Trade fair stand at Anuga: What food exhibitors really need
Cooling, water supply, tasting, hygiene: What an Anuga stand needs technically.
Anuga in Cologne is the world's leading trade fair for food and beverages and takes place every two years. It is divided into several specialised trade fairs — from Fine Food, Meat, Chilled & Fresh Food, Frozen Food and Dairy to Drinks, Organic, and Bread & Bakery. For exhibitors, this means that their target audience is located in a specific hall, and position and hall are contributing factors to their success.
Who exhibits there
Manufacturers, importers and private labels from all food sectors, alongside packaging, technology and peripheral services. The audience consists of buyers from retail, wholesale and catering — these are business negotiations, not advisory discussions. Those who attend want to know whether the product fits the range, how much it costs and whether it can be delivered.
What Anuga means for stand construction
Food trade fairs bring technical requirements that other industries do not know. An Anuga stand is closer to a small catering kitchen than to a traditional exhibition stand.
Media and technology
- Cooling Fridges, refrigerated display cases or walk-in cold rooms, with different temperature ranges depending on the product
- Water supply and drainage - for sink and cleaning, must be ordered from the organiser
- Increased electricity demand — The cooling system runs round the clock, even at night
- Sink area and waste management — mandatory during tasting, not optional
These items are processed through the organiser and have strict order deadlines. After the deadline, surcharges apply, and some items may no longer be available at short notice.
At the front, the open tasting counter for passing trade — low, accessible, with a short dwell time. At the back, the enclosed or semi-enclosed area for order discussions, with seating, quiet and space to put down samples and price lists. Stands that mix the two lose those valuable conversations to the hustle and bustle.
Hygiene and cold chain
Surfaces must be wipeable, the cold chain must remain documentable for the entire duration of the trade fair, and a planned procedure is needed for the delivery and storage of fresh goods. That is not a minor detail — it determines whether you are still allowed to offer your goods on the third day of the fair.
What exhibitors should look out for
- Make product visible. At a food trade fair, the goods sell, not the graphics. Product presentation and lighting are more important than large blocks of text.
- Plan the sample storage generously. Supplies, empties, refrigerated goods and packaging material need more space than the initial sketch provides for.
- Anticipating staffing requirements. Whoever is tasting must be able to reach the sink, refrigeration and replenishment without walking through the ordering conversation.
- Hold before standing formation. Being in the right exhibition hall is more important than having a more open-plan stand in the wrong one.
Our advantage in Cologne
From our location in Bornheim, it is around 30 kilometres to the Koelnmesse exhibition centre. We can get to no other exhibition venue so quickly. For you, this means: short response times during the setup week, replenishment or spare parts at your stand within an hour, and a dedicated contact person who is actually reachable during the exhibition days.
Further: Exhibition stand construction Cologne · The 5 largest trade fairs in Germany · Hire exhibition stand
Anuga stand from the neighbourhood
From Bornheim it is around 30 kilometres to the Koelnmesse. Shorter distances, faster response, replenishment at the stand within an hour.