Hear from industry leaders at Asiafruit Congress

Asiafruit Congress is back with a high-quality programme of expert talks, interviews, and discussions at this year’s Asia Fruit Logistica. 

Asia’s premier fresh produce conference event takes place on the main stage of the show floor across all three days of Asia Fruit Logistica on 6-8 September 2023.

Leading names in the global fresh produce industry as well as expert speakers from the wider business world share their strategic insights on the key trends and opportunities in the fast-moving Asia markets. 

Each day of Asiafruit Congress has a different theme, with Day One focusing on Marketing & Consumers, Day Two on Tech & Innovation and Day Three on Markets & Trade.

Day One (6 September) kicks off with a look at new market demographics in Asia. India has just overtaken China as the world’s most populous nation. Mid-tier cities are on the rise across India and South-East Asia. And Asia is now home to more empty-nesters with more to spend on premium products.

Prerna Garg, equity strategist at HSBC, discusses Asia’s tectonic demographic shifts and what they mean for marketers.

Chris Baker, CEO of marketing agency Totem Media, then maps the post-Covid marketing landscape in Asia. Baker outlines the key demographic trends in China and analyses moves by global brands to diversify into other markets across Asia. Plus, he shares tips and tactics for marketers seeking to optimise their use of e-commerce and social channels.

In the session ‘What’s next for food retail in Asia?’, Edwin Sun of NielsenIQ provides an overview of Asia’s changing food retail landscape, detailing the latest shifts in shopper behaviour.

An on-stage interview with Pagoda’s Yang Qian looks at what’s in store for the leading Chinese fresh fruit retail chain, which completed its IPO on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange earlier this year.

The session wraps up with a focus on supplying retail in Asia. AMFresh’s Carlos Bonet and José Vottero of Fresh Fruit-X explain AMFresh’s highly successful model for supplying retail giants in the UK and Europe, and they discuss the opportunities and challenges to bringing similar solutions to the market in Asia.

‘Masterclasses in fresh produce marketing’ is the theme for the final session of Day One. A panel featuring some of Asia’s leading brand marketers, including Julian Smith of Rockit Global and Konna Mu of Fresh Go (Joy Wing Mau), discusses the keys to cut-through marketing.

Turning the focus to India, Jan Doldersum of Rijk Zwaan shares the results of the seed company’s recent campaign to develop consumption of healthy snacking vegetables with key partners across the country under its Sn!bs brand.

Tech & Innovation

The Tech & Innovation Day on 7 September opens with a look at artificial intelligence and the new solutions it is bringing to the fresh produce trade. Clarifruit’s Elad Mardix explains how automated quality control is addressing a ‘quality mismatch’ between stakeholders in the fresh produce supply chain and cutting food waste. Gary Loh of agrifood trade solutions company DiMuto also discusses the role of AI in forging more transparent fresh produce trade and helping to secure financing.

New premium varieties are bringing fresh impetus to several fruit categories, be it grapes, apples or berries. A panel discussion with leading breeders and marketers looks at how these new varieties are reshaping their respective categories. Plus, it homes in on those cultivars targeted at Asia to explore how they’re being developed in-market. Hannes Tauber, marketing manager of leading Italian consortium Vog, is on-hand to discuss the latest advances in apples, while George Jessett of Costa Group explains how new genetics are propelling the ongoing boom in blueberries.

Markets & Trade

Setting the scene for the Markets & Trade Day at Asiafruit Congress (8 September), Betty Wang, senior China economist at ANZ Bank, shares her expert insights on the shifting global trade landscape post-Covid.

A spotlight on Vietnam’s booming fruit import market hears from Lu Minh Quang of leading importer Biovegi on the key opportunities and challenges for global suppliers in the South-East Asian nation.

Fresh fruit distribution is evolving fast in China. Port decentralisation is a priority to cut down congestion and boost efficiency. New routes to market are also developing as demand grows from second- and third-tier cities. A panel of leading suppliers and distributors discuss China’s changing distribution landscape, including Iván Marambio of the Chilean Fruit Exporters Association (Asoex), Wang Song of Qupai Fruit (Joy Wing Mau) and Mike Chiue of Hongjiu Fruit.

The final session of the Markets & Trade Day spotlights market opportunities in North Asia. Japan and Korea are well-established markets for imported fruits.  but an expert panel analyses the untapped potential for emerging categories and suppliers across both markets. Speakers include Wayne Prowse of Fresh Intelligence Consulting, Unifrutti Japan’s Kennard Wong, June Choi of Soo Il Commerce, and Sarah McCormack of Australasia-based supplier Te Mata Exports.

Access to Asiafruit Congress is free to all Asia Fruit Logistica exhibitors and visitors. For more info on the Asiafruit Congress programme, including speaker updates, visit www.fruitnet.com/asiafruitcongress/agenda.