WorldFood Istanbul Breaks Record On Its 31st Year!
The International Food Products and Processing Technologies Exhibition – WorldFood Istanbul, which provides the opportunity to exhibit and discover the latest innovations and food trends in the sector on its 31st year, had opened its doors on 6th of September and hosted its guests at TÜYAP Fair, Convention and Congress Center until 9th of September, 2023. For 4 days, 64,146 visitors from 161 countries and 1,117 exhibitors from 38 countries have attended WorldFood Istanbul.
On its 31st year, International Food Products and Processing Technologies Exhibition - WorldFood Istanbul experienced a great increase in the number of visitors, exhibitors and international hosted buyers. WorldFood Istanbul Exhibition had a historic success by increasing the amount of visitors by 67% compared to last year. This year, 30% of its visitors were international visitors. The exhibition hosted 19,543 international visitors this year, increasing the amount of the international visitors by 55% compared to last year.
“We broke a record on our 31st year”
WorldFood Istanbul Exhibition Director Semi Benbanaste has stated: “Since our first ever exhibition, we have sticked to the three priorities that we had set as targets and had great success with strategies built up on these fundamental principles. Our first priority was to become an international exhibition. In order to accomplish this, we put a great effort on attracting international exhibitors and hosted buyers. In our exhibition which has made a mark once again on its 31st year, we hosted more than 800 international hosted buyers from 73 countries. We worked so hard on promoting our exhibition globally and encouraging international participation. Our second priority was to become a site of attraction that brings all the buyers and sellers from around the world together. In order to accomplish this, we brought together exhibitors coming from various food sectors and regions.”
Emphasising that food professionals are coming together in this exhibition and taking cooperation opportunities, Semi Benbanaste stated that: “This has turned our exhibition into an essential platform for meeting. Our third priority was to create a platform that is inclusive of all of the sectors. In order to accomplish this, we brought together different brands, exhibitors and visitors under the same roof. We formed an environment in which all our shareholders in the food sector can learn from each other and cooperate. This increases the variety and substantiality of our exhibition and enables everyone to follow the latest developments in their respective fields of activity. Enabling everyone to have a productive time during these four days was so important for us. We put an effort on meeting and also exceeding the expectations of our exhibitors and visitors. By presenting well planned events and panel opportunities, we have enabled everyone to make the most of our exhibition.”
Benbanaste continued stating that: “We are in the Champions League now and in the following period, we plan on setting the bar even higher on increasing the satisfaction of both visitors and exhibitors. We aim on increasing the success of our exhibition with more innovation, greater cooperations and more participation in the future. We thank everyone who has contributed. We believe we will continue writing this story of success together.”
The WorldFood İstanbul Exhibition, which had nearly 800 international hosted buyers from 73 countries, particularly from Azerbaijan, Brazil, France, Greece, Israel, Jordan, USA, Qatar, England, South Africa, Serbia, Bulgaria, Germany and Kuwait; strengthened the trade mobility by increasing the business volume both in its region and in the world and giving an opportunity to domestic manufacturers to increase their export potential. It has also strengthened its "regional and international vision platform" feature more this year, with the insights of Türkiye's food and food technologies sector and the targets for it, which were shared by the experts throughout the sessions at the exhibition.
TIM (Türkiye Exporters Assembly) Grains, Pulses, Oil Seeds and Products Sector Board and all of its Exporter Assemblies, Federation of Food and Drink Industry Associations of Türkiye (TGDF) and Foodservice Suppliers Association (ETÜDER) have joined forces under the title of the “Food Platform of Türkiye” with the intention of making the WorldFood Istanbul International Food Products and Processing Technologies Exhibition one of the most efficient fairs in its field in the world. ALZ Fair and Congress Organizations, one of the leading organizations of the Turkish exhibition organization sector, took place as the "Cooperation Organization" at the WorldFood İstanbul.
In the exhibit, where hundreds of great exhibitors such as Pınar Süt, Tahsildaroğlu, Malatyapazarı, Beyoğlu Çikolata, Nuh’un Ankara, Seyidoğlu Gıda, Bolçi Çikolata, Muratbey, Dardenel, Cafe Crown, Reis Gıda, Tayaş Gıda, Meysu, Tariş Üzüm, Sütaş ve Migros Ticaret A.Ş. were present, the visitors experienced an interactive exhibition with the arrangement of thematic exhibition tours, kitchen workshops of national and international exhibitors, recipe presentations with famous chefs, recipe talks and flavour shows along with the conferences.
