Messe Frankfurt & VNU Asia Pacific to launch ‘Meat Pro Asia’ in March 2021

In a strategic expansion into the growing food technology sector, Messe Frankfurt New Era Business Media and VNU Asia Pacific, announce a partnership to jointly organize ‘Meat Pro Asia’, a new trade show dedicated to meat and food processing and catering to the ASEAN region. The show will take place on a biennial basis in co-location with VIV Asia – the international trade show from Feed to Food in Asia. According to the press statement, the inaugural edition will open its doors from 10 to 12 March 2021 at IMPACT, Bangkok, Thailand.

Commenting on the new event, Wolfgang Marzin, president and chief executive officer of Messe Frankfurt Group, said, “Despite a challenging first half of the year, we continue to see the need to establish new trade fairs in emerging markets around the world. With an increasingly wealthy population of 600 million, the ASEAN region is an exciting prospect, with high potential for growth in sectors such as meat and food processing.”

“This new cooperation in Asia strengthens and completes – especially towards the downstream part of the supply chain – the already leading position of VNU in the Asian animal protein production business,” commented Albert Arp, Group chief executive officer of Royal Jaarbeurs or VNU Group. VNU Asia Pacific has an extensive track record in the Thai market with a rich portfolio of events for the AgriTech, Animal, Food, and other sectors, covering all of the key markets in South East Asia.

“Adding to an international network of events related to food processing technologies, Meat Pro Asia is Messe Frankfurt’s first venture in this sector in South East Asia,” noted Stephan Buurma, member of the Board of Management, Messe Frankfurt Group and managing director of the Asia regional head office. “We, therefore, see great potential to leverage our experience and sector expertise, including the resources of IFFA in Frankfurt, the world’s leading meat processing trade fair, for the benefit of the industry in South East Asia.”

Combining industry resources

“Working closely with Messe Frankfurt, we aim at attracting the top suppliers and buyers in the processing industry to Meat Pro Asia, establishing this exhibition as a top destination in the ASEAN region for meat processing and packaging equipment,” said Heiko M Stutzinger, managing director of VNU Asia Pacific and Director of VIV worldwide. “VIV Asia has witnessed consistent growth during the recent editions of the food processing segment. By holding Meat Pro Asia alongside VIV Asia and leveraging the experience of Messe Frankfurt in this specific sector, we will provide the entire spectrum of food technology to trade buyers. We are confident that this new event will be a great success,” Stutzinger added.

Buurma added, “With its extensive local ties, and sector experience, VNU is the perfect partner for this new venture. Set to become the only trade fair of its kind in the region, Meat Pro Asia will serve as the perfect launching pad to opportunities in the ASEAN market, which is widely recognized as one of the world’s most promising markets for food technology.”

A vibrant market

Expected to grow by 4.7% annually until 2023, the market for processed foods in ASEAN has been bolstered by the demands of a rising middle class. More important contributors to the industry’s growth trajectory are government policies that aim to convert Thailand into one of the world’s top five food exporters by 2036. Thereby fostering a favorable trading and regulatory environment for Meat Pro Asia’s participants to benefit from when it opens its doors in March 2021.

Helping channel players from ASEAN and beyond gain access to the high potential market, Meat Pro Asia will focus exclusively on solutions that deliver meat from farm to table. This includes slaughtering, the full processing chain, packaging, labeling, cold chain logistics, quality control, hygiene, IoT and automation, wastewater treatment, and more. Visitors to the new show will include processing companies, food retailers, importers, exporters, wholesalers, manufacturers, agents, distributors and engineering firms.

Meat Pro Asia will be co-located with VIV Asia, gathering the entire supply chain under a single roof. VIV Asia is the leading biennial event for the protein production industry across various animal species, including pigs, dairy, fish and shrimp, poultry broilers, cattle and calves. Held across 31,000 sqm, VIV Asia in 2019 attracted 1,245 exhibitors and over 45,000 international visitors from more than 120 countries.