Europain 2020: Trade fair successfully repositioned

Paris / FR. (hsph) Europain 2020 brought together all players in the bakery-pastry industry over 4 days for an edition that confirmed the successful repositioning of the event with a new venue, Hall 1 Porte de Versailles. More than 38,000 professionals, of which 24 percent internationals, attended the event, braving the difficult conditions due to the strikes in the public transportation services.

The quality of the exhibitors’ offering, as well as the exceptional programme of events proposed by GL events – organisers of Europain – was greatly appreciated by a public of increasingly demanding professionals and contributed to enable high-quality exchanges that were unanimously praised.

The next edition of Europain will be held in Hall 1 – Porte de Versailles venue, end of January 2022.

Quality exchanges between exhibitors and visitors

Beyond the contrasted figures due to the strike, everyone agrees that the quality of visitors attending this edition of the event at Porte de Versailles venue was exceptionally high.

«While I was strolling around the stalls, I could really feel there was renewed interest in both exhibitors and visitors for this Europain trade fair», noted Christophe Girardet, owner of Victor et Compagnie in Lyon.

On the business side, in addition to the hundreds of privileged contacts established between professionals at their stalls, the new digital service «Business + International meetings» was used by more than 1,000 exhibitors and visitors to arrange 340 focused business meetings.

A laboratory for innovations in the industry

More than 100 new products and services were featured at the event: energy-saving connected devices; organic ingredients, additive-free and more nutritious; intuitive management software, also simpler equipment and snacking solutions designed to enhance the customer offering.

The grain milling sector was well represented at the event with an offering in line with the requirements of professionals who are increasingly concerned with the sourcing of their products and origins of ingredients. On the Bakery + Snacking stage, Anthony Bosson, who manages four L’Essentiel bakeries in Paris explained «Make bread boasting a strong added identity, bread that reflect who you are», explained.

150 guests on europain events stages

Europain proposes a range of events in the form of conferences, debates, and talks to keep in touch with changes in the industry. Gluten free, natural colouring agents, baker’s asthma, digital communication, neo-pastry/neo-bakery are but a few of the themes addressed by top contributors as part of the Europain Forum. American author Nathan Myrvold was at Europain to present his latest book Modernist Bread.

Among the 30 famous guest contributors featured on the Bakery + Snacking stage, Louis Lamour, Lionel Bonnamy (La Fabrique aux Gourmandises), Mei Narusawa (Best baguette of French tradition 2017), and Louis Taine (Ducasse sur Seine), illustrated their know-how and expertise before an increasingly demanding audience of professionals.

The Sweet Creations stage welcomed a prestigious programme of masterclasses delivered by the likes of Michaël Bartocetti (George V), Yann Brys (Pastry Tourbillon) and Nina Métayer. Europain is increasingly asserting its status as the meeting point for all pastry chefs.

Three major contests

China won the Bakery World Cup: 12 teams of 3 bakers competed in a series of tests on three themes: baguette and breads of the world, viennoiserie + gourmet baking, artistic creation. After 3 days of tests, China won the title of World Bakery Champion, in front of Japan and Denmark.

European Pastry Cup: Switzerland is the grand winner: 4 teams of 2 pastry chefs competed on the theme of naturalness by creating fruits desserts, plated desserts and artistic creations. Switzerland, Sweden and Russia join the United States, France, Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom for the final of the Coupe du Monde de la Pastry. The event will be held in January 2021 as part of the Sirha trade fair in Lyon.

The Coupe de France des Ecoles contest rewards Brittany and Loire regions: In the Hopefuls category, Alan Etienne, Maëlle Le Guilly and Marine Nedelec (School St Joseph St Marc – Concarneau) won the title of Best Bakery Apprentice. Mathieu Beaupere, Nicolas Legault and Delphine Ripoche (URMA Maine et Loire – Angers) were the winners of the Excellence category of the Coupe de France des Ecoles.

Key figures

• 38,230 professionals, including 24 percent international
• 452 exhibitors and brands, including 18 percent international
• 342 business meetings arranged between exhibitors and international visitors
• 100 innovations / 9 winners in the Europain Innovation Awards
• 51 masterclasses on the Bakery + Snacking and Sweet Creations stages
• 40 contributions on Europain Forum