A Presidents’ Session was held in the first session of the opening day with the founding directors of Food Platform of Türkiye. Agriculture Editor of Bloomberg HT and journalist on Gazete Okisjen İrfan Donat has moderated the panel exhibition titled “Food Industry At The Heart Of Export And 2024 Roadmap“ on the first day of the exhibition, which drew the heavy interest of the visitors.
SUSTAINABILITY, RELIABILITY, SOLIDARITY
The second day of the exhibition started with the panel of Strengthening the Bridges with the Manufacturer. Under the moderation of Ekotürk News Anchor Ahu Orakçıoğlu, the food supply security on disasters, sustainable supply chain, strengthening the manufacturers with new business and marketing models and marketplaces’ export topics were discussed. Exhibitors of the panel have gained valuable insights on developmental agricultural practices as well.
In another panel of the second day that was held with the cooperation of PlumeMag, the How Much Carbon Footprint You Serve on Your Table? question was addressed under the moderation of the Founder of PlumeMag, Bihter Ayyıldız.In the panel, the topics on nonpoisonous tables to protect our world, the awareness on nonpoisonous manufacturing and consumption, the impact of products with Geographical Indications on the local development, food trends of the future, the food industry affected by the climate change and solution offers were discussed.
With the “Let’s Raise Hope!” panel, the industrial solidarity and regional development suggestions were put forward by the speakers who have done lots of work in the region. The moderator of the session was the web designer, Local Makers Solidarity Network Volunteer, Eylül Görmüş. The hope for the food sector was raised in WorldFood Istanbul.
The last session of the second day which was held with the cooperation of Reliable Product Platform was "Empowering Regional Potential: Türkiye's Path to Development".Important people such as CEO of Patiswiss Elif Aslı Yıldız Tunaoğlu, CEO of Oğuz Gıda Enes Öner and Member of the Board of Directors of Reis Gıda Işılay Reis have participated in the session and path to follow on the map of development in the future was discussed.
NEW TRENDS, NEW MARKETS, NEW TECHNOLOGIES
On September 8, Friday, on the opening ceremony of the 3rd day, "TASTING THE FUTURE" session was held with the cooperation of Gezimanya, under the moderation of the Co-Founder of Gezimanya, Murat Z. Özbilgi and with the attendance of influencer chefs; Digital Content Creator and Gastronomy Researcher from Italy, Andrea Mercurio; The LaLit London Executive Chef, Jomon Kuriakose and Executive Chef and Pastry Chef Khawla Alsaib. They were on the stage with featured cuisine trends.
Following of the 3rd day industrial sessions, in the New Markets on Food Export and Growth Strategies panel, the topics such as supply chain on international operations, purchase criteria, the position of food innovation, safety and quality in cooperations were discussed under the moderation of the Founder of Xsight Research and Consultancy, Çiğdem Penn.
In the last session of September 8, there was a meeting with the entrepreneurs of Empowering Women In Agrifood (EWA), which is supported by EIT, the biggest innovation network in Europe. The start-ups that have marked the food sector, and created change in technology and agriculture with the Food Tech Garage project that has been carried by the WorldFood Istanbul since 2020 were welcomed at the exhibition. Within this scope, the exhibitors of 2023, Dr. Aronia, Limonita Vegan Kasap, Malty Snacks and NFS Functional Food Inc. founders have come together under the moderation of ICA Events content manager Zeynep Gülşen Can in the "The World’s Doors Wide Open For Start-Ups" panel and shared new generation food technologies, upcycling food productions, artificial intelligence-based processes, smart farming applications and healthy and organic formulas with the audience. The entrepreneurship culture with women leading and the partnership in the start-up ecosystem and global cooperation were brought to the agenda.
SHOW KITCHEN WITH CREATIVE CHEFS AND INSPIRING RECIPES
In the Show Kitchen that was built within the exhibition with the sponsorship of Öztiryakiler, along with the Chef Workshops, which include a waste-free kitchen with Turkish Cooks Association chefs, inherited recipes from Hatay Metropolitan Municipality Unesco Hatay Gastronomi Evi chefs and Orkide Olive Oil; there were tasting events and tips on "Açai" from Brazil, "Yuzu" and "Wasabi" from Japan and Patiswiss chocolates.
