The show approaches the next edition with a clear strategic repositioning

Alimentaria Lisboa 2009 promotes the food and hospitality channel to its offerings and presents the Intervin show for the first time

Alimentaria Lisboa, which is shaping up to be the most important food and beverage trade show to be held on the Iberian Peninsula in 2009, will chart a new strategic course at what will be its tenth edition. 19-22 April, the Portuguese capital will host a gathering which promises high levels of participation and internationalisation. 48 countries will be represented by 38,000 visitors, 1,000 exhibitors and 2,000 brands. The overlap with the debut of new management at both Alimentaria Lisboa and FIL (Feira Internacional de Lisboa), the strengthening of the food and hospitality channel within the show’s offerings and the inclusion of a new show exclusively for wines, Intervin, will be some of the new features which look to be key aspects of this strategic change of direction.

Since it began, Alimentaria Lisboa has led Portuguese trade shows, ranking fourth among European food and beverage exhibitions. The event will occupy the entire FIL (Feira Internacional de Lisboa) venue. 42,000 m2 of exhibition space and four days of intense trade show activity – between 19 and 22 April – will set the scene for the exchange of opportunities between the supply and demand sides of food and beverage manufacturing, distribution and trade with interests in the country. In total, there is a potential market of 215 Portuguese-speaking consumers.

The new management at Alimentaria Lisboa and the recent appointment of Javier Galiana as general manager of the top Portuguese trade fair organisation create a clear harmony of mutual interests which enriches the show through the renewal of synergies with the parent trade show in Barcelona.

Consequently, with its 2009 edition Alimentaria Lisboa is embarking on a new strategic course intended to meet the current needs of the sector, adapting to the new reality of Portuguese distribution and anticipating the challenges presented by the market.

Culinary Alimentaria
One of the central strategic themes which make up the show’s new management focus is the addition of the food and beverage sector to the overall offerings at Alimentaria Lisboa. Due to its weight in terms of volume and turnover, this is in keeping with the reality and aspirations of the market. To promote the initiative, Alimentaria Lisboa is aided by the most important hospitality association in Portugal – AHRESP, Portuguese acronym for the Portuguese Hotel, Restaurant and Related Business Association – which is part of the exhibition’s organising committee.

Additionally, the show will host the final of the prestigious Global Chef of the Year Competition, organised by the World Association of Chefs’ Societies (WACS), the most representative voice of professionals throughout the world.

Portugal is the only EU member state where eating outside the home exceeds 50% of food expenditure. With close to 100,000 eating and drinking establishments, according to AHRESP, the food and gastronomy related tourist industry is one of the most dynamic parts of the Portuguese economy. Hospitality, restaurant, food service and catering generate annual turnover of 15,000 million euros a year in a country that receives more than 11 million tourists each year. Additionally, each Portuguese visits a restaurant 30 times a year, when the European average is barely 15 outings.

A boost for wine
Alimentaria Lisboa 2009 debuts a specific exhibition area for wine, the product that ranks first in export volume for the entire Portuguese agri-food industry and whose sales a foreign markets are growing significantly, spurred on by growing demand for high quality wines.

Intervin is designed to be a platform for disseminating information about wine and as a business incubator. It enjoys the support and collaboration of the major organisations in the sector, which also form part of its organising committee.

According to Pablo García, director of Alimentaria Lisboa, the exhibition will be marked by a “definite orientation towards exports and a clear Atlantic focus, as it is the European point of reference for Portuguese-speaking markets”.

Organising Committee
The sector’s main associations of distributors and producers are heavily involved in Alimentaria Lisboa, acting as true ambassadors for the event. As a result of the support from the sector, the show’s new organising committee returns in earnest, seeking to serve as a vehicle for the interests and concerns of the sector. Chaired by Américo Ribeiro, Managing Director of Auchan Portugal, its members are the heads of the following institutions and associations (in their Portuguese acronyms):

ADIPA - Association of Food Product Distributors
AGROBIO - Portuguese Organic Farming Association
AHRESP - Portuguese Hotel, Restaurant and Related Business Association
AICC - Industrial and Commercial Coffee Association
ANCIPA - National Association of Food Product Dealers and Industries
ANIA - National Rice Industries Association
ANIL - National Dairy Products Industries Association
APED - Portuguese Association of Distribution Companies
APIC - Portuguese Meat Industries Association
APLOG - Portuguese Logistics Association
CARNALENTEJANA
CASA AGRÍCULA SANTANA RAMALHO
CENTROMARCA - Portuguese Association of Branded Goods Companies
CODIPOR - Portuguese Product Identification and Coding Association
DIRECÇÃO-GERAL DA SAÚDE (NATIONAL DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH)
E. LECLERC
FIPA - Federation of Agri-Food Industries
GRUPO AUCHAN
INTERBIO - Inter-professional Association for Organic Farming
MAKRO
SONAE DISTRIBUIÇÃO
UNILEVER JERÓNIMO MARTINS
 
Food and beverage offerings by show
Alimentaria Lisboa caters for the entire range of food and beverage offerings, which are organised into a number of sectors which represent the different areas of the food and beverage industry: Multiproducto, General mass-market food products show; Expobebidas, Water, beer, cider, non-alcoholic beverage show;  Intervin, Wine and spirits show; Group and international participations; Deliexpo, Oil, delicatessen and regional products show; Congexpo, Frozen and refrigerated products show;  Mundidoce, Cake, pastry, confectionery, biscuit and sweets show; and Intercarne, Meat and processed meat products show.

In addition there will be Tecnoalimentaria, Machinery, equipment and technology show for the food and beverage industry and its packing, packaging, logistics and transport processes, a cross-sector show with its own significant weight. This show will cover all the technological needs of the food chain, from ingredients to packaging, including handling, processing, logistics and retail distribution.

With the intention of promoting commercial exchanges and the flow of educational information to attendees, Alimentaria Lisboa is preparing an extensive programme which encompasses a variety of activities. These will enable professionals to learn about the most advanced point-of-sale technology and equipment in the Loja Inteligente – Intelligent Shop – space, the latest launches from the food and beverage industry at Innoval and the excellence of Portuguese food production in the Products of Portugal area. Wine will be spotlighted at this edition of the show and its presence in the activities schedule will be key to galvanising the new Intervin show.

About Alimentaria Exhibitions
In addition to Alimentaria Lisboa in Portugal, Alimentaria Exhibitions, a joint venture between Fira de Barcelona and Reed Exhibitions, also organises Alimentaria México in Mexico City; Alimentaria Mercosur in Argentina; and Alimentaria Barcelona, Bta -Barcelona food and beverage technologies, and Barcelona Degusta in the Catalan capital.

About FIL
Feira Internacional de Lisboa, which is part of Portuguese Industrial Association, is the largest and most experienced trade show operator in Portugal. With 160 years’ experience in developing events, FIL organises close to thirty themed shows and tackles new projects in an ideal environment.