Further growth in Japanese interest in organic products

23-Dec-2014 - Germany

Increase in exhibitor and visitor numbers
Organic Marché showed what organic is

From 20 to 22 November, the Tokyo Big Sight exhibition venue was totally given over to organic products again as ORGANIC EXPO – together with Biofach Japan opened its doors for the 14th time. This year, 227 (2013: 188) organic exhibitors welcomed 18,198 (2013: 15,078) visitors. In addition to the trade exhibition, the highlights included the two Italian pavilions, the Organic Stage with a new lecture format, the special Organic Marché space and the Natural Beauty Care Area, where the exhibitors included natural cosmetics companies from Europe.

Toshifumi Ayukawa, President of Space Media Japan Company Limited, which organised the event in cooperation with the ORGANIC EXPO Executive Committee, looks back on it with satisfaction: "From our viewpoint, ORGANIC EXPO – together with BIOFACH JAPAN 2014 could not have gone better. We had more exhibitors and visitors than in the previous year, and the feedback from them was completely positive. I was particularly pleased with the wide range of European organic products, including products from Italy, for example. The selection ranged from chocolate through rice drinks to various superfoods. There is a huge demand for these in Japan." This development is set to last and demand for processed organic products and natural cosmetics from Europe will grow, Ayukawa continued.

Mariya Korkmaz, Project Coordinator International Exhibitions, NürnbergMesse, confirms this: "I can only agree with Toshi Ayukawa. At ORGANIC EXPO – together with BIOFACH JAPAN 2014, the growing interest of the Japanese in the organic way of life was quite tangible. One of my personal highlights in 2014 was the special Organic Marché space in the form of a supermarket, where different organic products could be tested and purchased. This provided all the visitors, including consumers, the opportunity to experience new and unfamiliar organic products for themselves. This kind of experience helps visitors to gain a better understanding of the term organic. Looking back, I can confirm that the space was well received.”

Organic Stage and Exhibitor Forum attracted many visitors

The Organic Stage lecture forum was extremely popular with the trade visitors. With its open structure, it attracted large numbers of interested listeners all the time it was running, and all the seats were occupied for most of the lectures. One of the successful newcomers this year was the interactive "Organic Lottery" format, during which exhibitors briefly presented their products and answered questions from the audience. This was followed by a prize draw for the products that had been presented. The presentations by the BDIH (the German Association of Industrial and Retail Companies for Medicines, Health Food, Food Supplements and Cosmetics), JONA (Japan Organic and Natural Food Association) and the Control Union Japan were also well attended. The Exhibitor Forum as a new presentation opportunity for exhibitors also went over very well.

European exhibitors very happy with their participation

Not only the organisers of ORGANIC EXPO – together with BIOFACH JAPAN were positive about how the event had gone. The feedback from the exhibitors was also good. Luisa Colombo, responsible for the international marketing of Italian organic food and trade fair attendance at Federbio, Italy: "We were responsible for organising the Italian pavilion for the third time. The motto was 'Organic Food, Organic Mood', and we played host to five joint exhibitors. Our summary: Anyone searching for Japanese importers or wholesalers for their organic products simply has to be here. The quality of contacts was consistently good and we are already thinking about our participation in the next ORGANIC EXPO – together with BIOFACH JAPAN". Leena Liedenpohja, Managing Director of Showroom Finland, feels the same: "Alongside non-food products such as small natural wood figures or organic cotton bags, we also presented ecological foods. We were looking for a registered food importer from Japan for the latter. What can I say? We got to know plenty of very promising candidates at ORGANIC EXPO – together with BIOFACH JAPAN and were able to make lots of new business contacts. In general, the level of interest in our products was high. What more could we want?"