“I still see really good potential for FRUIT LOGISTICA”

On February 1, 2025, Alexander Stein took over as Director of FRUIT LOGISTICA from Kai Mangelberger, who will be setting up the new Mobility division at Messe Berlin. Stein brings more than 20 years of experience in the organization of international trade shows and events to the strategic and organizational management of the fruit trade show. The 51-year-old Franconian was an executive at Nürnberg Messe, where he was responsible for the world's leading trade show BioFach, among other things, and for the strategic and conceptual development of B2B events in the Building & Construction division. Before moving to Messe Berlin, he was responsible for event management at the ZBI Group.

Mr. Stein, you set up your laptop on Sunday, and just three days later, FRUIT LOGISTICA is already underway. On a scale of one to ten - how excited are you right now?
Alexander Stein: (laughs) I would say a middle five. I'm already excited, and I'm particularly looking forward to the many impressions and suggestions that await me. But I've found an incredibly warm and competent team here that has everything firmly under control. That's why I can be quite relaxed for the time being. And my schedule is so full during the three days of the trade show that I probably won't be able to get very excited anyway.

What is the most important thing for you at your first FRUIT LOGISTICA?
The most important thing for me is to take away as many impressions as possible. Above all, I want to absorb the spirit of FRUIT LOGISTICA and understand what makes the industry tick. What I'm really looking forward to is that I can focus on one industry here.

What does that mean for you?
In my professional life so far, I have organized a large number of different trade shows and events, usually several at the same time. At FRUIT LOGISTICA, I can now really focus on one industry - even though I am of course aware that many facets and directions come together here. Nevertheless, it's about the global fruit and vegetable industry, and it's about a product that's really beautiful. A product that I can touch, that I can smell, that I can even taste. I think that's wonderful. In my experience, emotion always plays a role in the food industry: expertise goes hand in hand with heart. You can't read up on this industry spirit, you have to feel it on the spot.

Even though it's all about getting to know each other first - do you already have ideas on how FRUIT LOGISTICA can develop further?
Of course I've had my thoughts beforehand. But none of that is ready for discussion yet, I need to have seen the trade show to understand whether what I have in mind is feasible or not. And one thing is also clear: we will only make changes selectively and in a very targeted manner. We are here in 26 halls, most of them two-storey, there is an extensive event programme - and yet I still see really good potential for FRUIT.

With this change in mind, where would you like to focus your attention over the next few days?
FRUIT LOGISTICA also has to face up to international competition. I want to soak up the industry, so to speak, in order to understand what is happening where and why, and to see which areas we want to strengthen against the competition. And I am particularly looking forward to implementing all of this with my team at Messe Berlin , who have given me such a warm welcome. There is really no sign of the infamous “Berliner Schnauze”, the rough tone of the Berlin people.