Send
Feedback
Print
Article
Cover
Story
The
FMI Show under revamp: Offering buyers five
trade shows under one roof
|
|
If
you think all trade shows are the same, think again.
Retailers invest substantial time and money to attend
an international trade show, and being at the right
show can have a positive and profitable impact on their
businesses.
This is why the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) has embarked
on a two-year revamp of its well-established, well-attended
annual show for supermarket retailers — the International
Supermarket Industry Convention and Education Exposition
(popularly known as The FMI Show) — to make it
more relevant than ever.
The FMI Show has grown over the years to become one
of the most comprehensive of its kind. However, like
the industry that it serves, the show is facing new
competition and challenges to meet the changing profile
of the world’s dynamic food industry.
Come
2005, The FMI Show will have new features to make it
more relevant and accessible to buyers worldwide, Brian
E Tully, FMI’s senior vice-president, conventions,
tells RETAIL ASIA from his office in Washington DC.
To begin with, the FMI has added two new co-located
events this year — the United Produce Expo &
Conference, organised by the United Fresh Fruit and
Vegetable Association (UFFVA), and the All Things Organic
Show, organised by The Organic Trade Association (OTA).
The
new alliances, together with the FMI’s existing
partnerships with the National Association of State
Departments of Agriculture’s (NASDA) US Food Export
Showcase (USFES) and the National Association for the
Specialty Food Trade’s (NASFT) Fancy Food Show,
bring together five shows under one roof.
Tully says one of the most notable benefits of this
multi-dimension partnership is the synergy created.
“They bring things to show what the FMI does not
have. The United Produce Expo & Conference, for
example, brings that part of the store that was not
well served at The FMI Show in the past. It brings an
important product line that consumers say is one of
the most important or valued reasons for going to their
supermarkets, their shops.”
The inclusion of All Things Organic is also timely as
the organic-food community is a growing product category.
“People are becoming more health-conscious and
concerned about what they are putting into their bodies.
Organic products are a growing product group, or interest
of consumers, and our stores want to make them more
a part of their product mix,” says Tully.
The expansion of the trade fair is just the beginning
of more changes to come. Visitors can expect a different
show format in 2005. “Most notably, we are changing
the exhibition floor. Instead of having international
brands up front as in years past, we are going to replace
this with some featured segments,” says Tully.
“If you look at the show in totality, there are
well-defined centres for fresh, organic and fancy foods,
and a dedicated centre for US products tailored for
the export market. On top of this, we will identify
three to five new product areas or ‘communities’
each year, such as a community for private labels, another
for meal-replacement solutions and yet another for non-food
merchandise.”
Newness
every year:
“The most exciting part of the changes that we
are implementing is that The FMI Show will be different
every year. There will be newness to each [show]. What
the buyer will see each year will be delightfully different
parts of the store,”
says Tully.
For
the first time, the USFES, a regular segment at The
FMI Show, will be staged in a prominent and highly visible
area in 2005. It will take the front portion of the
South Hall and will be located next to the International
Trade Centre.
The export showcase is one of the main attractions for
overseas visitors because it features some of the US’
most innovative small and medium-sized companies offering
a diversity of food products from across the country
(see pages 30-31).
Another visible change next year will be the International
Trade Centre. A meeting point for the thousands of international
delegates, the centre will double in size to 7,200 sqf,
and offer more services and features to make the show
more convenient and accessible for the international
buyer.
The
FMI has also introduced an orientation programme where
guided tours of the show floor are provided in various
languages, including Japanese, Chinese, Spanish and
French. First-time visitors will find this useful.
These timely changes will certainly help The FMI Show
grow its global profile. In an international attendee
survey conducted by NASDA at the 2004 event, 57% of
the respondents indicated it was their first visit to
The FMI Show, a clear signal of overseas retailers’
interest in the fair. It has to be noted, however, that
2002 and 2003 were difficult years for the show, with
international participation adversely impacted by the
threat of global terrorism and the SARS (severe acute
respiratory syndrome) outbreak.
