The international press conference for Anuga FoodTec 2024 was carried out for the first time by two avatars in two different Asian languages, Japanese and Mandarin. The event was transmitted live to Japan and China to reach a global audience and promote an exchange between various markets.
To ease communication between the journalists and the participants from various countries, digital avatars of Oliver Frese, COO of Koelnmesse, and Carola K. Herbst, vice managing director of the DLG Food Centre, were used.
Both avatars started with a brief address and information about the coming Anuga FoodTec, the relevance of the market, the central theme of 'Responsibility' and the industry's trends. Both films and presentations were shown. This form of address has several positive effects. Matthias Schlüter, Director of Anuga FoodTec, said the new format is innovative and solution-oriented, as is the trade fair itself.
"That was why we dared this experiment with our most important target countries of China and Japan. An AI-supported press conference can, in future, lead to a smooth and productive exchange, especially where English becomes an obstacle," said Schlüter.
Thanks to a detailed briefing on the part of the Anuga FoodTec team in advance, the AI-powered avatar solution makes it possible to professionally and correctly answer questions immediately after the conference.
"At the first press conference of this kind, there were still a few technical difficulties, but we could react quickly and ultimately provide your answers to the journalists directly in their language via our avatars. That was very exciting. However, the personal exchange that is so important to us all is, of course, lacking with such a tool."
The realisation took place in cooperation with the Cologne digital agency make/c, an innovation partner of Koelnmesse for many years. The basis for this is the product 24/7 Berater from make/c. This is an interactive and multilingual AVATAR solution that enables a continuous and accessible exchange.
The live transmission of the press conference lines up with the digital transformation of Koelnmesse. It emphasises the commitment of the company to finding innovative solutions for the challenges of global communication.
Anuga FoodTec is the leading international supplier fair for the global food and beverage industry. Organised by Koelnmesse, the trade fair takes place from 19 to 22 March 2024 in Cologne and emphasises the key theme of Responsibility. The professional and industry sponsor is the DLG, the German Agricultural Society.
Koelnmesse is an international leader in organising trade fairs in food and beverage processing. Anuga FoodTec and ProSweets Cologne are established, world-leading trade fairs hosted in Cologne, Germany. In addition to the events at its Cologne headquarters, Koelnmesse also stages further food technology trade fairs with different sector-specific focus areas and content in key markets worldwide, including India, Italy and Colombia. These global activities enable Koelnmesse to offer its customers bespoke events and leading regional trade fairs in various markets, thus creating the foundation for sustainable international business. Koelnmesse is also ideally positioned in the field of food and beverages with its leading international trade fairs, Anuga and ISM, and its global network of satellite events.
