Fruit Attraction 2026: Three days of connections, partnerships and new opportunities

Why Fruit Attraction?

Fruit Attraction has grown into one of the most important international meeting points for the fruit and vegetable industry. And this year’s figures certainly confirm its growing importance. According to organizer IFEMA MADRID, the 2026 edition attracted more than 121,000 industry professionals from over 150 countries. Around 2,500 companies from 78 countries exhibited across an impressive 162,000 square metres of exhibition space. On the second day alone, more than 55,200 visitors attended the event, setting a new single-day attendance record for IFEMA MADRID.

Madrid’s geographical location also makes Fruit Attraction particularly interesting for companies operating internationally. With direct connections to many Latin American cities and the advantage of a shared language, the event brings together businesses from Europe and across the Atlantic.

For Verbruggen, this international character was an important reason to participate. As we continue to strengthen our presence in different markets, events like Fruit Attraction provide valuable opportunities to meet potential customers and partners, reconnect with existing relationships and better understand the needs of the industry.

An interesting detail for us was that potatoes took centre stage at Fruit Attraction 2026. With a dedicated International Potato Symposium highlighting the importance and future of this sector, it was a particularly relevant edition for Verbruggen. With our roots in agricultural palletizing and many years of experience in the potato industry, this is a market we know well.

Strengthening relationships and building new connections

For us, Fruit Attraction was about much more than showcasing our palletizing solutions. It was a great opportunity to reconnect with existing customers, meet potential new partners and strengthen our network in the international fruit and vegetable industry.

One of the highlights was being able to introduce José Luis Sancho Ezquerra from Sensapack, our Spanish partner, to several of our existing customers. Having a trusted local partner who understands the market, speaks the language and is close to our customers is an important part of how we work internationally.

We also had valuable conversations with potential other partners, exploring opportunities for future cooperation. These personal meetings are exactly what makes participating in international trade shows worthwhile. And that’s something I particularly enjoy about these events. You can have countless online meetings and email conversations, but meeting people face to face adds something different. It helps build trust, strengthens relationships and often opens doors to new opportunities.