The figures of Virtual agrofood & plastprintpack Africa 2020 (www.Virtual-Africa.net) speak for themselves, and the German organiser fairtrade and its many African partners have every reason to be proud of this enormous success.

“With 1,000+ registered attendees from 73 countries (https://bit.ly/3kBgiN1), 75 speakers (https://bit.ly/3kCc0Fl), 45 panel sessions, presentations & product demos (https://bit.ly/2H4xdtF) and exhibitors from 15 countries (https://bit.ly/2IFV3Ng), Virtual agrofood & plastprintpack Africa is a truly global event, the most prestigious virtual industry event to date with a clear focus on Africa”, outlines Paul Maerz, fairtrade (www.fairtrade-messe.de) managing director.

"The success is based on our 30 years of experience as organisers of agrofood & plastprintpack trade shows. We are delighted to be able to offer a digital industry platform that helps business people in Africa and around the globe to connect with each other for free in these unprecedented times".

Virtual for all Africa is the place where exhibitors, attendees and speakers connect, learn and discuss business. The digital event will take place from 23 to 26 November 2020 and is designed to facilitate valuable business contacts between hundreds of representatives of leading global manufacturers and of top buyers from the African agrofood & plastprintpack industry.

For four days the spotlight will be on Africa and on agricultural production, food & beverage processing technology, food ingredients, finished food and beverages and plastics, printing and packaging raw materials & technology.

Attendees join for free and enjoy personalized visibility

Attendees register for free (https://bit.ly/3kCc6gb) on the event platform. After creating their profile with photo, company name, social media and fields of interest, attendees enjoy personalised visibility and can be matched with the most appropriate business partners. Digital lead generation & matchmaking at its best.

Another advantage: Attendees appear in the filter results. If for example a food manufacturer searches for suppliers of packaging machines on the event portal, his search will not only show exhibitors but also attendees who offer such machines. And, of course, participants can also search for suitable business partners themselves by using the filter function "Company's main activity". This allows every attendee, exhibitor and speaker to create contact requests vis-à-vis anyone else and to hold unlimited and free B2B meetings via video call at the agreed times.

And best of all, all contacts are recorded so that each attendee can receive his or her lead reports in real-time, including meeting reports. The data of the new business partners can then be exported. Including notes and evaluations of the meetings.

Relevant content & inspiring speakers in 45 panel sessions, presentations & product demos

In addition to the B2B meetings, Virtual agrofood & plastprintpack Africa 2020 will offer a large-scale conference programme (https://bit.ly/32OozY4) extending over the entire four days. In 45 panel discussions, presentations and product demos, 75 inspiring speakers will address relevant and currently highly debated topics.

The programme includes, for example, speed dating with industry experts, reports by correspondents on selected African countries or a discussion on sustainability. There will be a panel discussion on the relevance of the African Free Trade Agreement. Other important topics include project financing and local perspectives from Nigeria and Ethiopia. 

Facts and figures on Africa’s agrofood & plastprintpack investments  

• agro: To diversify Africa’s economies and revive its rural areas, the African Development Bank (AfDB) has committed US$ 24 billion towards agricultural industrialization. According to the German Engineering Federation VDMA, Africa's agricultural machinery imports amount to well over one and a half billion euros annually.
• food + bev tec: Imports of food processing & packaging technology account for €2.977 billion in 2018, after €2,801 billion in 2017 (+6.3%). This puts Africa on a par with Southeast Asia’s €2.893 billion, but well ahead of South America’s €1.843 billion, Central America’s €1.775 billion and the Middle East’s €1.678 billion. (VDMA)
• food ingredients: With 1.3 billion inhabitants, Africa has long been one of largest food markets in the world. Expenditure in the F&B sector is growing steadily and F&B production is by far the largest segment of the African processing industry.
• food + hospitality: According to the African Development Bank, Africa’s annual food imports are estimated to rise from US$ 35 billion to US$ 110 billion by 2025.
• plast: Africa is a huge importer of plastics in primary forms. Imports of plastics raw materials grew by 5.9% annually between 2011 and 2017, from 4,220 kt to 5,939 kt, +41%. (Euromap) Africa’s imports of plastics technology made up for €997.132 million in 2018. This places Africa well ahead of South America’s €722.052 million and the Middle East’s €671.256 million. (VDMA)
• print: Africa’s imports of printing & paper processing technology represent €733 million in 2018. This ranks the continent well ahead of South America’s €680 million, Central America’s €669 million and the Middle East’s €634 million. (VDMA)
• pack: Africa’s imports of packaging technology make up for €1.367 billion in 2018. This puts Africa on a par with Southeast Asia’s €1.303 billion, but well ahead of South America’s €952 million, Central America’s €860 million and the Middle East’s €851 million.

For more information: www.Virtual-Africa.net