The Bta. Exhibition, Barcelona Food Technologies, to take place from 15 to 18 May 2012 in Barcelona, announces two of its strategic core themes – Internationalisation and Innovation. The organisation has focussed this technological vision geared towards the food industry on Mediterranean and Latin American countries in addition to emerging countries such as Angola, India and China, all priorities for its professional visitor promotional plan.
Bta's value proposition involves assembling and displaying a range of technology and a global, heterogeneous and horizontal range of machinery capable of meeting all those needs present in the food production chain. With an extensive professional background, , over 20 and years and 13 editions in over 20 years, Bta. will be jointly held for the second time with Hispack, the International Packaging Exhibition, encompassing all aspects of container, labelling and packaging processes. This co-occurrence was well-received by exhibitors (in 90% of cases) and visitors alike.
The outcome of these triennial exhibitions will place Bta. as the number-one food industry show in Southern Europe.
The organisation predicts that for this edition around 70% of visitors have already confirmed their attendance, reaffirming the interest aroused among industry operators by the forthcoming edition.
As Víctor Pascual, the Exhibition's Director, has emphasised, “The food industry is developing positively within the Spanish economy and Bta. will be the showpiece for this industry as it goes in search of technical solutions that enable it to compete on a national and international scale.” He has also praised the latest data regarding the Spanish agri-food industry, which has performed favourably and demonstrated its commitment to growth in employment and exports.
He also added, “The food industry is attending the Bta. Exhibition, its main technological showcase, in search of technological solutions that add value to its companies”.
Attracting visitors from 20 countries
The commitment towards internationalisation is reflected in the international promotional plan to attract buyers as it revolves around the selection of markets of opportunity by geographical proximity, existing, pre-established market relations and the organisers' conviction that the range of technology present at Bta. can suit the needs of each and every one of these buyers. As a result, they are working in particular with countries in the Mediterranean Basin such as Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Turkey and Israel, and Latin American countries, namely Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru and Brazil, all of which have an unmissable appointment with food technology. Furthermore, this edition will also pay special attention to emerging markets such as China and Russia, and other conjunctural areas such as Angola and Senegal.
As Víctor Pascual explains, “We are investing in attracting professional visitors from those markets where the food industry plays a key role or has business potential for the food machinery and technology industry”.
One exhibition, three shows
The wide range provided by Bta. Barcelona Food Technologies will stand out as it will be divided into three monographic shows to facilitate the professionals' visit and enable them to easily locate companies of interest. These three diverse monographic exhibition areas are:
- Tecnoalimentaria: The International Exhibition of Machinery and Technology for Manufacturing and the Food and Drinks Trade in general, which appeals to buyers from the world of dairy products, fruit, vegetables, garden produce, preserves, drinks and fish, among others. It offers professionals technological solutions for their manufacturing processes and includes certain aspects such as traceability, quality control systems, safety, environmental protection and industrial refrigeration.
- Tecnocárnica: The International Exhibition of Machinery, Technology, Equipment and Supplies for the Meat and Meat Products Industry, which brings together the leading industry brands in machinery and technology for the meat industry and is attended by the most important companies in the business.
- Ingretecno: The International Exhibition of Intermediate Products for the Food and Drinks Industry, which offers professionals supplementary equipment and machinery for food processes.
Those companies to have already confirmed their attendance at Bta. 2012 include: Gea-Wesfalia Separador, Multivac, Roser, Marel Food Sistems, Dorsal, Mimasa, Intecal, Danish Export Association, CBS Sistems, Abello Linde, Ezma, Ulma Safe Handling, Surdry, HJM Marrodan.
The Exhibition will display the latest innovations in equipment for all food processes, such as industrial and commercial refrigeration, quality control systems, cleaning, hygiene, safety, environmental protection, container and packaging machinery, functional food products and food and technological additives... among others.
The food and drinks industry, a driving force behind the Spanish economy
Despite the current situation, the food and drinks industry is the most important among the EU's industries and the only one to keep on maintaining reliable investment potential and to start generating employment, with 446,000 positions currently held.
Its 7.6% contribution to the GDP is greater than other strategic industries such as ITCs, 7%, and the automotive industry, 3.3%, only being bettered by tourism, at 10.3%, an industry closely linked to gastronomic promotion. Net sales worth around 81.37 billion euros in 2010 and exports worth more than 16 billion euros verify the potential of the combined food chain as a driving force behind economic recovery and employment.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) recently defined the food industry as, “one of the most relevant industries in the Spanish economy because of its strength and global knowledge”.
Institutional Support
The Bta. Exhibition has the institutional support of industry associations. For instance, AMEC, via its three sectors: Alimentec – machinery, technology, ingredients and services for the food industry, Aefemac – manufacturers and distributors of machinery for the meat industry, and Afespan – machinery, ovens and equipment for bakery, cake and pastry and other related industries, will offer the show its support in order to promote its internationalisation. Llucià Casellas, President of Amec, will also be chairing Bta. 2012.
Joan Tristany, Managing Director of AMEC, has defined the exhibition as an industry reference point because of its, “Constant promotion of internationalisation, commitment to innovation and the full technological and innovative range on offer and available to companies”.
Likewise, Andrés Gavilán, the President of AFCA (the Spanish acronym for the Spanish Association of Food Additive Manufacturers and Distributors) when referring to Bta has emphasised how it, “Constitutes a top-notch platform for displaying the latest innovations and establishing commercial relations with companies from Europe, Latin America and the other continents”.
Jaume Blancafort, President of FECIC (the Catalan acronym for the Catalan Federation of the Meat Industries) highly values the role of Bta. in bringing technology closer to companies and facilitating their innovation, “The Bta. Exhibition gives great added value to the food industry by bringing the diverse range of technology available together in one unique place”.
Other associations such as FIAB (the Spanish acronym for the Spanish Food and Drink Industry Association) will also strengthen their presence at the show and raise the profile of their activities, at the same time reinforcing the ideas behind the exhibition – to work as a platform for companies to innovate and find new partners. The General Secretary of FIAB has defined the show as, “The key to our development and the best showcase for it”.
About Alimentaria Exhibitions
In addition to Bta., the main headline trade shows of Alimentaria Exhibitions – the joint venture between Fira de Barcelona and Reed Exhibitions – are: Alimentaria and Barcelona Degusta, in Barcelona; Alimentaria Lisboa, in Portugal; Alimentaria México, in Mexico City and Alimentaria Mercosur, in Argentina. Alimentaria Exhibitions is positioned as a market leader in the countries where it operates, managing over 200,000 net m² of exhibition space, with 6,000 international food and drink, retail and equipment and technology exhibitors, attracting around 200,000 professionals from these sectors.