The new year always marks the starting point of a new schedule for our commercial activity. For a Spanish company like Aceitunas Torrent which exports and sells olives, attending fairs – both in Spain and further afield – is a key factor for business growth.
Fairs are commercial events where companies are given the opportunity to exhibit and market their products and/or services, as well as establishing contacts with potential clients. They also enable us to find out what our competitors are up to, learn about market trends or discover new products. This all goes on in the space of just a few days!
From Russia to Japan via Dubai
As a starter, Covid-permitting, we hope to kick off with our schedule of visits in Prodexpo (Russia). This fair is held in Moscow from February 7 to 11 and is considered the largest food and beverage sector fair in Russia and Eastern Europe. For over 20 years, it has been a key player in the development of the food industry in this region and has had a major role in furthering the importance of the Russian food industry. All the most important distributors from Moscow and Saint Petersburg will be there, as will operators from the rest of the Russian regions and neighbouring countries such as Belarus, Ukraine or Armenia, as well as from Central Asia.
Only a few days later sees the start of Gulfood, which, as we have mentioned before in these blogs, is the biggest fair held in the Middle East for the food and hospitality industries. The event takes place at the World Trade Center in Dubai and attracts growing interest each year. From February 13 to 17, manufacturers and distributors of equipment and service providers for the food and hospitality sectors will meet, and novelties in the sector will be on show.
A little later, we zoom off to the land of the rising sun to attend Foodex Japan, which takes place from March 8 to 11 in Tokyo. This is the largest agri-food fair in Japan and the Asian-Pacific region, and is aimed exclusively at a professional audience: wholesalers, retailers, supermarkets, catering, beverage importers, restaurants, and so on. Despite the fact that Japan has its own well-established traditions and culture, which makes it a particularly difficult market to enter, we are proud to say that our exquisite olives have succeeded in conquering the discerning palates of the Japanese. Arigato!
For us, the customer comes first
Each geographical area is covered by an Area Manager, who has a crucial role to play in all export companies. Not only are they the most direct link with customers, but it’s also through them that all the relevant information about the different markets, consumer trends and customer preferences of a particular country are conveyed to the other departments.
This is why it’s vital to keep in constant touch with clients, visit them whenever possible and attend the major international trade fairs in the sector.