Amsterdam/ The Netherlands: With a comprehensive content agenda covering daily topics such as “Regulatory”, “Taste & Texture” and “Sustainability”, and a large number of attendees, Fi Europe CONNECT kicked off this week. The virtual event has so far had more than 8,500 active participants – exceeding the expectations of organiser Informa Markets. More than 300 exhibitors are already showcasing their new products to attendees, who also have access to insightful live and on-demand content sessions until 4 December.
Informa Markets reports 8,500 activated attendees on the platform so far – from CEOs to research and development managers and product developers. Thirty-three per cent of participants have a role in upper management (C-level), while 66 per cent are responsible for purchasing in their company.
The Fi Europe CONNECT platform is seeing intense activity. As of 25 November, more than 10,000 meeting requests were recorded and, so far,there have been more than 4,500 conversations on the platform. An impressive 8,800 new contacts were made in the first three days alone.
The Fi Global team is delighted by the event’s success. Brand Director Julien Bonvallet said, “Our goal was to focus on an exchange of ideas, networking and lead generation with our virtual alternative. This is what makes the live event Fi Europe co-located with Hi Europe, too, a magnet for the entire ingredients industry year after year.”
During the first days of the show, the daily panel discussions and exhibitor showcases were particularly well received. Martijn van Dijk, Group Head of Sales at Informa Markets: “We are very pleased to welcome new partners such as Invest in Denmark and the Japanese External Trade Association (JETRO). For the first time, a Japanese pavilion with twelve exhibitors is part of the fair. In total, 43 countries are represented at Fi Europe CONNECT. This proves that our virtual offering can definitely complement its big sister Fi Europe co-located with Hi Europe in terms of internationality.”
This week’s programme includes the Startup Innovation Challenge pitches (1 – 3 December) and a presentation by LuAnn Williams on the Top Ten Trends from Innova Market Insights (1 & 2 December). Other on-demand offerings include must-see exhibitor showcases, an extensive virtual New Product Zone and a Media Zone featuring a range of trade publications.
