By: Lisa Olivo

Vitafoods Europe will once again return to Palexpo, Geneva from the 5-7 May 2015, with visitors descending on the exhibition to source new suppliers and take advantage of the educational and business opportunities at the event.
Over 14,000 visitors including C level-professionals, product developers, R&D specialists, senior marketers and procurement specialists from food and health supplement manufacturers, distributors, retailers and wholesalers, will take to the exhibition floor as they look to source the latest ingredients and raw materials from 750 global exhibitors. Exhibitors include the likes of DSM, Labialfarma, Nexira, Awex, 3i nature and Pharmexcil, and first-time exhibitors such as Specchiasol Srl, Vidya Herbs Inc, Tasa Omega and GAP SA, who will be representing over 40 different countries.
Running alongside Vitafoods Europe is the co-located event Finished Products Europe 2015– Europe’s leading functional food and drink and dietary supplement exhibition, which is set to be the biggest event to date. The show sees more than 200 leading suppliers and over 6,000 buyers, retailers and distributors, looking to source the latest white label finished products including reduced calorie products, chewable vitamins & supplements, protein bars, energy drinks and sports nutrition products. Visitors also have the opportunity to meet with contract manufacturers, who can provide bespoke products designed to individual specifications.
Both Vitafoods Europe and Finished Products Europe provide an excellent platform for networking opportunities, allowing visitors to meet with both previously unknown suppliers and leading global manufacturers. The events also present an opportunity for attendees to become better acquainted with the latest ingredient solutions and technical information required to implement true innovations in product development. With more free content than ever and a host of new visitor attractions, the exhibitions cover every aspect of the nutraceutical industry.
Among the returning visitor attractions are the Nutra Insights Hub and Vitafoods Live! Theatre which hosts speakers from leading research companies including Euromonitor, Innova Market Insights and EAS offering independent insight and expert assessments on key market trends. These will include food labeling in Europe specifically, and offer an overview of the global regulatory framework and market trends of specific regions.
For those visitors looking for ingredients based insight, the New Products Zone within Vitafoods Europe provides an overview of innovations brought to market in the last 12 months, allowing visitors to expand their knowledge of the most recent nutraceutical advances. In addition to this the Exhibitor Presentation Theatre features exhibitors including Aker Biomarine, Rousselot, Naturex, CHR Hansen and Ingredia discussing their latest launches, services and applications, offering an opportunity for visitors to learn more about new products available to the market.
Chris Lee, Vitafoods portfolio director said: “The range of visitor attractions on offer at Vitafoods Europe and Finished Products Europe will help provide visitors with a comprehensive knowledge of the topics needed to create innovative products, whilst offering an opportunity to source the newest ingredients and secure lucrative business deals. Vitafoods Europe not only highlights the factors that have shaped the industry over the past 12 months but also plays a large role in the direction the market takes moving forward, making it a must attend event for key industry players.”
Running alongside the exhibition, the Vitafoods Europe Conference returns in a brand new expanded format, with an added focus on business practice and more panel discussions than ever before. The 2015 program will feature the latest research on core topics such as digestive health, heart health, healthy ageing, sports performance and weight management. The expanded program will also bring together key stakeholders from all areas of the industry which are necessary for business excellence, including: legislative and regulatory training, overview of European funding opportunities, as well as best practice within packaging, marketing, brand development, innovation and partnership working. Sessions will be available for purchase on an individual basis, allowing delegates to attend the presentations most relevant to them.
In addition, exciting innovations and new ingredients within areas such as marine resources, infant nutrition, beauty and botanicals will be included to share best practice.
Poster Presentations will provide visitors with access to the latest undertakings from researchers across the globe, as they look to share their projects, ideas and applications and look for potential investment opportunities for the future.
Finished Products Europe also features the New Products Zone highlighting the latest functional food and drinks launched to the market, the Tasting Bar where visitors can try such innovations and the Finished Products Theatre, where manufacturers will discuss product development and innovation.
Running alongside this year’s event is the inaugural NutraIngredients Awards in association with Vitafoods Europe, which recognizes contributions of excellence and true innovation made by the European health and nutrition industry’s key players, in seven separate categories. Taking place on the evening of second day of the show, the awards feature a diverse panel of expert judges with categories including, Readers’ Ingredient of the Year (in association with Vitafoods Europe 2015), Startup Ingredient of the Year and three Finished Product of the Year categories recognizing Sport & Energy, Immunity and Heart & Brain products.
Register an interest at www.vitafoods.eu.com/storm