2011, a third edition highly acclaimed by the profession
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Medfel II punctuated by more than 2000 business meetings!
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Medfel, the Euro-Mediterranean fruit and vegetable international business trade fair, which took place in Perpignan on 4th, 5th and 6th May 2010, lived up to expectations and really sealed the deal. Despite the impressive storm on the 1st day, Medfel succeeded in attracting suppliers from throughout the Mediterranean (France, Spain, Italy, Greece, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Egypt etc) to Perpignan, together with buyers from throughout Europe, the Near and Middle East and the North African countries. In total, visitor numbers recorded for this 2nd Medfel event were 3340 (3231 in 2009), with greater foreign participation, this year accounting for 27% of visitor numbers compared to 21% in 2009. When the event closed, all the participants testified to their great satisfaction and stressed the quality of the commercial exchanges, the professionalism of the visitors and the internationalisation of the trade fair. |
A 100% business format that generated enthusiasm
With 2100 BtoB meetings organised over the 3 days, by the end of the trade fair the 250 exhibitors had all met high quality buyers representing 35 major international markets. Henri Thorent of ANECOOP explained: “Medfel is a great meeting-place. The group, which encompasses 84 Spanish cooperatives, met managers from major supermarket chains, wholesalers (Rungis, Creno etc) and industrial firms (Bonduelle etc)”; For Antonio Morales Abad of LACOUR S.A.S, which specialises in the import-export of fruit and vegetables and is closely involved in production, “Medfel is important in meeting a wide range of export customers both from Europe and from outside the EEC, as well as well as a representative sample of French customers (supermarket and hypermarket chains, wholesalers etc) – and numerous suppliers”. In turn, Rachid Belanes of APIA-Tunisia stressed that “the Tunisian delegation had traded with more than 25 buyers at prearranged meetings. The opening up of the business convention to all exhibitors had allowed Tunisian exporters and importers (Carrefour Tunisia etc) to establish highly significant commercial contacts”. Lastly, Tamer Fahmi of the Egyptian company JANA stated that he had even been somewhat swamped by requests and meetings with numerous buyers from Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain and France, and that he would be returning to the next Medfel event.
Among buyers the personal accounts were also very positive. “As a fruit and vegetable importer for Algeria, Kouider Bouterou of COLD STORE established good contacts, including with apple and peach suppliers, in addition to which he discovered the Saint Charles platform. Medfel is a very good trade fair”. In addition to prearranged meetings, Liliane Peytier of PRONATURA had numerous discussions in the aisles and at “rest” stands. “There was a wealth of meetings and the organisation met the ambitions of the organisers. Medfel provided an opportunity to discuss the year’s business and to identify ways forward”. For the buyer Mohammed Salah Ouzdamir of TAMIMI Company (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia), the format involving scheduled meetings proved just as satisfying and the trade fair was particularly well targeted: “the fair hit the target”.
Medfel, a trade fair of growing importance
The programme of lectures and agoras organised on the TV podium attracted many visitors and journalists, especially the traditional European summer fruit harvest forecasts for peaches, nectarines and apricots, expanded this year to cover melons. Still on the theme of the Euro-Mediterranean, other issues debated were organic farming, food safety, transport costs, the future of the CMO for fruit and vegetables, sustainable development and local trading, with representatives of Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and French retailers, as well as geostrategic challenges, with a contribution by Antoine SFEIR, the journalist, political pundit and Middle East specialist, who was the headline speaker at Medfel 2010.
Over 3 days, Medfel fully played its part and opened up the Mediterranean to the whole world. The companies and players from the fruit and vegetable sector benefited, in the Mediterranean region, from a meeting place devoted to the marketing of fruit and vegetables.
Many of them were already revealing that they would be back in 2011!
- To download the forecasts, and videos of the lectures: Lectures/Activities
- To download the 2010 photos: Photographic library
- General Agents: Adhesion Group
35/37 rue des Abondances - 92513 Boulogne Cedex - France
Tel: +33 (0)1 41 86 49 52 / Fax: +33 (0)1 46 04 57 61 / Email : This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
- Press contacts :
Adhesion Group - Catherine Bourguignon - Tel: +33 (0)1 41 86 41 27 / Email : This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Sud de France Export - Laurent Panayoty - Tel : +33 (0)4 99 64 29 30 - Email : This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
- Contact in region
Sud de France Export - Chantal Passat
L'Acropole - 954 avenue Jean Mermoz – 34 000 Montpellier
Tel : +33 (0)4 99 64 29 20 / Email : This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
