Vitafoods Europe 2022 Wraps Up a Successful Two-Week Hybrid Event!

Vitafoods Europe successfully hosted a two-week hybrid event. It was held online from 02.05.2022 to 13.05.2022 and in-person at Palexpo, Geneva, from 10.05.2022 to 12.05.2022. 700 companies exhibited at the event including 100 start-ups and return companies. The event inspired nutraceutical professionals with the latest industry and scientific knowledge resulting in the attendance of 15,251 visitors from over 130 nations.

VitaFoods Europe 2022 occurred as a SMART event. The trade fair comprised two sections. One section was an in-person event at Palexpo, and the other was a digital platform. Services on the virtual platform included insight-led content.

The venue featured several precautions to prevent Covid-19 infections. These included frequent disinfection of event spaces and objects. Additionally, the site had continuous ventilation using external air. Attendees were also encouraged to perform various recommendable steps. This included frequent hand disinfection. Participants were also encouraged to use contactless payments and to avoid handshakes. The venue did not feature a 3G entry policy. This was due to the removal of the compulsory domestic restrictions within Switzerland. The mandatory mask regulation was also lifted.

Vitafoods Europe 2022 featured a diverse range of highlights. These were distributed into four alternatives that focused on various business goals. Each division included two or more highlights. The options and highlights were:

• Industry Insights
  • Main Stage Theatre
  • Probiotics Resource Centre and Theatre
  • Life Stages Theatre
  • New Ingredients Theatre
  • Omega-3 Resource Centre
  • Sustainability Area
  • Market Trends
• Tailored Networking
  • Tasting Centre
  • Start-up Pavillion
  • Vitafoods 5K Run
• Discovering Innovations
  • New Products Zone
  • New Ingredients Zone
• Gaining Recognition
  • Wellness Challenge
  • Tasting Centre Awards

The events discussed several important topics. Among them were key market trends, regulatory complexities, mental health, and sustainability. It also featured women in nutraceuticals, packaging and labelling challenges.

The Wellness Challenge was one of the novel sub-events in the programme. It was also one of the distinguishing features of Vitafoods Europe 2022. It comprised a competition that promoted wellness through daily step exercises. The most dedicated earned one of three awards. The Challenge took place from 02.05.2022 to 12.05.2022. To take part in the event, attendees had to download an app and accumulate steps. This included performing regular walks. Attendees could also complete certain activities. Examples included a community breakfast, 5K run, Scan-in, and GELITA sessions. The three awards were:

• Swiss On trainers
• Three months of supplements provided by GELITA
• A Garmin or Apple Watch

Another recognition-granting sub-event was the Tasting Centre Awards. It was a micro-event incorporated into the Tasting Centre. It lauds the most well-tasting foods and beverages presented at the edition. The Award winners were:

• TopGum Industries Ltd (Best Tasting Functional Food)
• Creamy Creation BV (Best Tasting Functional Beverage)

Vitafoods Europe 2022 featured many sub-events that discussed leading topics. This included the four Theatres, two Resource Centres, Market Trends, and Sustainability Area. Each also featured several keynote highlights within its programme.

One of the insight sub-events was the Probiotics Resource Centre and Probiotics Theatre. The Resource Centre was a dedicated knowledge hub sponsored by Nutrasource. It enabled attendees to learn about probiotics and the sector related to them.

Among the highlight sessions of the Probiotics theatre were the lectures:

• The current international regulatory state of play for probiotics
• Achieving translational research outcomes with precision microbiome analysis and AI
• Linking mental health and the microbiome
• The benefits of probiotics isolated from human breast milk
• Introduction to postbiotics and LBIOME, pioneer of this category
• Probiotics, prebiotics, postbiotics: opportunity of product innovation in food supplements
• Awareness of the gut microbiome is shaping perceptions towards digestive health & immunity
• Enteric capsules for new application opportunities
• Reimagining probiotics protection with breakthrough active material science technologies
• What’s on the horizon for the next probiotic solutions for feminine support
• Healthy ageing: what can probiotics do for you?

