Vitafoods Europe 2021: Experts assess virtual, physical and hybrid attendance

05 Oct 2021 --- After a nearly two-year hiatus, Vitafoods Europe 2021 is back in full swing in Geneva, Switzerland, hosted physically from October 5 to 7, also taking place virtually from October 4 to 8.

NutritionInsight speaks with representatives from Kerry and Kyowa Hakko Europe about their decisions to present only virtually, while spokespersons at Carbery and Mibelle unfold their views on the upsides of a solely physical exhibition.

Exhibitors live from the showfloor at the Gnosis by Lesaffre, Lipoid and PharmaLinea booths also share their expectations of their respective hybrid events – an option Vitafoods Europe announced months in advance of this week’s show. 

All for virtual
Since the pandemic outbreak, Vitafoods has already seen two major reiterations of the industry-iconic event. Vitafoods Digital Week took place in May 2020, with Vitafoods Virtual Expo following in September last year. 

For Kyowa Hakko Europe, health and safety are the company’s only reasons not to attend Vitafoods physically this year. “Our priorities start and end with the safety of our staff in these circumstances,” maintains Oksana Ritchie, Kyowa Hakko’s head of marketing Europe.

Kyowa Hakko Europe is presenting virtually-only at Vitafoods this year.On top of health concerns, Niamh Hunt, assistant global marketing manager at Kerry, cites logistics of planning shipments would have also been difficult given the current pandemic.

“We are interested to see how the physical show goes this year as well as to measure the impact that a digital-only show has for us,” she explains.

Different ways of connecting
Thanks to the dawn of the digital age, virtual exhibitions can provide some substitutional but strategic networking benefits. 

“[There is the] advantage of flexibility in connecting to people remotely regardless of which part of the world they are in and potentially reaching a far larger possible customer base,” Ritchie highlights.

Hunt chimes in, adding the virtual element allows Kerry to bring in a wider range of experts, such as from other regions and departments, who wouldn’t usually travel to the show. 

“This will hopefully allow us to have even more engagement and add further value to our customer meetings. We hope our webinars that can be viewed at any stage of the week will also reach wider audiences, as the physical show is limited to who can make it at that time and numbers restricted based on space.” 

Carbery has its range of advanced whey proteins on display, targeting the infant, sport, clinical nutrition and mainstream F&B markets.During this Vitafoods event, Kyowa will evaluate the potential for future formats, as it is also already focusing more of its efforts on digital sales and marketing. 

Digital downsides
Carbery made a positive experience with a virtual event highlighting its Espen clinical nutrition event earlier this year. 

“It was really good because it was a small number, we had a niche, dedicated audience and it was really easy to network,” Carbery’s marketing manager Sarah O’Neill recalls.

It also wasn’t “overly expensive,” she adds. “You paid for exactly what you wanted. You weren’t paying [US$20,000] for a stand space. It was adequately priced for the event.”

However, things can get tricky on the matchmaking side of things, as O’Neill points out difficulties in connecting with the right people. “There’s a huge amount of inbound leads that take a lot of time to filter through because they’re not relevant.” 

Nutraceutical company Mibelle Group Biochemistry is attending Vitafoods physically only, as this was the most effective way to demonstrate its ingredient offering. 

Mibelle is showcasing its vegan and water-soluble actives for the beauty-from-within, cognitive support and hair health segments.“We’ve been thinking of going for the hybrid [event]. We had some experiences from last year on online exhibitions and we did see that it works, but people want to come and see the products in person,” Alice Olufeso, product manager food and health at Mibelle, details.

“This is why we decided to be here in place. Our products require some explanation – you won’t find all our ingredients and raw materials elsewhere. This is one of our strong points, but they need a bit more interaction and explanation with people,” Olufeso underscores.

Giving hybrid a chance
Despite the digital age, Ritchie from virtual-only Kyowa Hakko also admits the importance of physical contacts and interactions should not go underestimated. 

“Physical events are essential, of course, for personal and business networking and discussions. However, it is important also to give exhibitors a digital option and hybrid events sure to be part of the way forward,” she says.

Gnosis by Lesaffre kicked off its hybrid Vitafoods participation this week. “We started the event yesterday, which will finish on Friday because we are doing the full digital show. We have part of our team here and part behind the computers to split,” says Marc Philouze, the company’s managing director.

So is Lipoid, a purified lecithin and phospholipids supplier. “Our colleagues are doing the online part, but in-person is better to get in touch with the customers and show them the products,” explains Luise Lorenz, food chemist and product manager at Lipoid. 

The success of each company’s digital attendance is TBC: “I am not sure if the online event is also good or useful. The hybrid event did not impose any extra costs for us, so we decided to try it. We will see after the event if it was a good option,” Lorenz outlines.

In terms of determining similar visitor outcomes, Philouze echoes Gnosis by Lesaffre is “learning as we go.”

Gnosis by Lesaffre is promoting its expertise in microorganisms and biotransformation processes at the show. Closing thoughts that touch the heart
Interrupting a 12-year streak of attending Vitafoods Europe due to a sabbatical, Blaž Gorjup, founder of PharmaLinea, shares he feels “a mix of sadness and jealousy.”

“If it were not for [the sabbatical,] I would be right there with you,” he reveals. “No conference calls can ever replace face-to-face interactions, but Vitafoods is so much more than that.” 

“It has always been a place of inspiration, motivational reset and energy recharge for me personally. I think I can say the same goes for a big part of attendees, maybe even more so for the exhibitors. I am personally convinced – even more so after the COVID-19 lockdown experience – that shows like this are here to stay.”

Be sure to stay tuned to NutritionInsight’s ongoing coverage of Vitafoods Europe 2021 in the upcoming days by subscribing to our free newsletters with live updates.

By Anni Schleicher, with live reporting from Katherine Durrell and Missy Green from Vitafoods Europe