30 YEARS OF ORGANIC, 30 YEARS OF SANA. ORGANIC IS FOR EVERONE

September 2018

The market for natural and organic products is growing and renewing its reference event in Italy, which celebrated its thirtieth edition.

52,000m2 of exhibition space in 7 pavilions, more than 950 new products and around 2000 B2B meetings with buyers from more than 30 countries, dozens of conventions, +27% in the number of dedicated training events at SANA Academy and more than 100 initiatives in the city. Today the international exhibition of natural and organic products concludes in Bologna.

The area of cultivated land is increasing, consumption is growing, and the product assortment is becoming increasingly varied: over thirty years the world of natural and organic products has experienced a revolution, transforming from a niche segment to a mass market. With 1.9 million hectares under organic cultivation (+.3% compared with 2016 and 15.4% of the total), more than 1,400 specialized retail points and the grocery retail sector also growing, the market is responding to a consumer demand that each year is becoming more conscious and discerning, in which organic and natural products represent a preference for almost one in every two Italians.

And in order to respond to this type of demand – identifying solutions and strategies for a market in expansion, while remaining true to its own values – companies and professionals from the natural and organic sector meet at SANA, which has underlined its credentials as an unmissable event for developing commercial contacts, gaining an outline of the sector and finding inspiration for potential future directions. For the public, SANA represents a showcase at which to learn about the latest market trends and also a way of making quality purchases.

Subdivided  into  three  areas:  Organic  Food,  Natural  and  Organic  Personal  Care  and  Green  Lifestyle,  the 7 pavilions of SANA 2018 presented to the thousands of visitors in attendance (including a significant increase in the number of foreign operators) the very best of national and international organic and natural production.

There was also an increase in the number of international buyers, who came from 30 countries. Around 2000 meetings were organised between foreign operators and exhibitors as part of the International Buyer Program organised in collaboration with ICE and FederBio in the International Buyer Lounge (pavilion 32).

Thousands of companies attended the event, both producers and distributers in addition to a significant increase in attendance from the grocery retail sector, which has contributed to making organic products more accessible and extended the assortment of products available. The Bologna event also attracted representatives from the world of trade associations as well as local and national institutions.

Increasingly relevant are the professional training sessions at the exhibition, as demonstrated by the statistics for the SANA Academy, which recorded a +27% increase in the number of participants at its scheduled events, underlining the role as a cultural and discussion platform for operators from the sector.

There was a notable media presence with more than 750 accredited journalists sent by daily newspapers and publications, radio and television broadcasters and web titles, from Italy and abroad (with reporters from Germany, Great Britain, India, Morocco, Romania, Switzerland and the USA). There was significant attention from the  media with  special editions  in  the  main national  dailies  and reports  on  the  web.  SANA  also  attracted numerous bloggers and influencers specialized in the sectors of food, beauty and green living as well as those curious to learn more about a world that is becoming increasingly relevant.

The SANA digital platform, an integrated hub of online services and tools designed to optimise the SANA experience, was a resounding success. More than 1.5 million consultations of the pages of the website, with visits numbering more than 290,00 units (+9% on 2017). From 7 to 10 September there were 58,000 logins with a peak of over 20,000 visits per day (+5%). 62,000 users registered for the online services contacted and updated through email marketing activities.

4 active social channels: more than 24,000 professionals on Facebook (first among Italian and international competitors), 4,6000 on Twitter and 6,000 on Instagram.  The Facebook profile (+4,000 new likes), 130,000 average daily users with a total of 40,000 interactions; 200,000 views on Twitter and #SANA18 was among the trending topics in Italy on Saturday 8 September. More than 50 SANA videos were shown on the YouTube channel BolognaFiere/SANA and on the event’s social networks.

1,600  new  followers  on  the  Instagram  channel  during the  days of  the  event alone  and  100,000  views  of Instagram Stories and IGTV. Thanks to the success of the Challenge #SANA30th, with its 1,600+ participants, not to mention the presence of the 6 official SANA bloggers, the participation of accredited influencers from the sector and @igers communities on a national level, meaning that Instagram confirmed its role as the leading social media amongst the SANA public.

SANA is organised by BolognaFiere, in collaboration with FederBio,  with the support of MIPAAFT, the Ministry of Agricultural Policy, Forestry and Tourism, the Ministry of the Environment and the Protection of the Territory and the Seas and MISE; the Ministry of Economic Development, and with the support of ICE, the Agency for the internationalisation and promotion of Italian companies abroad.