Food Arena has given information and inspiration to the exhibitors by presenting a productive exhibition experience filled with special exhibition tours, presentations on technology entrepreneurship, influencer talks and substantial activities as well as providing new opportunities for jobs and cooperations.
On its 31st year, International Food Products and Processing Technologies Exhibition - WorldFood Istanbul experienced a great increase in the number of visitors, exhibitors and international hosted buyers. WorldFood Istanbul Exhibition had a historic success by increasing the amount of visitors by 67% compared to last year. This year, 30% of its visitors were international visitors. The exhibition hosted 19,543 international visitors this year, increasing the amount of the international visitors by 55% compared to last year.
“We broke a record on our 31st year”
WorldFood Istanbul Exhibition Director Semi Benbanaste has stated: “Since our first ever exhibition, we have sticked to the three priorities that we had set as targets and had great success with strategies built up on these fundamental principles. Our first priority was to become an international exhibition. In order to accomplish this, we put a great effort on attracting international exhibitors and hosted buyers. In our exhibition which has made a mark once again on its 31st year, we hosted more than 800 international hosted buyers from 73 countries. We worked so hard on promoting our exhibition globally and encouraging international participation. Our second priority was to become a site of attraction that brings all the buyers and sellers from around the world together. In order to accomplish this, we brought together exhibitors coming from various food sectors and regions.”
Emphasising that food professionals are coming together in this exhibition and taking cooperation opportunities, Semi Benbanaste stated that: “This has turned our exhibition into an essential platform for meeting. Our third priority was to create a platform that is inclusive of all of the sectors. In order to accomplish this, we brought together different brands, exhibitors and visitors under the same roof. We formed an environment in which all our shareholders in the food sector can learn from each other and cooperate. This increases the variety and substantiality of our exhibition and enables everyone to follow the latest developments in their respective fields of activity. Enabling everyone to have a productive time during these four days was so important for us. We put an effort on meeting and also exceeding the expectations of our exhibitors and visitors. By presenting well planned events and panel opportunities, we have enabled everyone to make the most of our exhibition.”
Benbanaste continued stating that: “We are in the Champions League now and in the following period, we plan on setting the bar even higher on increasing the satisfaction of both visitors and exhibitors. We aim on increasing the success of our exhibition with more innovation, greater cooperations and more participation in the future. We thank everyone who has contributed. We believe we will continue writing this story of success together.”
The WorldFood İstanbul Exhibition, which had nearly 800 international hosted buyers from 73 countries, particularly from Azerbaijan, Brazil, France, Greece, Israel, Jordan, USA, Qatar, England, South Africa, Serbia, Bulgaria, Germany and Kuwait; strengthened the trade mobility by increasing the business volume both in its region and in the world and giving an opportunity to domestic manufacturers to increase their export potential. It has also strengthened its "regional and international vision platform" feature more this year, with the insights of Türkiye's food and food technologies sector and the targets for it, which were shared by the experts throughout the sessions at the exhibition.
TIM (Türkiye Exporters Assembly) Grains, Pulses, Oil Seeds and Products Sector Board and all of its Exporter Assemblies, Federation of Food and Drink Industry Associations of Türkiye (TGDF) and Foodservice Suppliers Association (ETÜDER) have joined forces under the title of the “Food Platform of Türkiye” with the intention of making the WorldFood Istanbul International Food Products and Processing Technologies Exhibition one of the most efficient fairs in its field in the world. ALZ Fair and Congress Organizations, one of the leading organizations of the Turkish exhibition organization sector, took place as the "Cooperation Organization" at the WorldFood İstanbul.
In the exhibit, where hundreds of great exhibitors such as Pınar Süt, Tahsildaroğlu, Malatyapazarı, Beyoğlu Çikolata, Nuh’un Ankara, Seyidoğlu Gıda, Bolçi Çikolata, Muratbey, Dardenel, Cafe Crown, Reis Gıda, Tayaş Gıda, Meysu, Tariş Üzüm, Sütaş ve Migros Ticaret A.Ş. were present, the visitors experienced an interactive exhibition with the arrangement of thematic exhibition tours, kitchen workshops of national and international exhibitors, recipe presentations with famous chefs, recipe talks and flavour shows along with the conferences.
