The largest food and beverage trade fair in the Americas attracts companies and buyers from 23 different countries and makes its niche in the market as a complete platform for business and knowledge

In 2024, Anuga Select Brazil stood out for its size, wide range of products and business generation. With 500 businesses exhibiting their brands, 23 exhibiting countries with 16 International pavilions and 16 national pavilions, besides 145 hours of content, consisting of panel discussions and speaker sessions, the largest food and beverage fair in the Americas drew more than 15,000 visitors in the space of just three days. The event took place in Anhembi District, city of São Paulo, between the 9th and 11th of April.

Traditional spaces, such as Expo Supermercados, dedicated to the supermarket market; Encontro Abrasel SP-Esbre, geared towards bars and restaurants; and Vegan Experience, for vegan products, were joined by new attractions, such as Expo Azeite and the Halal Zone – with services and networking to get to the bottom of a market in which Brazil already excels. The StartUp Zone and the Discovery Space, for up-and-coming brands, were also present.

“The international exhibitors came from more than 23 different countries and national exhibitors from all over Brazil. Diverse, innovative and with a comprehensive range of products and services, they are a reflection of the new preferences and complexity of the modern consumer”, states Beni Piatetzky, managing director of Koelnmesse Brazil, which organised the fair. “Anuga prides itself on being a fair for companies of all sizes and, in particular, for small and medium-sized enterprises, which just need an opportunity to grow and prosper”.

The 5th edition of Anuga Select Brazil was also special because of the year in which it was held. In 2024, Koelnmesse, Germany’s leading event promoter, celebrates its 100th anniversary. Joseph Weiss, German consul in São Paulo, attended the opening ceremony to congratulate the company on this achievement.

Market references and authorities

Besides Weiss, other individuals who attended the opening ceremony were the head of Apex-Brasil (Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency), Jorge Viana; the secretary for trade and international relations at the Ministry of Agriculture, Roberto Pedrosa; the head of Embrapa (Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation), Silvia Massruhá; and former minister of agriculture Roberto Rodrigues, among others.

“We are very proud of our alliance with Anuga”, declared Marcos Rocha, governor of Rondônia, during the ceremony. He invited everyone to get to know the region, and praised its growing food and energy production whilst keeping 60% of its territory preserved. Rondônia is the fair’s first Partner State.

This programme, conceived by Koelnmesse Brasil, establishes that at each edition the products, novelties and trends of a particular Brazilian state will have a privileged space – with advance digital actions and special activations for the duration of the fair. Rondônia, in particular, is known for its livestock farming, but that is not all: fish species from the region such as the freshwater tambaqui and artisanal coffee drew the attention of visitors and buyers at Anuga.

With sights set on ESG

The food and beverage industry recorded earnings of R$1.2 trillion in Brazil, according to Abia (Brazilian Food Industry Association), which represents 10.8% of the country’s GDP. It is also the segment that employs the most people in the country, with 2 million direct workers. “The market is growing year after year, and we have been keeping a close eye on this movement”, says Piatetzky. “More than just an event, Anuga represents a hub for opportunities, business and knowledge, without losing sight of sustainability”.

Two actions, linked to the ESG pillar, were prepared especially for the 2024 edition of the fair. The second phase of the Build this Habit campaign, which encourages the population to separate and dispose of product packaging correctly, was launched on the very first day of the event. This is a movement spearheaded by Abir (Brazilian Association of Soft Drinks and Non-Alcoholic Beverage Industries), together with Ancat (National Association of Recyclable Material Pickers) and the Ministry of the Environment.

Another noteworthy project is Sesc Mesa Brasil, Anuga’s social partner for the second year in a row. This is the largest national programme to combat food waste and famine in the country. Last year alone it distributed 48 million food items, as well as hygiene and cleaning products.

Business Round

As expected, the business rounds provided by Anuga opened up a new realm of possibilities for the participating companies. Around 40 buyers, 13 of them international, came to receive exhibitors at their tables and to form partnerships for the development and growth of the food industry.