International attendees surveyed had listed two primary
reasons for attending the USFES and The FMI Show —
78% of the respondents indicated “identifying
new products” as the primary reason while 72%
listed “learning about new trends in the industry”
as one of their primary objectives. This shows that
the education segment is just as important as product
sourcing on the show floor.
Trend spotting:
Indeed, the FMI excels in the education segment. The
organisation does a superb staging and presentation
of the education programme, say enthusiastic participants
who always make it a point to include the convention
programme in their FMI Show itinerary. The FMI Show
is always spot-on when identifying trends to feature
in its conference sessions and workshops, they say.
This
year, the event focused on health and wellness, a theme
highlighted in the education programme.
Next year’s focus will be on exhibitors of specialised
meal solutions, prepared foods and convenience foods,
says Michael Sansolo, FMI’s senior vice-president,
consumer insights.
Meal solution is an example of a ‘community’
that the FMI will set up at the 2005 show to meet retailers’
needs. “Our stores and supermarkets are becoming
more diverse in their merchandise. Their range of offerings
is incredible, making it easier for the shopper.
ncreasingly,
the busy shopper finds it convenient to pick up a complete
meal from his or her supermarket. These meal solutions
can be as advanced as a restaurant meal, complete with
salad, soup, entrée and dessert,” says
Sansolo.
Another feature next year will be a community for non-food,
fast-moving, high-margin products that are making their
way to supermarket shelves. This category of exhibitors
will give the non-food supermarket executive a one-stop
opportunity to stock up on a variety of home essentials
— batteries, bulbs, health and beauty products,
car accessories and so on.
There will also be an area for technology where exhibitors
offer products and services that help retailers improve
productivity and reduce costs, as well as a small area
on ethnic products (featuring Hispanic and Asian communities,
for example), a growing segment in the US.
MNCs that have supported the show through the years
remain supportive of the new format, and will be back
in full force in 2005. The FMI will create an area for
general exhibits and MNC exhibitors that do not fit
into defined communities.
‘The Power of Five’:
When
the revamped show opens on 1 May 2005, it will truly
reflect ‘The Power of Five’, the tag line
which the FMI has adopted to reflect the multi-dimension
of the show — five shows in one location. It will
reach out to retailers who are not necessarily supermarket
operators. Increasingly, non-retail channels are getting
into food sales and the FMI is targeting convenience,
drug and other stores.
“One of the big trends we see in the US is food
being sold in an enormous variety of outlets. There
are drug stores with refrigeration cases filled with
milk, fruit juices and even ready-to-eat meals,”
says Sansolo.
This blurring of channels is evident not only in the
US but also in Europe and Latin America, he adds. And,
with more women in the workforce a global trend, there
is a move towards one-stop convenience and retailers
are changing their profile to cater for these customers’
needs.
Another observation made by Sansolo is that food-consumption
trends are crossing borders more rapidly than ever and
this will have an impact on the products that retailers
bring to their stores.
“Today’s generation of young consumers are
growing up in a world that is becoming increasingly
borderless. Our shoppers are exposed to many eating
trends, clothing trends, lifestyle trends because of
the Internet. Retailers which come to the show will
have the chance to see and discuss the trends and developments
in food business in different parts of the world,”
he says.
In the US, the current hot trend is healthy eating.
For a very long time, it was difficult to sell health
food but this has changed and demand is driving the
growth in low-fat, low-carb food products.
“What we have discovered is that if it is important
to the customer, it is important to us,” says
Sansolo.
Such
trends have a way of becoming global. For instance,
buyers from China were at the show this year to look
particularly for packaged and processed foods, sports
drinks and fresh produce, reports Jane Li, US Department
of Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural Service, China,
who led the delegation to the show.
This is because people are getting busier in China.
With more women working, the focus is shifting towards
convenience, says Li. At the same time, Chinese consumers
are becoming more health-conscious, with more people
working out and taking part in sports.
