"Not quantity, but quality" is the trade fair's slogan. This was again made clear with the number of exhibitors. There were only about 100. There were, however, more Dutch stall holders than last year. The number of visitors was also up from last year. This may have been due to the free participation that was organised by members of the Dutch organisation Groenten Fruit Huis.
The event was not really busy, although many Dutch import / export companies sent a representative to the trade fair. This is because this trade show has, after only one year, built a reputation of having high quality visitors, including the all-important supermarket buyers. This show, in contrast to others, gives people the opportunity to have more in-depth discussions. The opportunities for visitors to do this were plentiful. After catching up on the latest industry, people could enjoy food served by trendy food-trucks, and then follow a interesting seminar programme.
This trade fair is impressive; a feather in the cap for Jim Prevor who organised this Dutch trade show with high-quality visitors. The question is now, what does the future hold for this show? After all, speakers such as the Category Manager at a Swedish retailer, an Indian grape exporter, and an American retail exporter deserve a larger audience than the 20-or-so people who attended each of this year's presentations.
On Monday we will publish a photo report of the Amsterdam Produce Show.