Fira de Barcelona adjusts the calendar of Alimentaria and Automobile to guarantee their success

Fira de Barcelona has once again been forced to remake its trade fair calendar with the aim of guaranteeing the success of some of its most emblematic events and ensuring both the safety of visitors and the economic return for its exhibitors. The most relevant decision is that, for the third time, the Alimentaria Fair has been postponed again, initially scheduled for April 2020. The outbreak of the pandemic forced a new date to be sought, September 2020, but the evolution of the health crisis prevented it and the fair was moved to May 2021. Now it has been decided to delay the event one more year as the viral uncertainty has not dissipated and given the slowness of the vaccination process.

Alimentaria is one of the three largest European fairs dedicated to the food industry and its great characteristic is the strong international component of its visitors, which makes it a fair very vulnerable to the current pandemic context, since mobility between countries is very restricted. In the last edition, held in 2018, it brought together 4,500 companies and 150,000 visitors, 25% of whom were foreign. After consulting all the companies that had already confirmed their participation in the May edition, it has been decided to choose new dates that offer less uncertainty. If circumstances do not prevent it, the show will take place between April 4 and 7, 2022, and will be held again jointly with Hostelco, the fair dedicated to manufacturers of equipment for the hospitality sector. Alimentaria will thus recover its tradition of being held in even years and will ensure the attendance of international visitors.

Fòrum Gastronòmic is rebranded

The food and restaurant sector, however, will have another opportunity to meet this year and not have to wait until April 2022, as another edition of Fòrum Gastronomic will be held between October 18 and 20. This event, born in Vic in 1999 and which grew especially during its years of celebration in Girona, was last organized in Barcelona in November 2019 and was already scheduled to be held again this year. The delay of Alimentaria, however, has led the organization to reinforce the content and offerings of this event, which changes its name to Gastronomic Forum Barcelona. It will take place at the Montjuïc venue.

Its organizers are Jaume Von Arend and Pep Palau ---creators of Fòrum Gastronomic--- in alliance with Alimentaria Exhibitions, the Fira de Barcelona subsidiary that owns the Alimentaria Show. Both companies joined forces to jointly organize the event in the 2019 edition and now want to repeat the experience this autumn, coinciding with Barcelona's celebration as World Capital of Sustainable Food 2021. The idea is to make several events coincide at once to create a week dedicated to food sustainability.

Thus, in addition to the renovated Gastronomic Forum Barcelona, Alimentaria FoodTech ---a fair dedicated to food processing and preservation technologies--- and Hispack, the benchmark event for the packaging industry, will be held. Furthermore, on those dates, from October 19 to 21, the Catalan capital will host the Global Forum of the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact, an initiative supported by the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) and which will bring together 200 large international cities. These cities will debate in Barcelona the challenges presented by the food of the future and will commit to developing agri-food models that are healthier, more sustainable, based on proximity, with less environmental impact and with fairer prices for farmers and ranchers.

Gastronomic Forum Barcelona wants to be a benchmark for the country's food and gastronomy industry and contribute to the revitalization of the sector

The idea of Alimentaria Exhibitions, directed byToni Valls, is that some of the Spanish companies that had already confirmed their attendance at Alimentaria or Hostelco now participate in the Gastromic Forum Barcelona. "We want to organize an event that is a benchmark for the country's food and gastronomy industry, with the aim of contributing to the revitalization of the sector," highlights Fira de Barcelona. Therefore, in this forum, which has as its main attraction the presentations and master classes given by great chefs, not only will small food producers participate, but there will also be representation from equipment companies,foodservice, services and distribution. "Any national company that had wished to participate this year in Alimentaria & Hostelco now has the opportunity to do so in Gastronomic Forum Barcelona, in a special edition that will place it among the country's major food events", Valls highlighted.

On the other hand, Fira de Barcelona has announced that Automobile Barcelona, the International Motor Show, will celebrate its 41st edition from July 8 to 18 in Montjuïc. Usually, this event takes place every two years in May, when the Spanish Formula 1 Grand Prix is held in Montmeló, but it has been decided to postpone it until July to allow more time for the improvement of the health crisis.

There was fear that the show, which celebrated its centenary in 2019, would have to be canceled, but the organizing committee, chaired by Enrique Lacalle, has opted for its celebration so that the event contributes to boosting commercial activity at a key moment for the motor industry. "Automobile has always been a pioneer and this 2021 we will be again; we will be in charge of kicking off the celebration of major automotive events in Europe, after a very complex period," said Lacalle.