oils+fats 2011, the world´s only trade fair for the technology and trade of oils and fats, has underlined its claim to be the sector´s number one event.
  
Exhibitors and visitors reported that their participation in this fourth edition of the show had been a very positive experience. The 50 exhibitors were pleased with the direction the fair was taking and expressed satisfaction with the quality of the business contacts it attracted. A look at the international spread among the visitors confirms this: Visitors made their way to Munich from approximately 50 different countries, bringing the proportion of visitors from outside Germany to over 60 percent – a figure which represents a further significant rise in international interest. For this reason in particular the exhibitors at oils+fats greatly value the event, as a unique opportunity to meet customers from all over Europe. The high level of expertise among the trade visitors also came in for special praise from the companies exhibiting at the fair.
 
The visitors also rated this year´s oils+fats as a success: According to a representative survey conducted by GMM Gelszus Messe-Marktforschung 86 percent of the visitors would recommend oils+fats to business partners. Top marks were given by 80 percent of the visitors to the international spectrum of the exhibitors and to the opportunity for networking at the fair.
 
As a result Dr Reinhard Pfeiffer, Managing Director of Messe München GmbH, gave an upbeat summary of the fair: "With oils+fats 2011 we have proven that the character of the event as a business-oriented technology platform is appreciated by the exhibitors. This was seen not least in the full turn-out of market leaders, the significant increase in individual stand sizes and the larger number of exhibits."
 
Both exhibitors and visitors thought the presence of the trade organisations and associations alongside the representatives of industry was an optimum framework for lively exchange. The supporting programme also played its part in this, as Dr Ignace Debruyne, organiser of the practical short courses on 'Advanced Oilseed and Oil Processing & Formulation Technology', emphasised: “Participants as well as speakers and exhibiting companies highly appreciated the mix of technical lectures interlaced with direct business visits at the oils+fats trade show resulting in direct business leads for both parties.” For the German market an added bonus was delivered by the Bundesverband Dezentraler Ölmühlen e. V. in the form of a seminar on the DIN 51605 fuel standard. The Bavarian Evening, held on the second day of the fair, was another opportunity to make new contacts, this time in a more relaxed setting, while enjoying some of the local food and drink specialities.
 
Two main trends were evident at oils+fats: The section on biodiesel was not in demand to the extent that it was at the last event in 2009, one reason being probably the current economic climate. By contrast, the section on vegetable oils expanded, both in terms of exhibitors and visitors. "A key step in a promising direction", is how Dr Bernhard Widmann, Director of TFZ – Technologie- und Förderzentrum (Technology and Support Centre) in the Bavarian government´s Centre of Excellence for Renewable Resources, rated the "extension of the trade-fair concept [introduced in 2011] to include animal fats as well as trade. For as demand for products made from oils and fats in the food and energy sectors rises around the world, what we will need now more than ever are innovations for processes that are energy- and technology-efficient, and resource-efficient strategies for product manufacture. oils+fats offers in ideal sector platform for technology, strategy and trade." Also encouraging the trade towards greater engagement was Dr Frank Amoneit, Managing Director, Euro Fed Lipid e. V., because: "Business is being done right here at the fair, and that applies to us, too, as a research organisation which has no 'products' to sell. Sadly the oil producers in particular are missing out on market opportunities. The people who came here to buy in 2011 again found no corresponding suppliers. It is a matter of speculation as to whether in the future the South American or the Southeast Asian suppliers will jump in to fill the gap."
 
The organisers will be further expanding the concept behind the trade fair. The next oils+fats, which takes place from 18 to 20 September 2013 at the New Munich Trade Fair Centre, will run in parallel to drinktec, the World´s Leading Trade Fair for Beverage and Liquid Food Technology. It is a combination which offers an excellent opportunity to cover the entire supply chain from raw materials, processing, filling and labelling technology, through to trade and logistics.