A Presidents’ Session was held in the first session of the opening day with the founding directors of Food Platform of Türkiye. Agriculture Editor of Bloomberg HT and journalist on Gazete Okisjen İrfan Donat has moderated the panel exhibition titled “Food Industry At The Heart Of Export And 2024 Roadmap“ on the first day of the exhibition, which drew the heavy interest of the visitors.
SUSTAINABILITY, RELIABILITY, SOLIDARITY
The second day of the exhibition started with the panel of Strengthening the Bridges with the Manufacturer. Under the moderation of Ekotürk News Anchor Ahu Orakçıoğlu, the food supply security on disasters, sustainable supply chain, strengthening the manufacturers with new business and marketing models and marketplaces’ export topics were discussed. Exhibitors of the panel have gained valuable insights on developmental agricultural practices as well.
In another panel of the second day that was held with the cooperation of PlumeMag, the How Much Carbon Footprint You Serve on Your Table? question was addressed under the moderation of the Founder of PlumeMag, Bihter Ayyıldız.In the panel, the topics on nonpoisonous tables to protect our world, the awareness on nonpoisonous manufacturing and consumption, the impact of products with Geographical Indications on the local development, food trends of the future, the food industry affected by the climate change and solution offers were discussed.
With the “Let’s Raise Hope!” panel, the industrial solidarity and regional development suggestions were put forward by the speakers who have done lots of work in the region. The moderator of the session was the web designer, Local Makers Solidarity Network Volunteer, Eylül Görmüş. The hope for the food sector was raised in WorldFood Istanbul.
The last session of the second day which was held with the cooperation of Reliable Product Platform was "Empowering Regional Potential: Türkiye's Path to Development".Important people such as CEO of Patiswiss Elif Aslı Yıldız Tunaoğlu, CEO of Oğuz Gıda Enes Öner and Member of the Board of Directors of Reis Gıda Işılay Reis have participated in the session and path to follow on the map of development in the future was discussed.
NEW TRENDS, NEW MARKETS, NEW TECHNOLOGIES
On September 8, Friday, on the opening ceremony of the 3rd day, "TASTING THE FUTURE" session was held with the cooperation of Gezimanya, under the moderation of the Co-Founder of Gezimanya, Murat Z. Özbilgi and with the attendance of influencer chefs; Digital Content Creator and Gastronomy Researcher from Italy, Andrea Mercurio; The LaLit London Executive Chef, Jomon Kuriakose and Executive Chef and Pastry Chef Khawla Alsaib. They were on the stage with featured cuisine trends.
Following of the 3rd day industrial sessions, in the New Markets on Food Export and Growth Strategies panel, the topics such as supply chain on international operations, purchase criteria, the position of food innovation, safety and quality in cooperations were discussed under the moderation of the Founder of Xsight Research and Consultancy, Çiğdem Penn.
In the last session of September 8, there was a meeting with the entrepreneurs of Empowering Women In Agrifood (EWA), which is supported by EIT, the biggest innovation network in Europe. The start-ups that have marked the food sector, and created change in technology and agriculture with the Food Tech Garage project that has been carried by the WorldFood Istanbul since 2020 were welcomed at the exhibition. Within this scope, the exhibitors of 2023, Dr. Aronia, Limonita Vegan Kasap, Malty Snacks and NFS Functional Food Inc. founders have come together under the moderation of ICA Events content manager Zeynep Gülşen Can in the "The World’s Doors Wide Open For Start-Ups" panel and shared new generation food technologies, upcycling food productions, artificial intelligence-based processes, smart farming applications and healthy and organic formulas with the audience. The entrepreneurship culture with women leading and the partnership in the start-up ecosystem and global cooperation were brought to the agenda.
SHOW KITCHEN WITH CREATIVE CHEFS AND INSPIRING RECIPES
In the Show Kitchen that was built within the exhibition with the sponsorship of Öztiryakiler, along with the Chef Workshops, which include a waste-free kitchen with Turkish Cooks Association chefs, inherited recipes from Hatay Metropolitan Municipality Unesco Hatay Gastronomi Evi chefs and Orkide Olive Oil; there were tasting events and tips on "Açai" from Brazil, "Yuzu" and "Wasabi" from Japan and Patiswiss chocolates.
Food Arena has given information and inspiration to the exhibitors by presenting a productive exhibition experience filled with special exhibition tours, presentations on technology entrepreneurship, influencer talks and substantial activities as well as providing new opportunities for jobs and cooperations.