Solid results for BioFach and Vivaness 2010
Posted - February 28, 2010
Solid results for BioFach and Vivaness 2010
By Warren Beaumont
About 43,500 trade visitors (2009: 46,771) defied the crisis and streamed into the exhibition centre in Nürnberg from 17–20 February for BioFach and Vivaness, the annual get-together for the global organic market, according to the organizers NurnbergMesse GmbH. The international share of visitors was 38% again with buyers from 121 countries, mainly from Germany, Austria, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland and Switzerland. The 2,557 exhibitors (2009: 2,733), two-thirds of them international, were very satisfied in view of the high quality visitors. 85% of the BioFach exhibitors and even 97% of the Vivaness exhibitors expect good follow-up business, according to the results of a survey by an independent institute. These figures are up 12 and 16 percentage points respectively on the year before – clear proof of an optimistic view of the future. Exhibitors spoken to by Organic & Wellness News noticed a fall in visitor numbers, while the majority were satisfied with contacts made or business achieved.
“The organic market over the past four days at the exhibition proved that this sector has retained its impetus,” says Claus Rättich, member of the management board of NürnbergMesse. “The trend to organic and ecologically sustainable consumption is uninterrupted. Periods of slower growth offer an opportunity for taking stock and preparing joint future concepts, which provide the best conditions for sustainable development of the market and its annual get-together. We were particularly pleased about the great political and media attention attracted by Organic + Fair, the Theme of the Year in 2010.”
With more and more customers focusing their consumption on quality and values, the basis for this is organic, and fair production and trading conditions are other vital aspects. The exhibition duo BioFach and Vivaness was geared to Organic + Fair in 2010, with 52 exhibitors and around 100 product presentations reflecting the variety of the Theme of the Year.
Almost 8,000 participants again used the 180 events at the BioFach Congress and the six special forums to exchange views on the market with special emphasis on the fairness and sustainability aspects. The Fair & Ethical Trade Forum alone attracted some 750 interested visitors.
Vivaness 2010: World market leaders and new discoveries
Fairness and sustainability were also key issues at Vivaness: “The visitors specifically asked about the added value of our products this year. Fair trade and sustainability for raw materials and for packaging are very decisive values today,” says Dr. Alexandra Vogel, director public relations, i+m Naturkosmetik Manufaktur, Berlin. “Buyers are more aware of labels and how natural ingredients are obtained”, says Geysa Rosa Belem, general manager of Brazilian personal care firm Arte dos Aromas. Exhibitors and visitors were eager to come to the booth of Brazilian firm Beraca, one of the leading suppliers of ingredients and natural formulations from the Amazon, exhibiting under the umbrella from Organics Brasil, a government sponsored promotion program.
At Vivaness, the international platform for natural personal care and wellness, 183 manufacturers from 21 countries presented their products. Germany with 88 manufacturers heads the statistics, followed by France (29), Italy (16), Great Britain (12) and Austria (8). Next year, the international organic sector meets in the Exhibition Centre Nuremberg from Wednesday to Saturday, 16–19 February 2011.
