Online exhibition – an alternative the industry expected
Although the global pandemic disrupted order in many areas of our existence, fortunately it did not freeze human ingenuity and innovation. Thanks to initiatives such as trade fairs organized in virtual space, the food industry can continue functioning harmoniously. Not only could the entrepreneurs make new contacts, but also exchange experiences and ideas on the business issues they face on a daily basis.
EXPO Zone and online networking – a virtual window to the world for the food industry
The organizers prepared the EXPO zone by publishing virtual stands and profiles of 160 exhibitors from 22 countries. The zone, in addition to its basic function – company and product presentation, also enabled live networking.
Within 3 days of the exhibition 13 734 text messages were sent, 2 547 audio calls and 1 836 video calls were made via the platform. Video meetings were very popular and their total time was 12 120 minutes, which gives over 200 hours of business talks.
“World Food Poland 2021 in the online format has been professionally organized. The platform worked smoothly, and the organizers made efforts to ensure that the participants visited the stands. “– this is how one of the exhibitors, Anthony Chiu from Hedonista, a company producing Chinese chili oils, sums up their participation in the exhibition.
Conferences and debates
During numerous conferences and debates, participants could listen to the representatives of the government and variety of institutions, experts, entrepreneurs and media representatives, whose presentations were received with great interest. Over 1 500 participants took part in the online conferences.
The conference agenda was divided into several topics related to the current issues and challenges in the foodstuffs industry. Among others, the following topics were addressed:
Opening Debate
The exhibition commenced with the Opening Debate of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, who granted the honorary patronage over the event. The minister, together with invited guests, tried to identify opportunities for Polish food exporters. They discussed the current consumer and sales trends and the prospects they bring for Polish entrepreneurs.
New reality
The pandemic, which limited the possibilities in many areas of the economy, did not discourage the organizers of WorldFood Poland from creating an online exhibition, shifting all possible trade interactions to a virtual format. The organizers of the exhibition took the initiative and created an alternative form of business communication for the food industry, which was appreciated by most of the participants.
The organizers of the exhibition express special thanks to all the partners, who actively participated in the preparation and promotion of the event. “I would like to thank to all the Exhibitors and Guests for their willingness to participate in an innovative form of the exhibition. The time of the pandemic caused many changes and mobilized both sides, us as organizers and entrepreneurs to look for alternative solutions and ways to establish business contacts. I hope that the virtual form of the exhibition will contribute to the development of companies participating in the online event. I hope that the next edition will be held stationary, among tastes and fragrances from around the world. See you in the next edition of WorldFood Poland on 5-7 April, 2022! ” – says Agnieszka Szpaderska, director of WorldFood Poland.