectations of IFFA 2007 have been met in full. The positive development of the economic situation in many countries has not been without impact and has given a significant boost to the demand for machines and equipment.”

Gassmann adds that the council was particularly pleased with the increase in the number of visitors from outside Germany, as well as the number of German visitors.

Great interest was also shown in the complementary program. Special shows, such as “Retail Selling Today” and “Founding campaign for the butchers’ trade,” gave trade visitors a host of tips and ideas for new fields of business and ventures. The Meat Vision Conference organized by Messe Frankfurt and the Deutscher Fachverlag, represented a comprehensive source of information on the latest trends and developments in relation to meat marketing, meat logistics and the global meat sector.

The next IFFA will be held in Frankfurt am Main in May 2010. In the meantime, watch for The National Provisioner’s IFFA Post Show Report, with select booth and exhibitor recaps from IFFA 2007, next month, in the June 2007 issue.