We have the pleasure to interview Mr. Lorenz Rau, Director of Anuga. Who brings us the latest trends about the tradeshow that is taking place in Colonia from 5th to 9th of October. 
What novelties have you prepared for this 2019 edition?
Anuga is celebrating its 100th anniversary, which is definitely a highlight of this year’s Anuga. Therefore, visitors can expect not only a look into the past and what the industry has achieved. The current new products and industry trends will also be presented in the "Anuga Trend Zone" and at the "Anuga taste Innovation Show". But not only the current trends are presented at Anuga. A strong focus will also be placed on the future of food at the anniversary edition. At “Anuga Horizon 2050”, the trade visitors can inform themselves about the visions and solutions for the next 50 years on all days of the trade fair and also engage in an active exchange with industry pioneers, start-ups and experts. It deals with issues such as how new technologies are changing the food industry, how disruptive innovations are being implemented, and what is needed to ensure lasting transparency and safety in the food chain. Topics such as convenience, sustainability, waste reduction and reformulation will play an important role. Anuga Trend Zone, Anuga taste Innovation Show and Anuga Horizon 2050 form the new Boulevard of Inspiration. These are basically the hot spots for food and beverages trends, innovations and future developments, which should not be missed when visiting Anuga. For the first time, Anuga also offers participation opportunities for start-ups. In six different start-up areas, young and innovative companies from about 25 countries will present their product innovations to the global trade audience. Adding to this, they can also participate in “Food Start-up Award 2019” by the leading German trade magazine Lebensmittel Praxis.
The event presents a multifaceted program with workshops at Anuga, and special events. Which of the activities do you think are a must for the visitor or which of them do you highlight?
There are three major congresses that discuss the most important trends and innovations in the industry. All three of them have strong focus on digitalization, future food developments and new market solutions. The innovation summit NEWTRITION X in Cologne on 6 October 2019 will focus on the future-oriented topic “personalized nutrition” and is organized by Anuga and its partner foodregio. Renowned representatives from the worlds of science and business will provide a comprehensive overview how this issue will revolutionize the food industry. Leading experts and decision-makers from industry and trade as well as highly regarded start-ups will share their know-how at the 5th Innovation Food Conference - iFood 2019 on October 7, which is organized by the German Institute for Food Technology (DIL). The focus will be on the following four major topics: Sustainability and new concepts for food, Blockchain and artificial intelligence, innovations as well as new foods and trends in the global food system. A third highlight is the E-Grocery Congress, which will discuss the global visions & future trends on 8 October in the Congress Centre North at Anuga. In detail issues such as shop concepts of the future, online trade, new distributions channels, innovative logistics solutions, the efficient evaluation of data as well as the consumer behavior of the millennials will be addressed.
What are the advantages of exhibiting at Anuga?
Anuga is open to decision-makers and professionals from all kind of sectors of the food and beverages industry. It’s basically a must for everyone who works in the food and beverages industry. Anuga as the world's largest trade fair for the food industry brings over 7,405 exhibitors from more than 100 countries to Cologne. Hardly any other event, both in the Koelnmesse program and in the industry environment, is as international and focused as the world's leading trade fair Anuga. The 10 trade fairs under one roof represent the diversity of the food industry centrally in one place. Each trade fair represents each individual segment in depth, thus achieving a consistent focus on the industry trends of the future. Moreover, Anuga is the future platform of the food industry. Innovations, products and trends that are employed by the industry in the coming years and decades are shown at Anuga. And most of all it’s a global business meeting spot and therefore a great place for networking and getting new impulses. Hardly any other trade fair in the field of industry offers such a high internationality as Anuga. More than 90% of exhibitors come from abroad. The trade visitors find their way to Cologne from over 190 countries, of which 74% of the trade visitors come from the international area.
Can you give some tips for those exhibiting for the first time in Colonia and specifically at Anuga? (venue rules, customs, business etiquette...)
Once we have confirmed the exhibitor, we strongly recommend to book accommodations for the fair. Our hotel service is supporting exhibitors if they need recommendations. The earlier an exhibitor acts, the better, because usually during Anuga lots of accommodations are fully booked and rather expensive. Each exhibitor has to take care of its stand construction and the design either by their partners or by our Koelnmesse tailor-made exhibition solutions. Any additional technical services that may be required, particularly the installation of electricity, water and safety devices, the recruitment of local auxiliary personnel, etc., can be ordered via the Koelnmesse-Service-Portal (KSP) by means of special order forms against a separate charge. For the duration of the event the stands must be staffed by personnel and display the products specified in the application and confirmation of acceptance. Trade fair participants from countries, whose citizens require a visa for travelling to Germany, we do offer visa support.
Can anybody attend Anuga? What is the visitor profile? How to register?
Anuga is a trade fair. It is open to decision-makers from the following sectors of the food and drink industry: food retail and wholesale trade, drinks retail and wholesale trade, trade co-operatives, drugstores and health food stores, food and drink trade representatives, food and drink importing and exporting, food skilled trades, food and drink manufacturing industry and suppliers to the food and drink industry. Responsible employees from companies engaged in the foodservice and catering market such as the hotel and catering trade, system/brand-name catering, industrial, communal and institutional catering including contract catering are also eligible to attend. The show is also open to those involved in the procurement and installation of technical facilities and equipment, the planning of large-scale catering establishments as well as the specialist trade for technology for large scale catering establishments. All visitors must be able to provide proof of their trade visitor status when acquiring their entrance tickets.
Via our website, trade fair visits can easily buy their tickets in our Online-Ticket-Shop. Day tickets are 40 euros online and 80 euros at the box office. Season Tickets are 80 euros online and 100 euros at the box office.
What is the exhibitor profile?
Exhibitors vary from small and medium-sized companies to large companies who are involved in the food and beverages business. They can be food and drink manufacturers, importers and wholesalers of food and drinks, suppliers to the food and drink industry, suppliers of services for the catering sector and suppliers of specialties as well as suppliers of fresh convenience products.
Which are the more relevant tradeshows in the sector?
Koelnmesse is an international leader in organizing food fairs and events regarding food and beverage processing. Trade fairs such as the Anuga, ISM and Anuga FoodTec are established world leaders. But Koelnmesse does not only organizes food trade fairs in Cologne, Germany, but also in further growth markets around the globe, for example, in Brazil, China, Colombia, India, Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United States and the United Arab Emirates, which have different focuses and contents. These global activities enable us to offer our customers a network of events, which in turn grant access to different markets and thus create a basis for sustainable and stable international business. Anufood Brazil and China or India, Thaifex Anuga Asia or alimentec are some to be named when speaking about other relevant trade shows worldwide.
Can you give us some participation results from the last edition?
Lastly, regarding the exhibitor, how many stand exhibitors participate in the last edition? from how many different nationalities they are?
Anuga 2017 was the best trade fair in a long time for many of the exhibitors. More than 7,400 companies from 107 countries, a new record, presented products from all over the world and all categories over the course of five days. Around 165,000 trade visitors from 198 countries took advantage of this unique offer for sourcing, information and ordering at top level.
