ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA ON has succeeded in connecting Asia’s fresh produce business with the rest of the world in spite of the unprecedented challenges facing it this year.

The digital edition of Asia’s premier fresh fruit and vegetable trade show attracted strong international participation on 18-20 November 2020. The global fresh produce business seized the opportunities to meet and do business online at ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA ON and participated actively in the extensive programme of digital conferences, seminars and workshops.

“We have held true to our promise to connect Asia’s fresh produce business with global suppliers and buyers through this virtual edition of ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA,” said Will Wollbold, commercial director of ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA.

“These are turbulent times: 2020 has presented us with unprecedented challenges and complex circumstances, so we were glad to be able to host this year’s ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA as a digital event.

“There’s a great spirit of togetherness in this industry and it shone through at ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA ON. We’re grateful to everyone for their support and we’re proud of what we’ve achieved together.”

More than 2,400 industry decision-makers from around the world took part at ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA ON. The content programme, which featured ASIAFRUIT CONGRESS ON and three daily online hall forums – ASIAFRUIT BUSINESS FORUM, SMART HORTICULTURE ASIA and COOL LOGISTICS ASIA – was a major attraction, registering more than 15,000 views.

ASIAFRUIT CONGRESS ON, the digital edition of Asia’s premier fresh produce conference event, attracted more than 4,200 views alone when it livestreamed on 17 November to set the scene for the trade show.

ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA ON also recorded strong usage of its matchmaking and video meeting functions, with over 2,000 business meetings held during the three days of the event.

Around 180 exhibitors from all continents showcased their products and services at ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA ON. They were able to connect with participants from over 70 different countries, reflecting Asia’s importance in the global fresh produce business. The top eight markets represented in terms of visitors were China/Hong Kong, Singapore, India, Australia, the US, the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia.

“ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA ON set a standard as a reliable video communication platform with Chinese participants, and the business matching technology was robust and effective overall,” said Wollbold.

Indian company IG International was one of many exhibitors to make the most of the online meeting opportunities.

“I’d like to congratulate the organisers on the success of ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA ON,” said IG International director Tarun Arora. “I thoroughly enjoyed my meetings on the platform. It’s the most sophisticated platform for hosting a virtual show.”

Kevin Au Yeung, Asia market manager for exhibitor RK Growers, was similarly impressed. “ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA ON is great because you get to speak to visitors one-on-one without interruption for 30 minutes. The digital platform has also enabled me to search for visitors I’m interested to connect with, but might not know personally to arrange a potential meeting. That might not be possible in a physical setting.”

US-based exhibitor Limoneira found the platform effective on a number of fronts. “ASIAFRUIT CONGRESS ON and ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA ON have been among the best organised and executed,” said Limoneira’s vice-president of global marketing, John Chamberlain. “The platform has enabled us to meet with our customers and prospects seamlessly. We’ve also been able to share a variety of content, including videos on our growing processes and promotion programmes, and further discuss our One World of Citrus programme and ‘Take A Healthy Stand’ educational platform.”

ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA ON’s digital meeting platform remains live for another two weeks, closing on 5 December. The powerful networking and business matching tool is still in active use, so participants can stay connected and seamlessly follow up on communication.

ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA ON’s content streams also remain available to view on-demand until 5 December. This includes sessions from ASIAFRUIT CONGRESS ON and the online hall forums ASIAFRUIT BUSINESS FORUM, SMART HORTICULTURE ASIA and COOL LOGISTICS ASIA.