Trade fairs are still one of the fastest ways to compress six months of outreach into three days — but only for suppliers who arrive with a plan. The rest leave with a stack of business cards and no second meetings.
The fairs that still deliver
Anuga (Cologne) and BioFach (Nuremberg) remain the primary listing-relevant fairs for food and organic. PLMA (Amsterdam) is essential for Private Label conversations across DACH. ISM (Cologne) still moves confectionery and snacks. For non-food, Ambiente and Christmasworld continue to draw the right retail teams.
What separates a productive fair from an expensive one
Pre-booked buyer meetings, a clear one-line category proposition on the booth, printed price and pallet data ready to hand over, and a disciplined follow-up sequence in the two weeks after the fair. Buyers forget booths quickly; they remember suppliers who send a specific, tailored follow-up within 72 hours.
The honest cost equation
A well-prepared fair delivers 3–5 serious retailer conversations. Judged on that basis, most fairs are worth it. Judged on footfall, almost none are.
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We open the right doors — and prepare you for what happens after they open.