FULL CLOSING REPORT - 04. March 2015
BIOFACH and VIVANESS 2015: a brilliant start to the year for the organic industry
- Threefold increase: more space, more exhibitors and more visitors
- BIOFACH exhibition trends: Free From and Vegan
- VIVANESS highlights: the Best New Product Awards and the VEGAN trend
44,624* trade visitors from 136 countries travelled to this year’s annual get-together for the organic industry in Nürnberg. With a pleasing increase of 5 % in visitor numbers, BIOFACH, the World's leading Trade Fair for Organic Food, and VIVANESS, the International Trade Fair for Natural Personal Care, once again confirmed that Nürnberg is THE meeting place for the organic world. 2,344 exhibitors (3.6 % more than last year), 203 of whom appeared at VIVANESS, presented products and services to buyers from the food and cosmetics industries on a total net area of 44,623 m2 (Wolfan increase of 5.1 %). The exhibition trends in 2015 were foods containing no egg, gluten or lactose, i.e. “free-from products” and organic vegan products. The organic industry has plenty of reason to be happy: In 2014, German households spent 4.8 % more on organic food and drink than in the year before, with sales amounting to just under EUR 8bn according to the German Federation of the Organic Food Industry (BÖLW). The natural cosmetics market has also grown significantly. A general survey conducted by naturkosmetik konzepte, GfK, IRI, IMS Health and BioVista shows that over EUR 1bn were generated from natural cosmetics in 2014, 10 % more than in 2013.
Petra Wolf, Member of the Management Board of NürnbergMesse, said: “Like the organic industry itself, BIOFACH and VIVANESS impressed with their diversity, quality and dynamism. Their economic and political relevance also set them apart, as did their passion for the products presented.
In addition to the nice increase in area, exhibitors and visitors, we are particularly happy about the great atmosphere in the exhibition halls. We’re already looking forward to next year’s event!”
BIOFACH impresses in every respect
At the end of the exhibition, both the exhibitors and visitors drew positive conclusions and were clearly very satisfied with their industry’s annual meeting. According to the results of a survey carried out by an independent institute, 92 % of the exhibitors at BIOFACH 2015 rated the overall success of their appearance there positively, while 98 % of the visitors were satisfied with the range of products on display. In addition, 94 % of the exhibitors were able to reach their most important target groups, 93% established new business relations and 87 % were expecting post-exhibition business to be good. 92 % of the trade buyers at BIOFACH had a say in purchases made by their company, which meant the exhibitors were pleased with the quality of the visitors: 94 % had praise for the visitors.
Organic diversity underlined: Vegan and Free From focused on
In addition to numerous other highlights, two food trends at this year’s BIOFACH, namely Vegan and Free From, attracted a particularly large amount of attention. Foods containing no egg, gluten or lactose, which are referred to as “free-from products”, are playing a growing role in trade. BIOFACH 2015 emphasised the significance of this area of the organic industry with a specially commissioned study and a category specifically for free-from products at the trade fair’s Novelty Stand.
The VEGAN World of Experience, a special show dedicated to the vegan way of eating and organised in conjunction with the German Vegetarian Association (VEBU), also proved to be a real visitor magnet. 726 manufacturers had a vegan selection among their product range at BIOFACH 2015, significantly more than in 2014, when there were 542.
Beaming winners at the 2015 Best New Product Awards ceremony
Trade visitors were once again given the opportunity take part in the BIOFACH Best New Product Awards in 2015 and vote for what they felt were the most innovative products presented at the trade fair’s Novelty Stand. 545 products were submitted altogether, with a winner voted for in each of eight categories.
The popular awards were up for grabs at VIVANESS this year for the first time as well. The VIVANESS Best New Product Awards presentation ceremony featured a star guest in the form of international model Eva Padberg, who presented the certificates for the eight categories – one of which was the trend category Vegan – to the beaming winners. Trade visitors voted for their favourites among 149 inspiring cosmetic products at the VIVANESS Novelty Stand beforehand.
A separate press release on the winners of these coveted BIOFACH and VIVANESS awards is available at www.biofach.de/press and www.vivaness.de/press.
