What to expect at Vitafoods Europe 2024

The event in Geneva, Switzerland (May 14 to 16), will host over 20,000 visitors from over 160 countries and 1,100 exhibitors across 70,000 m2 at the Palexpo exhibition center, making it one of the biggest events in Vitafoods Europe’s history.  

“Geneva has been a part of the Vitafoods story for over two decades—and as a result a key part of the global nutraceutical community,” Julien Bonvallet, group brand director at Informa Markets, told NutraIngredients. “We’re looking forward to being at the Palexpo to celebrate for one last time before our relocation and the start of the next chapter for the event.” 

After 26 years in Switzerland, VitaFoods Europe will relocate to Barcelona in 2025.

Features​ 

Returning features will include the Vitafoods Insights Theatre, the Vitafoods Europe Conference and the Future of Nutrition Summit, but this year they will be joined by a newly expanded Finished Products Area.

“This section of the event will provide more opportunities for contract manufacturers and private label producers to connect with retailers, distributors and brand owners,” Bonvallet said.

This will be accompanied by a new Technology and Equipment Area spotlighting nutrition innovations that are pushing boundaries, created in response to growing visitor demand.

Demographic shift​

The demographic of Vitafoods Europe has evolved over the years, as the lines increasingly blur between dietary supplements are other sectors such as food and beverages and pharmaceuticals.

According to Bonvallet, this shift is reflected in the makeup of Vitafoods Europe visitors over the last two decades, which now represents businesses across the entire value chain. 

He explained that one interesting development has been the growing number of retailers and distributors attending Vitafoods Europe every year, which now make up part of the top five visitor business activities, alongside manufacturers and service providers. 

"Despite these evolutions, one thing remains true—Vitafoods Europe is the place to do business," he added. "In fact, 96% of our visitors have decision-making power."

Trendspotting​

Some of the core trends expected to be on show will include the continued rise of sports nutrition as consumers look to unlock physical and mental well-being; growing consumer concerns about maintaining good cognitive and emotional health; longevity and healthy aging; and enhancing the microbiome as a mechanism for supporting immune health. 

"All of these trends are compounded by the fact that we have an aging global population living in a digital, post-Covid age, so health consciousness is high, as are awareness and education levels about how to stay healthy via nutrition," Bonvallet said. 

Environmental footprint

Events such as Vitafoods must emphasize sustainable practices as consumers are increasingly scrutinizing the materials and methods used to make, package and transport their foods, drinks and supplements. 

As the brand director explained, the event has been powered with renewable energy since 2018 and has partnered with charities to convert leftovers from catering into biofuels. This year, it has also partnered with local food bank Partage and plans to encourage exhibitors to donate any unwanted leftover products at the end of the event.

Next year’s event aims to be zero waste, with plans to be a net zero carbon event by 2030.

Staying current

Sustainability is a huge priority for the industry and consumers, with approximately one in four consumers prepared to pay more for sustainable products, according to consultancy firm Deloitte’s 2023 sustainability report​. 

The 2024 agenda therefore aims to cover everything from formulating with plant-based ingredients like seaweed or peas to creating food systems that balance both the health of consumers with the health of the planet. 

The program also plans to take a deep dive into gender-based issues through sessions on the gender data gap in genomics and strategies for developing science-backed solutions for women’s health.

There will also be discussions about the wider economic context and how the industry can best support consumers’ health by balancing affordability with quality. 

"This is crucial in the time of a cost-of-living crisis as healthy nutrition might slip down some consumers’ priorities," Bonvallet said.

He noted that Vitafoods’ aim is to provide an event that serves the interests of the nutraceutical community, which in part means ensuring that the event reflects what’s happening in the wider world.