A new era has started in fairs
 
Aiming to re-mobilize the fair organization, which is among the sectors most affected by the Covid-19 epidemic, İZFAŞ opened two large fairs, which were postponed, by establishing its digital infrastructure, online at gurmeizmir.izfas.com.tr.

With “Digital İzmir Fair” which realized the fairs that could not be organized because of the pandemic for the first time in Turkey, İZFAŞ started with Olivtech - Olive, Olive Oil, Dairy Products and Technologies Fair and Ecology İzmir Organic Certified Products Fair.  
In the opening ceremony, İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Tunç Soyer stated, “Digital platforms are not an alternative but a complementary element of physical fairs. Of course, we will continue our physical fairs, which have a very important contribution to the economy and tourism of our city, in full speed after the pandemic. In this context, we will organize the World Union of Municipalities Culture Summit, one of the most important cultural events in the world, in 2021 in Izmir. Cultural producers, artists and opinion leaders from all over the world will come to Izmir and recognize our city and our culture. This summit will be the springboard for our goal of making Izmir the European Capital of Culture. In 2022, we will host Terra Madre, the most important gastronomy fair of the world, in Izmir under the name of "Terra Madre Anatolia". We will have the opportunity to introduce the flavours and agricultural products of our city to tens of thousands of guests from more than 100 countries at Terra Madre, the Mother Earth Food Fair. Together with our manufacturers, we will both increase the welfare of our city and contribute to its promotion. In 2026, we will host the world’s most important international garden plants EXPO. EXPO 2026, for which we are expecting 4 million 700 thousand visitors, will not only enliven the ornamental plants sector of Izmir, but will also contribute to the development of our city. EXPO 2026 will be a very important milestone for us in Izmir’s 2030 World EXPO target.”

Emphasizing the importance of common wisdom, Soyer said, "With our virtual fairs we organized in this period and our physical fairs we will organize after the pandemic, we will get closer to the" City of Fairs Izmir "goal. İZFAŞ, which has strengthened its goal of being the city of fairs in İzmir every passing day since its establishment in 1990, is also the city coalition that includes different business and professional chambers of our city.”

Emphasizing the importance of fairs for the sectors, Jak Eskinazi, Coordinator President of the Aegean Exporters' Unions, said, “Our organic sector is our industry that shows a serious development. We aim to reach a size of 1 billion Euros in the organic sector in 5 years. Ecology Izmir Fair will also make a great contribution to this.” Işınsu Kestelli, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Izmir Commodity Exchange, said, “Even if everything returns to normal after the pandemic, virtual fairs will always exist in trade. These fairs that we will organize has a global trade volume of over 200 billion dollars. Each day, the market is growing. The fairs will have major effect on this.”    

Olivtech - Olive, Olive Oil, Dairy Products and Technologies Fair and Ecology İzmir Organic Certified Products Fair will host 38 local and 1 foreign participants. Many manufacturers, importers, distributors, chefs, food industry professionals, bottle manufacturers, machinery manufacturers, chain supermarket purchase committees, chain hotel purchase committees and industrial visitors from Turkey and around the World will meet in Turkey’s first virtual fair with “locally produced software” Olivtech for three days. Ecology İzmir which is the only fair where organic certified products are presented and all the stakeholders in the sector are a part of will offer a wide range of innovative products from organic to cosmetics, food and certification institutes. Ecology Izmir, which will take place virtually, will be the center of attention for consumers as well as industry professionals with the events organized parallel to the fair.
 
How Will the Fair Visits Take Place
Exhibitors and visitors who will enter the website gurmeizmir.izfas.com.tr on their internet browser will be welcomed by a simulation of the façade of Fair İzmir. Exhibitors and visitors who will enter the digital foyer environment by clicking on the entrance text will have the opportunity to see the halls. Industry professionals who want to participate in the digital fair as visitors will be able to continue their visits by filling out the registration form. The names of the participants will be included in the booth animations to be made in the hall where the fair will take place. Participants and visitors will have the opportunity to come together in this way. Buyers will have the chance to ask questions to the participating company and examine the product. The platform, where all stakeholders will create added value by working and producing together, also provides a great advantage to the participants as it is easy to access and has low cost. Everyone participating in the platform will be able to follow new products and trends without leaving their homes on 10th to 12th of December.
 
“Webinars” will take place on the platform.
Today, digital platforms are not an alternative to the new period fair organization, but a complementary element. Webinars supported by smart matching filters will be held at Olivtech - Olive, Olive Oil, Dairy Products and Technologies Fair and Ecology İzmir - Organic Certified Products Fair, which will be organized by İZFAŞ with its own digital infrastructure on 10th to 12th of December. Industry professionals and visitors who want to follow organic developments will be able to access webinars, which include developments and scientific issues regarding the sector, organized in cooperation with the Ecological Agriculture Organization Association (ETO), by clicking the events tab at gurmeizmir.izfas.com.tr. During the seminars that will last for three days, site visitors will be able to keep in touch with instant messaging and video chat and be informed about the announcements about domestic and international events.