The 14th edition of Fruit Attraction, organized by IFEMA Madrid and FEPEX, will take place from 4 to 6 October 2022 in Madrid, occupying eight halls at the fairgrounds. As a new development, the fair incorporates the figure of Fruit Attraction Guest Region, starting with Andalusia.

With 1,800 exhibiting companies from 55 countries, an expected attendance of 90,000 professionals from 130 countries, and the occupation of more than 58,000 square meters of exhibition space, this year’s edition is set to break all records.

The wide range of fruits and vegetables on offer at this edition will be housed in eight halls – 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 of the IFEMA Madrid exhibition center – representing a 38% increase in occupancy over last year’s edition, not to mention exceeding the pre-pandemic figures seen in 2019. This expansion is also the result of new companies, which account for more than 19% of total participation.

“These highly positive figures demonstrate the fruit and vegetable sector’s growing interest in participating in the sector’s largest business center, as well as its support for promoting Fruit Attraction as a fundamental lever for internationalization and a meeting point for all professionals along the entire supply chain,” according to a recent press release.

In terms of its impact on international participation, 55 countries will be represented on this occasion, confirming Fruit Attraction as the key trade event for production, marketing and distribution worldwide. In addition to strong European participation, with companies from France, Italy, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Portugal, Poland, and Germany, there will be group participation from Serbia. Elsewhere, countries such as Colombia, the United States, Korea, Peru, Chile, South Africa, and India will be represented, and Africa will see an increase in participation, especially from Kenya, Guinea, and the Ivory Coast.

Transformation Solutions Through Innovation

In addition to the renowned Fresh Produce area, which once again has the largest representation with 70% of the offer, and Auxiliary Industry, with 30%, Fresh Food Logistics, the sectoral platform for logistics, transport, and management of the cold chain for fresh food, has been added, with 100% occupancy of its exhibition space.

“Following much success, Fruit Attraction is once again committed to transformation solutions through innovation, sustainability, and digitization with the Smart Agro Area, innovative products that apply information technologies to the fruit and vegetable sector, and Biotech Attraction, research and technological development in agrobiology/plant biotechnology. Likewise, the Ecorganic Market, the exclusive space for the marketing and export of organic products, continues to gain momentum. For their part, strawberries will play a leading role at this edition with the Fresh&Star area,” the press release shows.

Meanwhile, The Innovation Hub – at the nexus of pavilions 8 and 10, with close to 50 products – and Foro Innova are the areas dedicated to innovation and business innovations in the sector. In this area, the fair will once again host the Innovation Hub Awards, which have become a fundamental event for supporting the entrepreneurial commitment of the sector with its usual categories: Fresh Produce; F&V Industry, and Sustainability and Commitment Actions.

Knowledge Center for the Sector

Some of the sessions organized by FEPEX include “Lines of public financing for expenditure and investment in research and innovation in the fruit and vegetable industry”, in collaboration with the FI Group, and “The new fruit and vegetable industry CAP starting in 2023”, to be held on the afternoon of Wednesday, 5 October, as well as the session on “Draft Regulation on the Sustainable Use of Plant Protection Products: complex, unrealistic and with a direct impact on European agriculture”, on the morning of Thursday, 6 October, in collaboration with AEPLA.

Fruit Attraction will also be the setting for other events such as the 3rd Fresh Food Logistics Summit, as well as the Biofruit Congress and Biotech Attraction 2022: Biotechnology and innovation for the agriculture of the future, and the 6th Grape Attraction Congress, among others.