Meat+Poultry - June 2022 - 8

COMMENTARY
Global reunion
I'm not going to lie. Having opted out of
attending the International Processing
and Production Expo just a few months
ago due to my concerns over the
rapidly spreading COVID-19 omicron
variant at that time, I was more than a
little pensive about making travel plans
just days later to attend IFFA 2022 in
Frankfurt considering it was just a few
months later. With news reports of
subsequent variants being discovered
after the omicron spike and new cases
sending US national infection rates to
the highest points in months just before
May, I considered backing out of my
plans to jet off to Europe. While I had
taken moderate precautions to limit
exposure to the virus and I am thankful
to have not yet tested positive, I bet
on that luck continuing while white
knuckling my passport when departure
day finally arrived.
What had to be the most pleasant
surprise of the past two-plus years
was my own ebbing anxiety as I
slowly regained my travel mojo after
taking my seat before the long flight
to Germany.
After a partial day of acclimating
to the time change and crossing paths
with a handful of industry friends
and colleagues the day before the
show opened, a sense of calm and
appreciation quietly overshadowed
the trepidation and anxiety. Soon after
IFFA 2022 was underway, it was as if
being transported back in time, when
visible, smiling faces of people greeted
each other and happy handshakes and
even hugs seemed to be normal again.
I wouldn't go so far as to say caution
was universally thrown to the wind,
but for the most part, the interactions,
hospitality and certainly the innovation
on display at the event seemed almost
like the IFFAs I attended before.
During scores of booth visits over
our five-day stay, MEAT+POULTRY
Publisher, Dave Crost and I were
greeted with German-style beverages,
cuisine and plenty of showing
and telling about legitimately new
technology on the stands. Exhibitors
were giddy about touting what was
new and we happily sold out our IFFA
Recap supplement, which publishes
triennially just after the show along
with M+P's July issue.
Apparently the buzz of the show
we sensed and the optimism of the
participants we visited with at all ends
of the sprawling Messe, was not just
blind hope.
According to show organizers,
IFFA 2022 was a universally recognized
opportunity for the global industry to
gather and celebrate today's innovation
and tomorrow's opportunities.
IFFA officials said 860 exhibitors
participated in the event, which
represented 44 countries. An estimated
50,000 visitors attended IFFA 2022,
from more than 129 countries.
I would echo the sentiments of
Wolfgang Marzin, president and chief
executive officer of Messe Frankfurt.
" It was a great pleasure to walk
through the halls and meet industry
participants again. An almost euphoric
mood dominated IFFA. You could
clearly feel how relieved everyone was
to finally be able to meet in person
again. The industry was open to new
topics and impressively demonstrated
its innovative strength. "
Richard Clemens, managing
director of the VDMA Food Processing
and Packaging Machinery Association,
added: " Finally, the industry can
meet again. The mood at IFFA 2022
is exceptionally good. The joy of
finally meeting in person again is
apparent everywhere. "
When the day came for our
departure, which included a subtle
reminder of the ever-present threat of
the pandemic with the requirement of
a negative COVID-19 test the day prior
to returning to the United States, I felt
hopeful that a return to a more normal
way of doing business was absolutely
possible. It also was a reminder of how
the return of smiling faces, shaking
hands and doing business like we all
fondly remember, should never be
taken for granted.
JOEL CREWS, EDITOR | jcrews@sosland.com
" An almost euphoric mood dominated IFFA.
You could clearly feel how relieved everyone
was to be able to meet in person again. "
- WOLFGANG MARZIN
8 MEAT+POULTRY | 06.22 | www.meatpoultry.com
http://www.meatpoultry.com
Meat+Poultry - June 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Meat+Poultry - June 2022