Another highlight micro-event that provided detailed industry insights was the Vitafoods Main Stage. The Stage featured leading speakers providing information about various subjects. Among them were sustainability, supply chain visibility, consumer behaviours, and nutraceutical workforce inclusion. The highlight sessions included:

• Top 2022 Food Sustainability Trends
• Mental wellbeing in today’s digital age
• Nutraceutical gummies: Where science meets customer need
• Immunity: The age of post-COVID ingredients
• Bifiacnel®: A new approach to acne management
• Consumers and mental wellbeing
• Implementing the last requirements for the labelling of your food products
• Innovation, trends, and consumer expectations in active nutrition

The Sustainability Area was also an industry insight highlight of Vitafoods Europe 2022. It was an interactive area where attendees could learn about nutraceutical industry sustainability. This included learning about sustainability success stories and ongoing challenges. Distinguished sessions that served as examples of such lectures include:

• Fishy business or ocean heroes?
• The first educator advantage: A win for R&D, marketing & sustainability
• Sustainability and sports nutrition: At the crossroads
• Plants, People, and Places
• The food supplement green deal
• Enhancing the sustainability of the Devil’s Claw supply chain in Namibia

The Life Stages Theatre likewise served as an industry insight highlight. It provided information about the specific nutritional needs of each life stage. The presentations took place during the live section of Vitafoods Europe 2022. The themes included healthy ageing, women’s health, and children’s health. The most distinguished lectures included:

• The 5 critical drivers that determine healthy ageing
• Bioactives for mood and mental performance: tests, trials and translation
• Insights-driven bundle for cognitive wellness
• Formulating nutraceuticals to support healthy ageing
• The effects of nutritional supplementation with phenolics on cognition and mood
• Healthy start for a healthy life: the motherhood journey
• Essentials in clinical research in the innovative infant formula market
• Space travel science for engineering anti-ageing solutions

The Omega-3 Resource Centre also provided attendees with detailed industry insights. Its focus was on the Omega-3 fatty acids. The content was presented as lectures, infographics, product showcases, and interactive visual displays. The presentation featured sessions such as "EPA and DHA omega-3s".

The Market Trends were among the sub-events of prime interest for attendees. It presented information about the most recent industry innovations and health trends. The partner organisation Innova provided the insights. The area included two sections. The first section was the session “First in Sports”. It was held on 10.05.2022 at 10:30 am at the Main Stage. It featured Nicole Jansen as the speaker. She provided information about active nutrition and health benefits. She also detailed emerging trends related to mental performance, cognitive health and micronutrients. Jansen furthermore conferred health and nutrition information about different consumer generations.

The second section of the Market Trends and Overview was the Top Ten Trends in Action. This lecture presented the latest market trend report created by Innova. This allowed attendees to learn about the most recent food and beverage tendencies. The showcased trends and sub-trends included:

The New ingredients Theatre presented industry insights related to innovations. It allowed attendees to learn about the latest products, technologies, and research. Such included novel herbs, solutions, and studies. Among the lectures presented at the Theatre were the sessions:

Innovation was a central theme of Vitafoods Europe 2022 and was presented through various highlights. They included the New Ingredients Zone, New Products Zone, Tasting Centre, and Start-up Pavilion. The New Ingredients Zone presented the most recent innovative ingredients and raw materials. It also showed new creations related to healthy ageing and cognitive performance. It incorporated the LaunchPad - Ingredients which presented four leading exhibitors.

Attendees could examine new science-reinforced products in the New Products Zone. The Tasting Centre, on the other hand, displayed novel functional food and beverages. The Start-up Pavilion also presented innovations. Among them were new ingredients, technologies, finished products, and services. It served as the networking and presentation area for start-ups and outstanding businesses.

Attendees could also network via many other sub-events. Among them was the Vitafoods 5K Run, which occurred as part of the novel Wellness Challenge. It took place on 11.05.2022 at the Palexpo Gardens in Geneva. During the sub-event, attendees could run, jog or walk a non-timed 5,000 m lap course around the venue. This allowed attendees to network with other attendees while exercising.

700 exhibitors, including 100 return companies and start-ups, from 52 countries representing five continents attended Vitafoods Europe 2022. The five continents included the two Americas, Europe, Asia, and Africa. Additionally, the event received 15,251 visitors, both digital and in-person. Participants were quite satisfied with their attendance due to the high visitor and innovation quality.