Exhibitor opinions: INTERNORGA 2023

Food & Beveragesexhibition area

Beyond Meat
Benjamin Döring, Regional Field Marketing Manager Europe:

‘Internorga is great this year! At Beyond Meat, we believe there’s a better way to feed our future, and we’re delighted that there is such huge interest in plant-based meat alternatives at this year’s trade fair. We are humbled to receive this year’s Future Award for Beyond Steak, and see it as additional confirmation that the enthusiasm for plant-based dishes and the subjects of sustainability, health and animal welfare continues to grow.’

Bridor
Thilo Ehnis, Zone Director Continental Europe, Bridor:

‘The number of visitors to the booth and the quality of the contacts were very good. There was no comparison to the previous year. INTERNORGA is where decision-makers come together, which is exactly who we want to reach.’

Dallmayr
Philipp Kocherscheid, Managing Director of Dallmayr Gastronomie Service:

‘Our last appearance at Internorga was almost four years ago. With that in mind, we were particularly looking forward to this year’s trade fair and are very satisfied overall with the number of visitors to our booth. Our team made optimal use of Internorga as an industry meeting place, held many intensive discussions with existing customers and interested restaurateurs and hoteliers, and presented great product developments and concepts. In particular, the focus was on the core topic of sustainability – Dallmayr presented its first recyclable packaging at the trade fair.’

Friedrich Lütvogt GmbH & Co. KG
Thomas Humann, Head of Sales:

‘We are finally back at the Internorga trade fair after the coronavirus-related break and we are very satisfied. As a company, we at Lütvogt aim our ‘back to the sources’ mineral water and our Lütts Landlust not-from-concentrate juice spritzers at the target group of restaurateurs, and so far at the trade fair we have been able to talk to a lot of great hotel operators and restaurateurs who want to integrate our products into their ranges. We have already managed to establish very promising contacts here.’

Happy Ocean Foods
Fabian Göpfert, Sales Manager & Representative:

‘It’s our first time at this trade fair, so it’s very exciting to be here. There is really a very special crowd at Internorga! So far, we have received a lot of very positive feedback and also constructive comments to build on. That is very valuable for us as a start-up, especially as we are still starting out and want to develop the products further. And when you get into conversation with high-level decision-makers and they indicate they intend to place orders, that’s even better!’

HGK Hotel- und Gastronomie-Kauf
Dr Urban Uttenweiler, HGK CEO:

Warau kado niwa fuku kitaru! That is a Japanese proverb which roughly translates to “Happiness likes to enter a house where cheerfulness reigns”. We are delighted about how extremely successful Internorga has been, with many visitors, as well as positive and inspiring conversations, at our HGK booth. The HGK team loves hosting for hosts. We are extremely grateful to our members, customers and delivery partners for the last three years, which together we have been able to handle very well indeed! And as a final point – what a strong impression our hospitality industry has made here at the trade fair in Hamburg.’

Metro
Martin Behle, Chief Hospitality Officer:

This year’s Internorga was the best in many years. You could sense how much the exhibitors and visitors had missed that information, interaction and getting together, both at the extremely well-attended trade fair and everything that went on around it. The spirit of this important industry meeting is back and much more intense than it had been for many years! At Metro, we had a great spot and were able to demonstrate the path we are on, including in our masterclasses with Tim Raue, Heiko Antoniewicz, Max Strohe and Sven Elverfeld, which attracted a lot of interest.’

Mowi
Sebastian Riedel, Brand Marketing Manager:

‘This is our first time at INTERNORGA and we presented our new brand here. The response was great. INTERNORGA is the ideal platform for the market launch, both to present the potential of the new brand and to exchange ideas with the rest of the industry. We have also realised that the trade fair is the perfect place to gain inspiration. We will be happy to come back next year.’

Niehoffs Vaihinger
Jens Stahmer, Sales Manager:

‘So far, the trade fair is going really well. For us, following the coronavirus period, this is a chance to make our return, see what is going on and show what is possible. We also wanted to be there in person for our customers again. The feedback from visitors has been extremely positive.

Red Bull
Eric Bergmann, Bar master:

‘Introducing great people to delicious drinks is basically everyday business for us bartenders. But the lively atmosphere at the Red Bull booth outside the regular opening hours of Internorga 2023 reminded me of great evenings behind the bar at legendary clubs. The outstanding The ORGANICS by Red Bull® products combined with top-quality spirits, good music and, last but not least, the phenomenal trade fair booth encouraged hundreds of people to end each day with a great party.

Redefine Meat
Edwin Bark, Senior Vice President and General Manager EMEA:

‘On a happiness scale of 1 to 10, we are definitely a 10! We have had an incredible number of interested parties and guests at our stand, which is really great. The response has also been resoundingly positive. We have consistently received exclusively positive feedback, especially from visitors who generally eat meat. It’s amazing.’

 

Packaging & Delivery trend area

RECUP / REBOWL
Greta Mager, Public Relations:

‘Internorga was a complete success for the entire RECUP team. We would like to say thank you for five days full of interesting discussions, inspiring keynotes, important feedback, newly signed partners, friendly reunions with existing clients and many great industry partners.’

