Anuga’s 10 specialised trade shows under one roof are this year being expanded to cover even more areas. Stefan Chomka reports


When a food and drink exhibition can boast the fact that it is ‘10 specialised trade shows under one roof’ as Anuga does, it shows the scale of the operation.
Returning this year on October 8-12 to its traditional spot at the Cologne Exhibition Centre in Germany, Anuga is an exhibition of true global reach and significance, consistently attracting around 160,000 visitors from more than 150 countries over five days. As the world’s biggest international food fair, it is the highlight of the food and drink calendar.
Not that organiser Koelnmesse is complacent. Anuga 2005 promises to be the biggest and best event yet, building on the successful changes made for the previous show in 2003, when it decided to give each of the 10 shows a clearly defined profile to make it easier for visitors to navigate the myriad companies.
And this time round, says Tony Pittman, UK representative for Koelnmesse, the individual fairs have been expanded and extended to cover more areas.
The 10 sectors consist of Fine Food, Gourmet, Chilled Food, Meat, Frozen, Dairy, Bread & Bakery & Hot Beverages, Drinks, CateringTec and RetailTec. The layout will also reinforce the individual fair concept, with related segments grouped into clusters. Chilled Food, Meat, Frozen and Dairy, for example, will be located close together, as will Fine Food and Gourmet.
Various other categories, such as organic, kosher, halal, finger food and over-the-counter products are also getting greater prominence, as well as health food and functional food, being given their own area for the first time this year.
Fine Food once again takes centre stage, due to the breadth of products on show, which include general provisions, delicatessen
foods, health foods and diet products. In 2003, a total of 2,958 suppliers presented product ranges at Anuga Fine Food, with more than half of all Anuga’s visitors attending. This year, says Koelnmesse, figures are expected to grow further making it the biggest Fine Food show in the exhibition’s history.
Anuga Dairy is another growing part of the exhibition with a record number of exhibitors already signed up. About 340 suppliers from 40 countries are set to attend with the number of overseas suppliers increasing considerably.
Being held in Cologne, Anuga is an obvious starting point for British companies trying to gain a foothold in Germany. And, according to the Federal Association of the German Food Industry (BVE), companies need all the help they can get to break into what is an increasingly competitive market.
Not only do UK manufacturers face aggressive pricing policies in Germany, but the amount of food being consumed in the country is also decreasing as Germany’s population falls.
The number of one-person households in Germany is increasing while the number of children per families is decreasing.
BVE highlights ready meals and convenience foods sectors as major growth areas for local and international companies to tap into.
British companies in the frozen sector are in a strong position if they seek breaking into the German market. BVE points to the growing popularity of frozen foods in Germany. Its figures show that 30 years ago per capita consumption, excluding ice cream, was 22.7kg but by 2003 it had reached 34.6kg. The rise is expected to continue.
And while visitors to this year’s Anuga will see a more refined show than ever before, Pittman says that the show will continue to evolve.
In 2007 the exhibition will be housed in four new halls, replacing some of the centre’s older buildings. The new halls will have a total space of some 90,000 sq m, with better facilities. Says Pittman: “Anuga will continue to work to offer the best show for food and drink companies worldwide”.
DatesOctober 8-12, 2005 LocationCologne Exhibition Centre, Cologne, Germany HoursFor visitors - 9am to 6pm, for exhibitors - 8am-7pm Prices 1day2day 3day4day5day Advanced sale € 26€ 44€ 54€ 61€ 64 Ticket office € 46€ 56€ 66€ 76€ 81 Exhibition catalogue€ 26