 |  |  |
The Detrop & Oenos exhibitions are back; enhanced, innovative, and enriched with a wealth of side events. They will be held from 18 to 20 February at the Thessaloniki International Exhibition Centre.
This year the two events will cover a 15,000 sq.m. space and attract more than 420 exhibitors from all over Greece, as well as Hungary, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Armenia, Italy, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, and Cyprus. The Region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace will be the this year’s Honoured Region, while there will be dynamic participations by the Regions of Central Macedonia, Western Macedonia, Thessaly, North Aegean, and South Aegean, as well as the Chambers of Commerce of Larissa, Halkidiki, Chania, Imathia, Pella, and the Chamber of Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Thessaloniki. There will also be a specially designed space in pavilion 8 for the participation of startups, highlighting the Exhibition’s long-standing interest in innovative entrepreneurial ideas.
Attending the two exhibitions will be 136 international trade visitors from 19 countries, including individual hosted buyers, as well as delegations from North Macedonia and Bulgaria.
However, there is a distinct innovation to Detrop & Oenos this year. They are the first TIF-HELEXPO trade fairs to be implemented under the ‘Just Go Zero Events’ scheme, in partnership with Polygreen. Just Go Zero-HELEXPO aims to transform exhibition pavilions into spaces for the sound sorting of waste for the best possible material recovery. The exhibitions’ waste will be collected into distinct flows, so that as much of it as possible can be sent to be recycled. At the end of the exhibitions, the total quantity of materials collected will be weighed and the results will be announced. In this framework, both visitors and exhibitors are invited to place their waste into the specifically indicated sorting stations.
This year, Detrop & Oenos will be framed by innovative events:
- The best varieties of olives and olive oil, their producers, tastings, food pairings, and the award-winning and outward-looking products of Greek olive production are on the menu of Golden Olive Expo, a thematic section that will highlight the production and commercial potential of olives, as well as its prospects in international markets. Golden Olive Expo’s content will consist of exhibition participations with olive and olive oil products and derived products, equipment and packaging, the B2B Lounge Area for targeted meetings between exhibitors and hosted buyers, the Open Stage Area for side events and colloquiums, and the Olive Bar, a space for olive oil tasting, food pairing, and networking. The ‘Olive Oil Trophy’ International Quality Competition for exceptional olive oils and the ‘Table Olives Trophy’ International Quality Table Olive Competition will also be held at the same time, in which Detrop exhibitors and sector enterprises from Greece and abroad are eligible to participate. The competitions are being organised by the prestigious ‘FILAIOS’ Friends of Olive Oil & Olives Association.
- The winners of the Food Experts’ Awards 2023 — the international innovation and excellence awards of the food and beverage sector organised by Cibum, the Greek food expert site — will be announced at a special ceremony to be held on 18 February in the framework of Detrop.
- The International Culinary Competition of Southern Europe, organised by Culinary Professionals Greece in partnership with TIF-Helexpo, will also be held with the support of Worldchefs.
- Detrop in partnership with Hellenic Association of Food Technologists (PETET), always aiming to promote the companies that are pursuing the development and improvement of their products, is offering selected companies the opportunity of highlighting these products in a specially designed space at the exhibition. ‘Food Trends’ visitors will have the chance to see innovative products up close and to be informed by expert scientists and sector professionals on new market trends. PETET is also organising a colloquium on food safety and innovation.
- The side events also include Detrop Bites — where exhibitor products will be presented through ideal delicacy combinations, created live by the chef-partner team — and The Pairing Bar, where Oenos wines will be paired with Detrop exhibitor foods, for a unique tasting experience. Chef Stories is organising Detrop Bites and The Pairing Bar.
Detrop & Oenos will be opened on Saturday 18 February at 18:00 at pavilion 10 by the Minister of Rural Development and Food, Mr Giorgos Georgantas.
The Press conference
TIF-HELEXPO President, Mr Tasos Tzikas, referred to the first Golden Olive Expo event and to the participation of the Region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace as the Honoured Region in this years exhibitions, during today’s Press conference in view of the opening of Detrop & Oenos, which he characterised as very important, with an intense international element.
While presenting the characteristics and innovations of the two exhibitions, TIF-HELEXPO CEO, Dr Kyriakos Pozrikidis, focused on the Just Go Zero venture, in partnership with Polygreen, inviting exhibitors and visitors to take part.
In turn, the Governor of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, Mr Christos Metios, thanked TIF-HELEXPO management for choosing his Region as the Honoured Region of the event, and he characterised Detrop as emblematic in the agri-food sector. He also stressed that Eastern Macedonia and Thrace is essentially an agricultural Region, home to high quality agri-food products.
The Region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace is home to a wealth of authentic gastronomy, according to the Deputy Governor of Rural Economy and Veterinary Medicine, Mr Vasilis Delistamatis, who mentioned that the Region is participating in the exhibitions with 30 enterprises from the food and drinks sector that include everything from wine and dairy, to prepared meats and olives.
The Region of Central Macedonia is participating in Detrop & Oenos with 54 enterprises, as stated by Head of the Innovation and Extroversion Sector of the Region of Central Macedonia, Mr Sotiris Batos. He also underlined the major entrepreneurial interest for participating in the exhibitions, while he stressed that agri-food is the main cog in the machine that is the economy of Central Macedonia.
In reference to Detrop, the General Director of TIF-Helexpo, Mr Alexis Tsaxirlis, noted that it is the oldest food and beverage exhibition in Greece, with events having started in the late 70s.
The Food Trends action, which is being held for the first time, and the ‘Food Safety and Innovation; Challenges and prospects in the new environment’ colloquium, were referred to by the spokesperson of PETET Northern Greece, Ms Corina Lazaridou.
The co-founder of CIBUM, the specialised food sector website, and head of the Organising Committee for the ‘Food Experts’ Awards 2023’, Mr Nikos Gdontelis, talked about the awards that will be given to food scientists from 81 sector enterprises.
The Deputy President of Culinary Professionals Greece, Mr Christos Gotsis, discussed the organising of the 12th International Culinary Competition of Southern Europe, with 400 participants from 15 countries, as well as very high numbers of visitors from Greece and abroad.
Ms Sylvia Koumentaki of Chef Stories characterised the Detrop Bites and The Pairing Bar actions — which include a number of local product tasting sessions — as a celebration of tastes, inviting the audience to make reservations for this very different gastronomical experience.
Lastly, the commercial director of Just Go Zero by Polygreen, Ms Haris Markaki, described the initiative in a pre-recorded address.
The opening hours of Detrop & Oenos are: Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 to 19:00 tomorrow and Monday from 10:00 to 18:00.