The countdown is on. In just 14 days it will be time; the 11th German Fruit & Vegetable Congress will take place. As usual, it will take place at the CCD Düsseldorf. As a hybrid event, it will of course be streamed as well.
"However, we are delighted that more than 90 percent of the participants want to be present. That shows once again that people want to see each other and talk in person. That for all the functionality of digitization, there are limits as well. Man is a social being and has a corresponding need for personal exchanges," says Kaasten Reh of Fruchthandel Magazin, expressing his satisfaction.
Overall, he continues, the number of registrations is far above last year's level. "It is nice that we are gradually returning to normality. We will not yet reach the level of 2019 in terms of numbers, but we might already come close, because we do not yet know how many registrations will come in during the last two weeks. Because in the last ten days, it's been really buzzing. People are waiting a relatively long time to register, which is understandable."
"We are particularly pleased that the German retail sector will be represented in such large numbers again this year. Because the exchange through the entire value chain is now indispensable for the entire trade. This is the only way we can really see where we stand on the individual issues and what adjustments need to be made. This is the only way to advance the topics and develop the trade," the three organizers said with satisfaction.
Security is at the top of the list for the organization of the event. Kaasten Reh: "We expect that the percentage of vaccinated people at DOGK will be considerably higher than the population average. This is because, by our very nature, we do not have any young people here, and so far we have not personally spoken to anyone during our many talks who has not been vaccinated. We are convinced that people want to do their job and will do anything for it."
At the start of the 11th DOGK, an excursion to go2market in Cologne is on the agenda - a test market for new products, but also technology in food retailing.
And on Monday evening, the popular get together in the soap factory (Schwanenhöfe) is finally on the agenda again. "We organizers, AMI, GS1 Germany and Fruchthandel Magazin, together with our sponsors BVEO and Euro Pool System Germany, are looking forward to a large number of guests."