SIPPO supports BSOs from five countries at Anuga Trade Fair
SIPPO, the Swiss Import Promotion Program, has been at the forefront of supporting various Business Support Organizations (BSOs) from different countries, including Bosnia&Herzegovina, Peru, South Africa, Tunisia, and Vietnam, in their participation at the prestigious Anuga Trade Fair in Cologne, Germany.
Recognised as the world's leading trade fair for food and beverages, Anuga is an important platform for companies in these countries to showcase their products and foster international trade relations. The 2023 edition of ANUGA exceeded expectations with current figures reflecting around 140,000 trade visitors from 200 countries and approximately 7,900 exhibitors from 118 countries.
SIPPO Peru with Lima Chamber of Commerce (CCL) and PROMPERU
SIPPO Peru assisted the Lima Chamber of Commerce (CCL) and PROMPERU at Anuga. The Lima Chamber of Commerce managed stands in the Fine Food and Frozen Food sections, while PROMPERU was responsible for the Organic Pavilion. A total of 35 Peruvian companies exhibited in these three pavilions. SIPPO Peru facilitated knowledge exchange between these BSOs, thus shifting responsibility from PROMPERU to private bodies such as the Lima Chamber of Commerce.
The BSO Sierra y Selva Exportadora (SSE) also contributed by sending coffee samples for tasting at a coffee point in the Fine Food Peru pavilion. SIPPO Peru worked closely with CCL and held pre-fair workshops for both BSOs and exhibitors. It also organised a tour of supermarkets and organic speciality shops to gain a better understanding of how these products are presented and promoted in the German market. SIPPO Peru also organised a series of meetings for the Lima Chamber of Commerce with BSOs from South Africa, such as Wesgro, and Tunisia, such as CEPEX. Meetings were also held with other organisations such as chambers of commerce and business associations.
SIPPO Vietnam: Support for two BSOs and co-organiser of topical seminar
SIPPO Vietnam supported two BSOs, the Center for Rural Development (CRED) and the Vietnam Pepper and Spices Association, in preparing for their study trip during Anuga. SIPPO helped them to refine their sales pitches, create marketing materials, develop communication plans and identify relevant targets. SIPPO experts guided the BSOs to meet buyers and industry representatives to observe trends and verify their findings.
SIPPO Vietnam co-organized a seminar, "Vietnam Spices: Rooted in Tradition, on the path to Sustainability," in collaboration with the Vietnam Pepper and Spices Association. This seminar provided insights into the Vietnamese spice sector and invited Mr. Tamas Sarkadi, Chairman of the Sustainable Spice Initiative (SSI), as a guest speaker, in order to discuss challenges and opportunities in the European spice market and strategies for sustainable development of the sector.
The seminar was followed by a networking session during which BSOs from Vietnam and other SIPPO countries, SIPPO colleagues and company representatives were able to exchange ideas and make valuable contacts. SIPPO's active involvement has undoubtedly helped to promote sustainable trade and international business growth for these countries in the global market.
SIPPO Bosnia and Herzegovina: “Best flavours of BiH”
Under the slogan "The Best Flavors of Bosnia and Herzegovina," FTC BiH presented five companies on a joint stand at the ANUGA 2023 trade fair. These companies are the leading food processors and producers of natural ingredients from Bosnia and Herzegovina and presented their delicious products. SIPPO supported the FTC BiH during the preparation phase for the trade fair, helping to improve stand management skills and promote a better understanding of sustainable business models.
SIPPO South Africa with Wesgro, TIKZN and the dtic
SIPPO’s Country Team from South Africa supported the dtic, the strategic BSO partner, as well as Wesgro and TIKZN with the implementation of the South African Country Pavilions both in the Fine Foods and Beverage Halls, showcasing a wide range of products of the 36 exhibiting companies.
SIPPO’s support to the BSOs started several months before the show. Together with the DTIC, SIPPO provided support for the development of a trade fair strategy for Anuga. SIPPO also supported the BSOs with their on-site workshops, which were hosted by the respective BSOs in Durban, with TIKZN, in Cape Town with Wesgro and with the DTIC.
SIPPO’s capacity development efforts to BSOs continued on-site. At Anuga, South Africa SIPPO’s Country Representative and the international sector expert introduced the BSO representatives to importers and distributors and supported them in sharing valuable market insights and strategic advice for their companies. BSO exchange was facilitated at the fair for Wesgro with Peru’s Lima Chamber of Commerce and Tunisia’s CEPEX, which led to interesting conversations on good practices and to an open exploration of potential areas for collaboration.
SIPPO Tunisia with partner BSOs CEPEX and CICA
SIPPO Tunisia supported its partner BSOs CEPEX and GICA in their strategy to improve the local offer which involves integrating and adopting sustainability values in promotional activities for the Processed Foods sector, identifying key aspects to strengthen the sector's international competitiveness, and better understanding the needs of import markets.
In addition, SIPPO strengthened its partners in their new approach to business consultancy: it is aimed at newcomers in their first participation at ANUGA. With the support of the SIPPO team and experts from CEPEX, companies taking part in the fair for the first time are given comprehensive coaching on how to draw up their contact lists, reach out to their target countries and sectors, and make contact with buyers during the fair and ensure follow-up.
During ANUGA 2023, SIPPO Tunisia put the new concept into practice for the first time with CEPEX, which can be used to record BSO's services during trade fair organisation. This concept was developed in 2023 to set up its own MRM system within CEPEX.
Visibility for SIPPO
In summary, the presence of five SIPPO country teams with their BSOs not only promoted the exchange of experience and cooperation between the BSOs. It also made a decisive contribution to the visibility of SIPPO as a global programme and its importance in the field of export promotion.