With over 1,000 exhibiting companies at the show, it
is important to formulate a plan to make the most of
the time given. “You need a plan, whether you
are an exhibitor or buyer,” says Sansolo. He advises
the international buyer to plan ahead and make the most
of the few days at the show. There are attendees who
come every year and “have a wonderful experience”
and those who have found it challenging, he says. “Those
who have a successful time tell us that they plan for
the show,” Sansolo points out.
Is The FMI Show worth the time and effort, particularly
for retailers from Asia whose calendars are already
crowded with several regional trade shows to attend?
Says
Sansolo: “We appreciate the tremendous distances
that some of our international visitors have to travel
to attend the show. While they can go to their regional
shows, I believe that the further they look, the more
they will see and learn. What they see at The FMI Show
may not be the answer to tomorrow’s problem but
it offers opportunities to see and discuss products
that may become the trend in their markets in two to
three years.”
The
FMI Show education programme |
| |
|
Global opportunities:
The FMI Show presents global opportunities for both
buyers and exhibitors. As John Roberts, president of
NASFT, points out: “What you see in consumer products
in the US this year will be elsewhere in the world in
increasing numbers in the next five to 10 years. So
if you want the trends of what’s going to be in
your own marketplace and if you are not from the US,
I think you can come here and see the future.”
Gene Hugoson, commissioner, Minnesota Department of
Agriculture and president, NASDA, agrees that the annual
show is worth visiting for “it is an opportunity
to view new trends, [from] … the current hype
thing, that could be interesting for the consumers out
there, to new technology ... for the distribution of
product or for showing a product in a grocery-store
setting, for instance”.
He adds: “The food-health issues that are growing
every year in importance and popularity are reflected
in the products at the show. So, it’s just an
opportunity to keep current with what’s going
on in society.”
Ultimately,
The FMI Show is all about partnership and relationship
building — between the FMI and its partners, and
among the exhibitors and the show visitors. It is putting
together market intelligence, listening to what the
industry and, ultimately, what the consumer wants, and
then weaving it all into a cohesive event where buyers’
and seller’ needs meet.
The
new FMI show is an event for the food-industry professional
who is serious about having a finger on the pulse of
the global scene, so mark the dates of the 2005 show
in your diary.
Editor’s
Note: Our thanks and appreciation to the offices of
FMI, FAS and NASDA in Washington DC, whose support and
contribution made this feature possible.
About
the FMI |
The
Food Marketing Institute (FMI) is a
non-profit association, located in Washington
DC, USA, that is dedicated to serving
the entire food-distribution industry
— retailers, wholesalers and their
customers in the US and the rest of
the world. The organisation conducts
research, education, industry-relations
and public-affairs programmes on behalf
of its 2,300 member companies from 60
countries.
The FMI’s domestic members operate
approximately 26,000 retail food stores,
with a combined sales volume of US$340
billion — 75% of all grocery-store
sales in the US.
The FMI’s convention department
produces several important US trade
events, including the International
Supermarket Industry Convention and
Education Exposition, better known as
The FMI Show.
| Contact: |
Food
Marketing Institute
655 15th Street, NW, Washington
DC, 20005, USA. |
| Tel: |
+1
202 452 8444 |
| Fax: |
+1
202 429 4519 |
| Website |
http://www.fmi.org |
|
|
About
NASDA |
The National Association of State Departments
of Agriculture (NASDA) is a non-profit,
non-partisan association representing
the commissioners, secretaries and directors
of the 54 state and territorial departments
of agriculture.
NASDA’s mission is to support
and promote American agriculture through
a variety of programmes, including sponsorship
of the US Food Export Showcase in cooperation
with the Foreign Agricultural Service
(FAS) of the US Department of Agriculture
at the annual FMI Show.
| Contact: |
National
Association of State
Departments of Agriculture
1156 15th Street NW, Suite 1020
Washington DC, 20005, USA. |
| Tel: |
+1
202 296 9680 |
| Fax: |
+1
202 296 9686 |
| Website |
http://www.usfes.org |
|
|
