BERLIN -- Fruit Logistica, the international produce trade show and exhibition begun in 1993 and held annually, here, reached new heights with its record-breaking attendance and participation. And while the United States was one of the 112 countries represented among the exhibitors, the two dozen or so U.S. exhibitors paled in comparison to the strong showing by other exhibiting nations.

But for those U.S. organizations that did make the journey across the pond to show their wares in Berlin and try to claim a bigger piece of the growing European market, it was a trip worth taking.

"We do most of our business in North America, but our European business is growing and this show is the place to be," said Julia Richardson, merchandising manager for Gourmet Trading in Los Angeles, a first-time Fruit Logistica exhibitor, which promoted its green asparagus during the show.

The Florida Department of Citrus in Lakeland had not exhibited at Fruit Logistica for a number of years, according to Mike Burge, international market manager of the department. "It has been an excellent show," he said. "Grapefruit is the main fresh product we sell here, and European buyers seem to be going for our smaller-sized fruit."

With U.S. demand for his dried plums decreasing by about 3 percent annually, Richard Taylor of Taylor Bros. in Yuba City, CA, said that his company is geared more toward export at this point, where that end of his business is growing by about 3 percent annually. While Asia remains the top export market for Taylor Bros.' dried plums, "we are taking a hard look at Russia," said Mr. Taylor, a first- time exhibitor at Fruit Logistica, who was joined at his booth by representatives of Taylor Prune Sp. z.o.o., a Grudziadz, Poland-based firm which markets the fruit in Europe.

Chris Denning, vice president of sales for Bard Valley Medjool Date Growers Association in Bard, CA, another first-time exhibitor at Fruit Logistica, expressed that there is a lot of worldwide competition among date producers, and the association felt that it was necessary to "cement our place with the European buyers."

The North Carolina contingent of Jeff Justice from the state's department of agriculture and consumer affairs, along with Bobby Ham and Jimmy Burch of Worldwide Produce, a cooperative company that promotes the state's sweet potatoes on the international market, said that North Carolina sweet potatoes were seeing great growth rates in both the United Kingdom and Europe, and they were hoping to further boost demand with their presence at the show.

After years of depressed movement in the United States, the venerable Washington Red Delicious apple is undergoing something of a renaissance in Europe, according to Tom Riggan and Terry Braithwaite, who represented first-time exhibitor Chelan Fresh Marketing. Said Mr. Riggan, "We want to be in every major market" regarding the decision to exhibit at Fruit Logistica.

Karen Caplan, president and chief executive officer of Frieda's Inc. in Los Alamitos, CA, who attended but did not exhibit at the show, said that Fruit Logistica made her realize how U.S. companies are very "America-focused. It made me realize how truly global the produce industry is. I was also impressed at how much innovation there is in the retail area."

Ms. Caplan, who said that more than likely she will attend Fruit Logistica next year, stated, "What I have heard from most of the other [American] companies is that buyers come to the show to do business. Also, some said that it is more logistically feasible to meet with their suppliers in Berlin in February than to have to travel [to other countries] during other times of the year."

The success of Fruit Logistica 2006 is evident in the numbers: the 35,000 people in attendance was nearly 21 percent more than the 28,943 who attended in 2005; the 1,611 exhibitors represented a 17 percent gain over the 1,373 who were present in 2005; the 112 exhibiting nations represented a 22 percent gain over the 64 in attendance last year; and the 60,000 square meters of exhibit space marked a 25 percent increase over the 48,000 square meters at Fruit Logistica 2005.

According to Messe Berlin, organizer of Fruit Logistica, 77 percent of the attendees hold leading management positions with their companies, either as managing directors or heads of departments, and 89 percent of them exercise an influence on purchasing and procurement. Of all trade visitors, 97 percent described their experience at the show as positive. Nearly four-fifths said that they were able to establish new business contacts, with 73 percent expecting further commercial transactions after the show.

Fruit Logistica 2007 will take place Feb. 8-10 in Berlin. Beginning in 2007, Fruit Logistica will also be staging an event in Asia, known as Fruit Logistica Asia, which will debut Sept. 5-7, 2007 in Bangkok, Thailand.

For more information, visit www.fruitlogistica.com.

(Additional coverage of the event appears in the Feb. 13 issue of The Produce News.)