food Marketing - Technology 4/2023

Marketing
million trade visitors have expressed
their confidence in the company.
With a range of international trade
shows, fairtrade goes innovative ways
to connect emerging markets with
solution providers from across the
globe. Facilitating valuable business
contacts between exhibitors and
trade visitors – that is what fairtrade
stands for. ISO 9001:2015 certified
and a member of UFI The Global
Association of the Exhibition Industry,
the exhibition expert strives for high
customer satisfaction with excellent
service and innovative products.
fairtrade is managed by its founder
Martin März and his son Paul, who
joined the company in 2016, and
builds on a highly motivated team of
experienced and young professionals,
many of them qualified in-house. At
the opening event Paul welcomed the
guests and partners: “The success of
this major international event would
be impossible without the close
cooperation and strong support of our
partners. We would like to express
our sincere gratitude to everybody
contributing to this success, especially
the Ministry of Agriculture of Ethiopia,
but also including our Ethiopian coorganizer
Prana Events, the official
delegations, media partners and most
of all the exhibitors and trade visitors.
We wish many exciting talks resulting
in valuable outcomes and excellent
business.“
Conclusions
My personal impressions of the
exhibition were very positive. Many
exhibitors were there for the first
time, ready to test the waters of a
growing continent. Ethiopia was seen
as an excellent strategic location
in East Africa which could act as a
hub between Africa and the Middle
East region. The food interests are
similar in the geographically close
areas. Ethiopia is seen as a very safe
political center with a long history
of agriculture, as well as food and
beverage production. It is a large
country with hard working people
and a good infrastructure, especially
through the international airport and
with connections to many significant
markets.
Other companies were returning to
the exhibition and are now making
concrete plans to build a factory in
the country, either full size or small
scale, whilst others were seeking local
partners to develop existing facilities.
The atmosphere was very constructive
and the exhibitor evening, in the
middle of the show, was enjoyed by
all exhibitors until late into the night.
Local food and beer specialties and
wine from the Rift Valley were served.
The bottom line for me was that the
country needs support in different
sectors, especially in the soft beverage
area such as juice processing; also
sodas and water are popular, but
also in bakeries and confectionery.
As more women are now working
to support their family’s economic
needs, more to-go opportunities are
arising, such as quick, processed
foods – as healthy as possible – and
even coffee shops. Ethiopia’s young
people are embracing education and
several students helped out hosting
at the exhibition. They were optimistic
about the future. Both male and
female students shared a vision of
their country being successful, with
each of them having a part in this
growth. The warmth they showed to
visitors was underlined in the love
they felt for their own country.
If we take a look at the world’s needs,
we recognize that there are many who
are hungry, angry or alone. However,
the people I personally met on this trip
have shown an optimism, energy and
strength to make something happen
– and this attitude is encouraging and
infectious. Africa may have many
natural resources for agriculture and
other industries, but the combination
of its people with the long traditions
and history really do give an answer
for the world.
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food Marketing & Technology • August 2023
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