Uber Eats Germany
Christian Bentlage, Strategy & Growth Lead:

This is our first time at INTERNORGA. So far, the trade fair is going very, very well for us. We have had great conversations with many restaurant partners and potential suppliers at the booth. We have already been able to get contracts signed. In addition, we have established great new contacts with our hall neighbours here in the packaging industry. That is particularly interesting, because the reusable-packaging obligation is a hot topic in Germany.’

Vytal
Dr Tim Breker, Co-Founder & Managing Director:

‘INTERNORGA 2023 was a great success for Vytal. We achieved great visibility, in part thanks to our partners. The interest in our digital reusable solution to fulfil the reusable-packaging obligation is still huge, and it was great to get to know many of our wonderful partner restaurateurs personally, some of whom came to the trade fair just to meet us. The friendly atmosphere among the neighbouring booths and the productive discussions about the market make INTERNORGA a very special trade fair for us, which, as always, was excellently organised.’

 

Digital Applications exhibition area

gastronovi
Ria Marzian, Events & PR:

‘My highlight of Internorga is when the booth is full to the brim! We meet many exciting people here every day. The atmosphere is very friendly, because this is where the industry comes together. You could call it one big industry get-together among friends.’

Nesto Software GmbH
Sven Steinkuhl, CEO, Nesto Software GmbH:

‘This is our second year at INTERNORGA. This time, of course, the trade fair was particularly impressive for us. And yes, we can certainly say that we have arrived at INTERNORGA. We had a lot of positive and intense discussions at our booth. Our overall conclusion is that it was five great days!’

Posgear
Ismail Kircalar, Chief Business Development Officer:

‘INTERNORGA was very successful for us this year. We met many high-quality specialist retailers and had very good discussions. In addition, we got to know many new resellers. So all in all, we are very satisfied.’

TESSERO
Hubert Domscheit, Managing Director, myCompanee GmbH:

‘I have to say, the trade fair has exceeded our expectations this year. Unfortunately, we had not been able to attend Internorga for a while, and last year the mood was still somewhat more subdued. Now it’s the real Internorga again! The incredible number of people who are happy to be back makes us truly euphoric. In addition, investments are being made again and people are looking ahead with a positive mindset!’

Tobit.Software
Marvin Liedmeyer, Ambassador at Tobit.Labs:

‘We are here pretty much every year. But this year it’s special. The halls are packed! It’s been crazy: our booth has been really well attended. Companies want to position themselves more digitally, so we are definitely in the right place. At the same time, we have noticed at the trade fair that people no longer just want to participate in Zoom meetings. They want to get out and experience something. We will definitely be back next year, because we love INTERNORGA!The focus here is always on networking and inspiration.’

VisioLab
Iwo Gernemann, Co-Founder & COO:
‘INTERNORGA was really great. We had hundreds of showcases – i.e. product presentations – at our booth every day. On all five days, we enjoyed pleasant conversations with new and existing customers. We will definitely be back next year.’

 

Restaurant and Hotel Facilities exhibition area

May Design
Leif Giesenbauer, Marketing Management:

‘We are very pleased with the results. For us, after three years away, it was a very successful trade fair, which shows us that INTERNORGA is back and will have a firm place in our plans for the coming years.

md Einrichtungssysteme
Carsten Schmitz
, Managing Director:
‘Internorga in Hamburg was definitely successful for us. Both the number and the quality of trade fair contacts have increased significantly compared to the figures from 2022. That is why we confirmed our participation in 2024 while the trade fair was still going on.’

Robbe & Berking
Michael Lüke, Hotel & Gastronomy Project Manager:

‘This is my 20th time at Internorga in Hamburg, and I am once again finding it to be a really refreshing experience this year. People are in a buying mood and it’s really fun to meet old and new acquaintances at the trade fair. That’s what makes it what it is and that’s what we’re here for! The visitors are relaxed, happy to be back at a trade fair and seeing new products. So all in all, we are satisfied!’

Schirmherrschaft Vertriebs GmbH
Andreas Husmann, Commercial Director,
Schirmherrschaft:
‘We are very much satisfied. We have received great feedback from Internorga visitors, as we are presenting something unique in the form of an overall concept, and not just focusing on a single product.’

Maik Edelmeyer, Managing Director
‘We have already registered for Internorga next year and intend to further promote aholistic approach. Our customers are always looking for an all-encompassing concept and everything first-hand from us. A restaurateur or hotel operator does not have time to spend too long on a specific issue – they want a solution. Internorga is the ideal place to present exactly that.’

Villeroy & Boch
Burkhard Schmidt, Sales Director, Hospitality:

‘We can look back positively on our five successful days at Internorga. We had the opportunity to welcome many visitors to our booth, exchange ideas with our partners in person and take away exciting subjects and sources of inspiration to consider further after the trade fair.’

 

Kitchen Technology exhibition area

B.PRO GmbH
Patrick Hilpp, Head of Product Management
:
‘INTERNORGA was very pleasing for us. We established extremely good contacts, both in terms of quantity and quality, so we will head home feeling very positive. We’ll definitely be back next year.’

