DIARIO DEL PUERTO Ports 67 JAIME PINEDO The Fruit Logistica fair held in February 2020was probably the last of the major international trade shows before lockdown and the restrictions that followed. Just over two years later, Messe Berlin is once again ready to welcome back the world’s fruit and vegetable industry community and the professionals and companies in the transport and logistics sector that make this trade possible. As the official representative ofMesse Berlin in Spain and spokesperson for Fruit Logistica, Silvia de Juanes underscores the unique nature of an event that returns with the slogan ”Meet onsite again”. After the cancellation of the 2021 fair due to the pandemic, what is the return to face-to-face attendance at Fruit Logistica 2022 looking like? How is the international fruit and vegetable community responding? After two years of virtual, half-hearted events, the response from the industry is clear: an overwhelming majority wants Fruit Logistica 2022 to be a physical event in Berlin. That’swhy this year’s slogan is ”Meet onsite again”. Although we will be meeting onsite and in person, we have added some virtual aspects to the event such as our new digital Fruit Logistica Online platformwhich now has more features and includes live, on-demand streaming of the conference programme. The platform will be accessible throughout the year, extending the life of the fair’s networking. What differences will there be compared to the last event held in 2020 in terms of hygiene and health and safety requirements? In recent months, we have seen that international events can be held safely. Messe Berlin has also shown that the concept of health and safety works. Entry controls and mandatory face masks are part of the wide range of possible measures. Of course, these arrangements are subject to change, which is why it is essential to check the special section on our website, which is always kept up to date with the latest Covid regulations. What is Spanish participation in the event expected to be like in terms of number of exhibitors, origin, sectors represented, and surface area booked? Spain is once again among the top three countries participating in this year’s Fruit Logistica. This comes as no surprise since Spain is one of the leading countries in the international fruit and vegetable trade, which is reflected both in the number of exhibitors and the space booked. What are Spanish visitors expecting and what signals are you picking up from them? Without a doubt, people are eager to attend face-to-face events and the number of requests for information to prepare the trip has increased in the last few weeks. We are not aiming to reach the 2020 figures for on-site visitors, as there are countries from which it is still difficult to travel
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