IFFA is the world’s leading trade fair for the meat-processing industry featuring the latest technologies and solutions for slaughtering, processing, weighing, packaging, conveying, cooling, storing, transporting and selling, as well as spices and additives for meat and sausage products. The triennial show will take place from May 4 to 9 at the Frankfurt Fair and Exhibition Centre in Frankfurt, Germany. More than 58,000 visitors from 130 countries attended IFFA 2010 to see the products and services on display by 949 exhibiting companies on the 1 million-sq.-ft. tradeshow floor. While overall attendance was down from 61,328 in 2007, the number of trade visitors from outside Germany increased from 47 to 50 percent.

“IFFA is the unchallenged leading trade fair for the sector, worldwide.” said Detlef Braun, board of management of Messe Frankfurt, tradeshow organizers. “An increase of 5 percent in the number of exhibitors, more exhibition space sold and, at 59 percent, a higher proportion of international visitors than ever before provide impressive confirmation of the great importance of IFFA, especially in times of economic difficulty.”

2010 success

“IFFA 2010 has more than fulfilled our expectations. We are very pleased with the number and, in particular, the quality of trade visitors,” said Berthold Gassmann, chairman of the Meat Processing Machines Department of the Federation of German Machine and Plant Manufacturers, and member of the IFFA Advisory Council. “Our customers were very impressed by the breadth of the spectrum to be seen, as well as the large variety of new products for automation, hygiene, process documentation and traceability. IFFA has impressively demonstrated its position as the leading international trade fair and the foremost event for the sector.”

The top visitor nations to the 2010 show included Germany, Russia, Italy, Spain, Poland, The Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, the US, Belgium and Australia.

“Meat is one of the most valuable and most demanding foodstuffs. Worldwide meat consumption is growing from year to year. Although this is encouraging for the meat-processing industry, it is also bound up with high expectations in terms of, for example, product traceability and hygiene in the interests of consumer protection,” Braun said.

In 2010, 32 percent of visitors said they came to IFFA to see machines and equipment for processing and packaging meat products. This segment was followed by spices, additives and aromas for meat and sausage products (30 percent), products and services for butchers’ shops (26 percent) and slaughtering and dismembering equipment (22 percent). There was also a noticeable increase in interest in automatic machinery and handling equipment.

Changes for 2013

For the first time, IFFA will extend into Hall 11 in 2013, occupying Halls 11.0 and 11.1. Exhibitors in the Packaging, Supply Facilities, Measuring and Weighing equipment sections will be located in both halls.

In addition, market-leading suppliers in the field of processing and cutting will be located in Hall 11.1.

Hall 11 is the newest and most modern hall at the Frankfurt Fair and Exhibition Centre. Some of the manufacturers who will be exhibiting here are, Bizerba, CSB-System, Ishida, Multivac, Sealpac, Tipper Tie, Treif, ULMA and VC999.

The core area for Processing products will continue to be in Hall 8.0. Manufacturers in the Slaughtering and Dismembering, Processing, Transport and Storage Equipment, Cooling Technology and Automation sections will be exhibiting in Hall 9.0. Hall 9.1 brings together suppliers relating to Slaughtering and Dismembering, Processing, Cleaning Equipment, Workplace Hygiene, Health and Safety in the Workplace, Data Processing and IT Solutions.

Exhibitors in the section on “Sales – everything for butcher’s shops” as well as suppliers of packaging materials will, for the first time, be located in Hall 4.1. Among other things, the competition area of the German Butchers’ Association (Deutscher Fleischer-Verband) and the Market Place – the venue for the butchery trade to meet up – will be also located here. Suppliers in the Ingredients, Spices and Additives segment will be represented on the floor in Hall 4.0.

Show extras

In addition to the tradeshow exhibits, IFFA offers attendees a number of competitions during the six-day show. Included are International Quality Competition for Products in Cans and Jars; International Quality Competition for Sausages; Small Sausage Grand Prix; Trainee Butcher Demonstrations; and International Quality Competition for Ham.

The Meat Vision Congress with the theme of “Sustainability – a global responsibility” will be held Thursday, May 9 from 1 to 5 p.m. International speakers will spend the first two hours of the congress answering the following questions: How can we meet the requirements for resource-efficient production in practice? How does holistic sustainability management link social, ecological and economic developments with intelligent technology? What role do sustainability initiatives in the field of mechanical and plant engineering play?

Then, from 3:30 to 5 p.m. two concurrent sessions will be held – Session I deals with new sustainability markets; Session II spotlights communication as it pertains to sustainability issues. All sessions will be presented in German and English.

A final activity starting at 6 p.m. on May 9 is the “Spirit of Meat” Gala Evening and Award Ceremony to honor international sustainability initiatives. Awards will be presented for Best Technical Innovation and Most Convincing Strategy for Sustainability. Two “young talents” awards will also be presented to members in the craft-trade industry and the technology field.

For more information, go to www.iffa.com.