Nordcap
Oliver Frosch, Managing Director:

‘We can look back on a very successful trade fair. We are delighted that we were able to reach so many people with our food concepts. With innovative new products and holistic solutions, we managed to present answers that everyone is enthusiastic about to the challenges that the industry faces.’

MEIKO
Lars Urban, Managing Director MEIKO Deutschland GmbH:

‘INTERNORGA 2023 has shown how important trade fairs are for the foodservice and hospitality market. After the long break caused by coronavirus, the happiness among visitors and exhibitors to be back among the hustle and bustle of trade fair activity was palpable. The trade fair was a big success and we are very satisfied overall."

PALUX
Torsten Hehner, Member of the Board:

‘INTERNORGA 2023 was a big success for us: there was a lot of interest from our customers and sales partners from over 40 countries in the topics we are currently focused on, such as the energy efficiency of kitchen appliances, the practical implementation of equipping pop-up concepts, and PALUX as a specialist for tailor-made solutions in professional kitchens. The automated robotic process kitchen from our system partner GoodBytz, the thermal and stainless-steel components for which come from our company, was a real crowd-puller at our booth.

Rational
Michaela Jedelhauser, Director Marketing DACH:

‘We are delighted with how successful INTERNORGA 2023 was. During the trade fair, the industry once again demonstrated how important jointly designed solutions will be for competitive workflows over the coming months and years.’

Welbilt
Hans-Werner Schmidt, Managing Director and VP Central & Eastern Europe:

‘It was one of the best INTERNORGAs I have ever experienced. All sectors of the industry were represented. There was an upbeat atmosphere across all five days of the trade fair. Companies want to invest again, that was clear to us at our booth: we had good conversations throughout. We are heading home from this year’s trade fair feeling positive.’

 

Specials

Café Future live
Boris Tomic, Editor-in-Chief, dfv Hotel- und Gastromedien ahgz | foodservice | gvpraxis

‘Café Future live, the lounge presented by the trade magazines foodservice, gvpraxis and ahgz, is at a new location for the second time and we are very happy with it. It has increased the number of visitors considerably. One thing is for sure: Café Future live at INTERNORGA is the networking centre where the industry comes together. The whole team of managers from the catering and hotel industry met here. All in all, we are very happy!’

AI Center
Petra Vorsteher and Ragnar Kruse, founders of AI.HAMBURG and co-initiators of the INTERNORGA AI CENTER

‘The AI CENTER at INTERNORGA presented innovative AI solutions for restaurants and the hotel industry with 16 AI start-ups at the booth, organised 24 AI masterclasses in meeting rooms, and presented five sessions on the Open Stage. We received very positive feedback from visitors,start-upsand speakers. Eachstart-upleft with plenty of leads and in some cases business deals already agreed, and they also worked very well together by recommending visitors to each other. This year’s Internorga demonstrated that AI solutions are already available for the industry and can also be used to increase efficiency, bridge personnel shortages and reduce waste. We are inspired, more than satisfied and are already gathering together ideas for the next edition of the AI CENTER."

Open Stage
Michael Kuriat, TNC Group:

‘For me personally, it was the best, most innovative and friendly INTERNORGA I have ever experienced. The positive future perspectives and the sense of optimism were palpable everywhere, including on and by the Open Stage, of course. The special, which took place for the first time, was very well attended and the feedback was fantastic. Naturally, we are delighted about that and it gives us encouragement for the future.’

Pink Cube
Karin Tischer, trend researcher:

‘The focus of the Pink Cube Trend Forum was once again on trends, think tanks, news and fresh impetus. As a permanent fixture and crowd-puller at Internorga, the Pink Cube again brought in a lot of interested visitors this year. The cooperation between our research and development institute food & more in Kaarst and INTERNORGA has now been a huge success for 11 years. We are delighted that so many visitors actively seek out the Pink Cube and make us an essential element of their trade fair day, which is usually packed: we provide inspiring trend talks, good networking, lively interaction, power and motivation!’

ProVeg
Katleen Haefele, Head of Food Services & Events:

‘We have been positively overwhelmed by the wonderful Internorga experience. We simply have to say thank you! Firstly to internorga for its great organisation, and secondly to all the producers who have really driven forward the expansion of plant-based alternatives: everything your heart desires in vegetable form, whether it is meat, fish, eggs, cheese or milk. Thanks also to all the restaurateurs who are continuously expanding their range, as our brand catering ranking in cooperation with foodservice has once again shown. We are already looking forward to the next edition in 2024!’

What the Food! by foodlab
Christin Siegemund, Founder & CEO, foodlab Hamburg:

‘With our own stage at Internorga, we at foodlab were given a great opportunity to present ourselves to the industry and demonstrate the power of community. The last three years have shown that the industry is crisis-proof. Now what matters is rebuilding it and thinking holistically, in the form of new concepts, working models and best cases from other industries. After five days of lively action on stage with great guests from business, politics, industry, catering and manystart-ups, we are looking forward to sustainable cooperation in future.’

Contact

Juliane Schönherr
PR Manager
T. +49 40 3569 2460