Fruits and vegetables, of Spanish, Moroccan and French origin, conventional and organic, made up the greater part of the products presented on the Saint-Charles Export booth this year, which was approximately 144m² and located in the France hall. They joined a total of 16 companies exhibiting all kinds of products and services.
This array was complemented by the presence of a varietal research expert, a sorting and packaging equipment specialist, an IT consultant and some hauliers and logistics companies. Once again, the trade port of Port-Vendres was represented by its managing entity, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Perpignan.
In the France hall, many exhibitors noted a drop in visitor numbers (-30%). On the upside, however, this meant it was possible to obtain more targeted and more qualitative contacts.
On the entertainment front, like every year, there was plenty of action provided by the teams of the AD'OCC Regional Economic Development Agency, in partnership with Saint-Charles Export, including a cocktail reception on the 2nd day.
In terms of customers, as the fair is held in Berlin, the bulk of attendees come from Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Poland and Czech Republic. Indeed, Germany is the platform's greatest customer country outside of France. As a reminder, the annual volume of sales outside the French national territory by Saint-Charles companies amounts to over than 700,000 tonnes of fruit and vegetables.
It is also important to mention that Saint-Charles Export's participation in this 2020 edition of Fruit Logistica was once again supported by the Occitanie Pyrénées-Méditerranée region.
Here are a few testimonials from Saint Charles Export’s exhibitors:
"Berlin remains THE unmissable event for companies interested in all origins of fruit and vegetables. This fair is an opportunity to meet both suppliers and customers, as the German market still holds vast potential for our business".
"Given the specific nature of our business, Berlin is an important trade fair. It gives us a chance to meet up with our international partners, from all continents, in a very short time and without any downtime. Plus, this fair gives you an accurate overview of the fruit and vegetable sector, an industry that's moving at full power and constantly changing".
"Even though for us, this fair's mostly about maintaining contacts, our presence is essential because our customers and suppliers expect to see us there".
In conclusion, despite the less crowded aisles, the exhibitors were fairly satisfied. On the whole, this edition was therefore a success. It allowed for more qualitative, targeted and in-depth exchanges than are generally the norm.
Although it was far from full and may well have disappointed some, this edition will in any case be remembered as more "intimate". It certainly won't make history in terms of attendance, but never mind: the vast majority of exhibitors were more than satisfied.
For more information:
Saint-Charles Export
Email: communication@saintcharlesinternational.fr
www.public-saintcharlesinternational.com