PARIS, December 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

Food Ingredients (Fi) Europe & Natural Ingredients (Ni) 2011, held in Paris from 29 November to 1 December, has been the largest edition of the show in its 25 year history, with an 11% increase in exhibition space and 20% increase in visitors compared to 2009.

Over the three days, the show featured 1,200 exhibitors from 65 countries.  More than 23,600 food professionals from 127 countries visited the show, making it the most attended Fi exhibition to date.

"Over the last 25 years, the show has hosted many manufacturers and seen some significant changes within the industry. In its 25th Anniversary, FiE featured great innovations and provided a holistic view of industry developments over the last 25 years, as well as where it will be going in the next 25 years," said Nick Ornstien, Portfolio Director at UBM Live. "We are delighted to once again deliver a great show and bring so many companies and professionals together."

Visitors and exhibitors benefited from the many educational features provided during the show, including conference modules, exhibitor seminars, the 25th Anniversary Product Zone and many more.  A new and praised feature to the show this year was the Innovation Tours.  These tours were conducted by industry experts and took visitors on a guided conference around the show that covered innovations and key market trends.

The Fi Excellence Awards ceremony, held on 30 November, has honoured the companies and professionals who have demonstrated innovation and exceptional contribution to the industry.

Barry Callebaut, the winner of two Fi Excellence Awards, achieved great success at the show; "Our success at FiE demonstrates that innovation is at the heart of our industry. The recognition by our customers and the Awards Committee encourages us to continue and advance every aspect of our business, improving our chocolate on a continual basis," said Sofie De Lathouwer, Marketing Director Food Manufacturers Europe, Barry Callebaut.

Food Ingredients Europe & Natural Ingredients will return to Frankfurt, Germany on 19 - 21 November 2013. For more information: http://www.ingredientsnetwork.com/fieurope

Fi Europe's sister show, Health Ingredients (Hi) Europe & Natural Ingredients (Ni), will also take place in Frankfurt, Germany November 13 - 15 2012.  This is the premier exhibition for health ingredients, nutraceuticals & supplements and natural ingredients.  Next year, Hi Europe & Ni will be integrated in NuW (Nutritional + Wellness Solutions) addressing nutritional solutions for food, beverage and beauty applications. NuW will introduce four new elements:  Nutritional solutions, Packaging and Processing Innovation, Formulation solutions (Flavour, taste, texture and shelf life), and Contract services. More information on http://hieurope.ingredientsnetwork.com/

About Fi Europe & Ni 2011

Running since 1986, Fi Europe is the global meeting place for all stakeholders in the food ingredients industry. Over 500,000 people have attended the shows over the years, and billions of Euros of business has been done as a result. Fi Europe & Ni are held once every two years in a major European city and brings together the world's leading food & beverage suppliers, R&D, production and marketing specialists.

About the organiser

UBM Live is a division of UBM plc., which is headquartered in London, UK. The office in the Netherlands is the organiser of the world leading Fi, Hi, CPhI and ICSE series of pharmaceutical and food ingredient trade shows. The Dutch office also publishes International Food Ingredients (IFI) magazine, organises related conference activities and has a rapidly growing online business.

SOURCE UBM