Professional attendance grew by 30% at the second MEAT ATTRACTION

The highly successful "International Buyers Meeting" : 70 buyers from 55 companies, from 15 countries, and 450 commercial meetings with 52 exhibitors

The International Buyers Programme, organised by IFEMA, brings together a total of 243 buyers from 25 countries, mainly from Europe, Asia and Latin America

The 3rd Meat Attraction will take place from 17 to 19 September 2019 , coinciding with the 10th World Ham Congress, which will also be held at IFEMA.

On taking over direction of Meat Attraction, Raúl Calleja, director of the IFEMA group specialising in the agri-food sector, projects a 60% growth in participating companies. Meat Attraction's strategic lines will be oriented to consolidating the fair as one of the main commercial platforms in the world for the meat sector.

The second MEAT ATTRACTION, organised by IFEMA and the Spanish National Meat Industries Association (ANICE), brought together, from 18 to 20 September, a total of 163 exhibiting companies, representing almost 400 brands from 16 countries around the world. In total, the fair attracted 10,069 professionals from 43 countries, mainly from Italy (15%), Portugal (14%), France (13.8%), Colombia (6.9%), Japan (4.1%) and the Netherlands (4%), highlighting the strategic international dimension of MEAT ATTRACTION as a global commercial meeting point aimed at enhancing and expanding target markets for our exports.
These data represent a 28.9% increase on the figures for the last fair, which highlights the potential of the meat industry and flags MEAT ATTRACTION as an important commercial instrument at the service of the industrial and marketing sector, both domestically and in international markets. MEAT ATTRACTION is consolidated as a fundamental tool aligned with the meat sector's strategic development and commercial objectives, throughout the value chain. The fair aims to continue positioning and consolidating the Spanish sector as one of the main global meat product suppliers in all their diversity and quality.

The first "Buyers Meetings" Programme contributed to the exhibition's growing external projection, by included a B2B meetings agenda with priority market buyers, which was supported by ICEX Spain Exports and Investments. The commercial balance was very positive, with the presence of 70 buyers from 55 companies, from 15 countries (Korea, Vietnam, Philippines, Japan, Singapore, Mexico, Colombia, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Iran, France, Germany, The Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Greece), and more than 450 commercial meetings were held with 52 exhibiting companies. All of which was highly valued by the participants.
It is also worth mentioning the programme for national and international buyers and specifiers, organised by IFEMA with a significant investment of economic and technical resources, to which 243 buyers from 25 countries were invited, coming mainly from Europe, Asia and Latin America.
Raúl Calleja, the new director of MEAT ATTRACTION, which specialises in the agri-food sector, points out that "the international aspect will be one of the strategic pillars for the project in 2019, by identifying and working with the destination markets for each product type, and investing all the resources necessary to guarantee that Meat Attraction becomes a benchmark and essential appointment in the business diary of the entire production and distribution chain."

MEXICO, Invited importer country.- Mexico was the guest country at MEAT ATTRACTION, which received a delegation of authorities from the National Health, Safety and Agri-food Quality Service (SENASICA), headed by its Chief Director, Enrique Sánchez Cruz. The delegation participated in the fair, holding meetings with representatives from ANICE and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, and holding different meetings with Spanish companies.
MEAT ATTRACTION 2018 was opened on 18 September and chaired by the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Luis Planas. At the #Distrimeat conference, held prior to the fair, national and international experts discussed the future of the marketing and distribution of meat and meat products. The excellent attendance meant that many buyers from the main commercial chains were also present at this event.
MEAT ATTRACION, as a forum for knowledge and innovation, was the framework for an intense agenda of lectures, round tables and demonstrations. These took place in the two spaces set up for this purpose by MEAT ATTRACTION, the MEAT ATTRACTION - CAJAMAR COOPERATIVE GROUP Forum and the SHOWCOOKING area.

Highlights at the MEAT ATTRACTION FORUM included the presentation of the ANICE-Cajamar Spanish Meat Industry Barometer and analysis of current issues such as communication, alternatives to plastic packaging in the meat industry, the butcher shop in Europe and the figure of the butcher in the 21st century, along with the benefits that meat brings to our health, among many others. In addition, Cajamar's television studio set hosted several round tables on topics of interest to the sector, such as internationalisation and product trends.

Likewise, the SHOWCOOKING area was the scene of demonstrations by exhibitors and award ceremonies. The 1st Beef Tapas Competition, organised by the Fair, was held as a prelude in the Madrid Markets and voted on by the general public. The initiative's aim was to showcase meat as a fundamental, healthy and quality food.

For its part, INTERPORC SPAIN held the international grand final to find the best white layer ham cutter in the world, along with its "INTERPORC Promises of the Kitchen Competition". The SHOWCOOKING area also saw the final of the 2nd Professional Mini Ham Cutters Contest, organised by the exhibiting company "7 Hermanos" and there were demonstrations of meat cutting and cooking, including those given by CEDECARNE.

After the success of this second Meat Sector Fair, MEAT ATTRACTION is already working on the next event, which will be held at the Feria de Madrid from 17 to 19 September next year. It will include many new features of great interest to the sector, among them the 10th World Cured Ham Congress, which will be held to coincide with the fair.

Strategic lines for the 2019 fair

The new director of the fair, Raúl Calleja, has shed light on the strategic areas to work on to ensure that MEAT ATTRACTION becomes one of the most important commercial platforms in the world and fundamental for the sector: "MEAT ATTRACTION must be an instrument to help companies sell more and grow, focusing on the differentiating value of brands and product categories. We want to work from now on, side by side with the entire business sector, with a commitment to building a commercial event tailored to the industry's needs. We want to accompany companies in the process of extracting the maximum commercial advantage from the entire professional meat industry community at the international level. We want to organise trade fair seminars that specialise in the meat sector, and provide information of high value to companies throughout the year before MEAT ATTRACTION is held".

"We must continue to incorporate tools into the event that allow companies to profit from their participation and obtain the highest commercial revenue from it," he added. "We have to invest in guaranteeing the maximum quantity and quality of all the actors in the commercial distribution chain in the domestic and international market. Deepen our penetration by adding the maximum number of companies in the sector both in production and marketing, committing to the strength of the entire value chain".

He also pointed out that "MEATIC will be the new exhibition area linked to the new technologies that help us to continue positioning our meat products in the most competitive way possible in international markets. Showcasing the extraordinary quality and diversity of our meat products, will be our goal. MEAT ATTRACTION is a banner for the industry, a fundamental instrument in which the entire business fabric has to support itself to continue growing, demonstrating the strength and tradition of the industrial fabric. Marketing, International focus, Community, Innovation, International growth and Knowledge will be the basic axes for the project in 2019"

Press and Communication Department, IFEMA

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