Over 7,000 at the congress
The 2015 BIOFACH and VIVANESS Congress, which included over 100 separate discussions, was attended by more than 7,000 listeners and participants. Taking place this year for the first time, the Politics Forum experienced particularly strong interest, drawing more than 1,000 visitors to its events. The discussion on the free trade agreement between the EU and the USA “TTIP - an opportunity or a threat to the organic industry” proved to be especially popular.
Focus on good basic conditions for more organic food
Special attention was once again drawn to the future of the organic food industry at BIOFACH 2015 under the heading “Organic 3.0 – good basic conditions for more organic food”. Here, BIOFACH’s international patron, IFOAM – Organics International, and national supporting organisation, the German Federation of the Organic Food Industry (BÖLW), engaged in conversations with other industry representatives about sustainable concepts and initiated political discussions in the process.
Both IFOAM and the BÖLW were delighted with this year’s BIOFACH. Markus Arbenz, the managing director of IFOAM – Organics International, said: “There was a fantastic atmosphere at BIOFACH, the World's leading Trade Fair for Organic Food, in Nürnberg! The main ingredients were 1. global growth in all the important markets, 2. top-level political discussions with the EU commissioner Phil Hogan and the IFOAM president Andre Leu, 3. a stronger relationship between the exhibition and the organic movement, and 4. substantial progress made by Organic 3.0, the new organic agriculture of the future. All this led to more exhibitors and more visitors in 2015.” Felix Prinz zu Löwenstein, the chairman of the BÖLW, said: “BIOFACH is not just an excellent marketplace; it has become a political meeting place where organic industry players from all over the world come together and discuss current challenges and the further development of the industry. At the 2015 event, the sector once again engaged in conversation with politicians, the press and disseminators, and exchanged ideas in discussions at the congress and in the exhibition halls. One topic focused on intensively here was the revision of the EU Regulation on Organic Production.
Country of the year thrills with product diversity and EcoDome
99 exhibitors presented products from the Netherlands, the country of the year, to trade visitors from across the globe at BIOFACH 2015. Sharon Dijksma, the agriculture minister of the Netherlands, said: “I am proud of how the Dutch organic farming industry was portrayed by its companies at this year’s BIOFACH in keeping with the slogan ‘Quality grows in Holland’. The combination of entrepreneurial spirit, quality, innovation and sustainability showed the strength of Dutch agriculture, which was represented by a record number of companies taking part in BIOFACH this year. I am also proud to have presented a current innovation at BIOFACH: the EcoDome. The EcoDome revealed how ecology has been combined with innovations and the latest sustainability themes.”
Growth and numerous highlights at VIVANESS 2015
Since 2007, the cosmetics industry has been meeting once a year at VIVANESS, the International Trade Fair for Natural Personal Care, to learn about and exchange ideas on current trends and innovations. 203 exhibitors from 30 countries, 66 % of whom were from outside Germany, showcased products to industry professionals on an area of over 5,000 m2 this year. That’s about 6 % more exhibitors compared to last year and an increase of 4 % in terms of the space they covered. Besides the first Best New Product Awards, the trade fair’s highlights included the communication platform meet + talk, which was part of the VIVANESS Congress and located in the exhibition hall itself, and the trend category Vegan at the Novelty Stand. Research and development carried out by natural cosmetics manufacturers has paid off once again in the last year, which meant there were 149 new products on display at the Novelty Stand.
As at BIOFACH, there was a great mood among the exhibitors and visitors at VIVANESS. As a result, the satisfaction figures obtained in a survey carried out by an independent institute were good here too: 92 % of the exhibitors at VIVANESS rated the overall success of their appearance there positively, while 96 % of the visitors were satisfied with the range of products on display. In addition, 94 % of the exhibitors were able to reach their most important target groups, 91 % established new business relations and 87 % expected post-exhibition business to be good. 91 % of the visitors at VIVANESS had a say in purchases made by their company, which meant the exhibitors were pleased with the quality of the visitors, with 91 % pointing this out.
Save the date: The next BIOFACH and VIVANESS take place from 10 to 13 February 2016 in Nürnberg.
Contacts for the press and media Barbara Böck, Helen Kreisel-Gebhard and Ellen Damarowski Tel +49 (0) 9 11. 86 06-83 28 • Fax +49 (0) 9 11. 86 06-12 83 28 • ellen.damarowski@nuernbergmesse.de
All press releases, further information and photos are available at www.biofach.de/press and www.vivaness.de/press.
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