VIV Europe in its latest edition at the Jaarbeurs Utrecht showground in The Netherlands has justified being described as the World Expo from feed to food, says Event Manager Renate Wiendels of VNU Exhibitions Europe. Professionals from 144 countries in six continents have visited the three-day event, joining exhibitors from 47 countries in Europe, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, Africa and the Americas at a global gathering that was world-class especially about the poultry business.

VIV Europe 2018 marked the anniversary of 40 years since the VIV brand was introduced in the market. Even more than at any previous edition, this VIV Europe has demonstrated the event’s appeal to the executives of the worldwide poultry industry and other animal protein businesses. That has been seen in the high quality of the visitors as shown by their registration details, Renate notes. It resulted in a number of important show-time business deals, including several valuable contracts that were signed during the show.

Highly rated
“The ratings given by our attendees when interviewed over the three days are consistent and express the added value of VIV Europe 2018. Exhibitors on average have rated it at a strong 7.6, on a scale where 10 indicates the highest satisfaction. Visitors valued the show even higher, at 7.9.” Renate Wiendels continues. “We want to thank all members of the VIV Europe team and also our exhibitors, who have worked hand in hand to extend a warm welcome to a number of 18,363 visits. Although the final total was not the rise in attendance that we had estimated according to the increase in pre-registrations, truly positive was the improved quality of visitors with investment interest and buying power.”

Enthusiastic exhibitors
There was world class with 591 exhibiting companies included top names in the supply chain of equipment and other requisites to producers and processors of meat, eggs and milk. Among exhibitors giving VIV Europe 2018 a high score was Giordano Poultry Plast of Italy, with CEO Oscar Giordano saying: “My compliments on a fantastic show, my personal mark for it is 10! We have presented our new company named Gi-Ovo (the previous Twinpack b.v.), some new products and also new export manager Veronica Desenzani — and all was great!”

Torsten Giese, marketing manager at Ishida Europe, commented: “This was only our second direct participation at VIV Europe and the 2018 show was simply fantastic for us. We met the right people with serious investment plans and introduced them to our unique solutions for marinating and packaging poultry products.”

Aviagen’s European marketing manager Sara Collins called the 2018 show a big success. “It was the perfect platform to meet with our customers and industry colleagues from Europe, the Middle East, Africa and beyond.”

Warm words from visitors
Remarks received from visitors were equally encouraging. One person who had travelled from Australia told the organizers that, having never previously attended a VIV exhibition, he was not sure what to expect. “But everything went way beyond what I might have thought. Amazing.”

As a sample of other comments written on survey questionnaires by people visiting the show, one gave VIV Europe 2018 a very good mark because of the high standard of its organization and location – not least, the proximity to the train station for those coming to the showground by rail. Another remarked kindly: “It is indicative that real people manage the VIV and all exhibitors do their best to show the VIV in excellent condition”.

Welcome Hall wins friends
A popular part of the 2018 show was the new layout of the Welcome Hall at the main entrance. Here, everyone was greeted on their arrival by smiling hosts and directed into an area which one exhibitor described as having a botanical image because of the plants placed around the seating in its open-plan zone that also featured big screens where football fans could watch matches from the FIFA World Cup.

This zone additionally contained a new initiative in the form of the VIV Innovation Gallery. Display boards gave images and information about new products from 33 exhibitors to the poultry sector, related to the show’s central theme of Sharing Data = Better Poultry that proved to be a big hit with everyone. Non-commercial stands around the perimeter added to the theme by featuring novel poultry production and direct-marketing concepts from The Netherlands, led by the Kip van Oranje co-operation between Dutch chicken producers.

Wide spectrum of products and ideas
Starting from the Welcome Hall, the show presented a very warm but professional atmosphere for relaxed business talks which visitors appreciated. As they moved into the exhibition they entered a net display area of 24,580 square metres divided into segments providing inspiration for all parts of animal protein production and processing, with a particular emphasis on poultry.

The organizers’ analysis suggests that 37% of exhibitors were marketing supplies for farm production and 20% for processing and handling. Proportions for animal health and for breeding/hatching were 18% and 6%, while feed composition and feed manufacturing were covered by 23% and 10% of exhibitors.

Innovations and future technologies could be found throughout the show, making this event a leading platform for the industry’s development. Its vision of future production practices and market opportunities was greatly enhanced by a supporting programme of conferences assembled with the help of industry partners.

Opening conference has data driven food-retail focus
Each day of VIV Europe 2018 was allocated its own theme. Day One was dedicated to primary production, Day Two highlighted food and retail while Day Three celebrated young talent entering animal protein industries globally.

Talking points around data driven food and retail strategies were delivered by invited speakers at the Grand Opening Conference, with the retailer’s view being given by John Kirkpatrick who is Agricultural Manager for poultry, eggs and feed sustainability/security at Tesco in the UK and examples of coming production technologies & methods being presented by Alltech Vice President Aidan Connolly and Stefan Frehse from the Baader-Group.

Many other sessions related to poultry, but there was also a chance for VIV Europe visitors to participate in the annual European congress of the organisation Global Dairy Farmers being held at the same venue. From Lely International CEO Alexander van der Lely, this congress heard how robotic dairy farming is progressing and its integration with other new-age systems being developed for the milk production site.

African investment series is a highlight
VIV Europe 2018 displayed the continuing commitment of the organisers to animal protein businesses also across Africa, by offering exceptional ‘Invest In Africa’ seminars on individual African countries — and by announcing officially that boutique event Poultry Africa will return to Kigali (Rwanda) on 2nd-3rd October 2019.

Among the Africa-oriented presentations was one on poultry production in Senegal, designated Country of Honour at VIV Europe 2018. The programme also looked generally at Africa’s agri-food outlook before discussing poultry meat and egg sectors in Nigeria, Ethiopia and Ghana, Rwanda, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.

Attended by leaders of the poultry meat and egg sectors in these countries, the seminars were arranged jointly by VIV worldwide and the Netherlands-African Business Council, Rabobank, Dutch Poultry Centre and the Ethiopia-Netherlands Trade Group for Agricultural Growth (ENTAG).

Delegations come to the show
Ten organised delegations from Asian, African and European nations added to visitors at VIV Europe 2018. For example, the show had the pleasure of welcoming the 23 members of a Sri Lankan poultry trade mission whose ranks included leading producers and veterinarians.

Numerically, China sent the most delegations with three pre-registered groups comprising a total of 39 Chinese industry leaders. The Middle East/Africa area was strongly represented by groups such as from Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger as well as from Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal and Morocco. There were other delegations from Pakistan, Russia, Ukraine — and Mexico. VIV Europe is held every four years. Planning has started already for the next edition in the spring of 2022.