Having booked a slot in advance and with a prior profile analysis to ensure the perfect match, exhibitors had the chance to showcase their products to buyers from countries such as Portugal, China, South Africa, Canada, France and Uruguay, as well as national supermarket chains and retailers from north, south, east and west.

“The novelty of this year’s Mega Round, aside for the number of international buyers, is the strategic alliance with Apex-Brasil. The result even exceeded our expectations: around 2,000 meetings were held over the three days of the fair”, states Giovanni Leonardo, analyst at Broggini Partners and responsible for organising the event.

“We saw many opportunities in Anuga as a whole and in the Business Round in particular. Our company operates mainly with dry commodities, and our sales prospecting during the fair was very promising”, remarks Nir Gilon, director of Canada Foods, from Israel. “I hope this leads to some business deals. We have already finalised negotiations over imports of four containers of corn from Brazil and I am now taking coffee samples to see if other countries show an interest. In the end, it is the final consumer who will decide”.

Positive assessment

Both the partner entities and the companies exhibiting their brands expressed their satisfaction with the results achieved during Anuga. They all praised the variety of products and the level of qualification of visitors, who arrived with a defined focus and a predisposition to strike deals.

Embrapa (André Dutra, deputy head of technology transfer)

“This is the fourth time Embrapa has taken part in Anuga. Every year we see the fair grow, especially in terms of business. Our partners in the production sector, who help us develop innovations, have managed to strike some interesting deals that will promote the competitiveness and sustainability of the sector”.

Invest Rondônia (Filipe Magdiel, new business manager)

“Rondônia has taken part in Anuga in recent years, but in this edition we witnessed a huge leap in quality, both in terms of visitors and the buyers who came to do business. We intend to come back next year with an even more robust infrastructure, as the feedback we received from the companies is excellent”.

Sabor das Índias – Cheese Bites (Gustavo Moreira de Aquino, partner)

“Every year we prospect new clients and after the fair, revenue increases and the company grows. Anuga, as always, attracts a qualified audience that really wants to do business. The name change has added value to the event for both customers and exhibitors”.

Sebrae (Sandra Fiorentini, business consultant)

“This is an event with people from the same segment, who know what they are looking for and are seeking new opportunities. There are no curiosity seekers here, but people focused on business and prospecting. From tradespeople to restaurant owners, from manufacturers to distributors, we welcome players from all market sectors. Visitors come not just from São Paulo but also from Minas Gerais, Paraná and Mato Grosso do Sul and other states”.

Laticínio Bom Destino (Natália Nogueira Neves – marketing manager)

“In the 35 years of our existence, this is our first time participating in a major event and we are very pleased with the results. The visibility that Anuga provides us with is very important for our goal of internationalising the brand. The audience is highly qualified”.

The 6^th edition of Anuga Select Brazil has already been confirmed for 2025, between the 8^th and 10^th of April, in the Anhembi District.

Strategic Partners: ABIA, ABIR, ABRASEL, APEX-BRASIL, EMBRAPA and EXPO SUPERMERCADOS.

About Anuga Select Brazil – The fair is organised by Koelnmesse Brasil which, through the Fair, provides ample space to showcase the entire range of activities related to agribusiness and the food and beverage industry. In this way, national and international buyers will have the opportunity to get together in the same place to do business, and to discover innovative products and services available in the sector. The event is being held from the 9^th to the 11^th of April in the Anhembi District of São Paulo.

About Koelnmesse – Global Competence in Food and FoodTec: Koelnmesse is an international leader in the implementation of trade fairs for food and services and products related to food and beverage processing. Fairs like Anuga, ISM – International Sweets and Biscuits Fair and Anuga FoodTec are recognised worldwide as absolute leaders in their sectors. Koelnmesse also organises top-notch fairs in the food and beverage sector in other emerging markets around the world, such as Brazil, China, India, Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United States and the United Arab Emirates. With these global activities, Koelnmesse provides customers with a complete portfolio of professional events across different markets, ensuring a sustainable and international business network.

Further information: https://anuga-brazil.com.br/

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