BIG interview: Murat Özer on Interfresh Eurasia’s international push and what comes next

Interfresh Eurasia wrapped up its 2026 edition in Izmir with organisers already looking ahead to the next step. Despite a difficult period for Turkish agriculture, the exhibition continued its push to attract more international buyers and make meetings on the show floor more targeted.

Fructidor spoke with Murat Özer, General Coordinator of Interfresh Eurasia, about the 2026 edition, the exhibition’s approach to buyer matching, plans to expand its international reach in 2027 and the new status that could open the door to additional government support.

Fructidor: Murat, how would you assess this year’s exhibition? The first day was busy, and the second seemed even busier.

Murat Özer: I think that although it has been a tough year for agriculture in Türkiye — we have been dealing with high inflation and recovering from last year’s agricultural frost — the exhibition held its position very well.

One of the main things we have done is strengthen the international side of the exhibition, especially by bringing in more buyers from around the world.

We targeted several regions. Europe is, of course, one of Türkiye’s main target markets for fresh fruit and vegetables. Our second focus was Asia and the Middle East.

We also brought many buyers from Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Moldova, Belarus and Russia. The Balkans were another important target region, including Greece, Serbia and other countries in the region.

We also introduced a new special programme to make meetings more efficient. We ask our agents and partners around the world what their buyers are looking for. For example, does a customer buy citrus? Are they looking for tomatoes? Do they require certifications such as GLOBALG.A.P., BRC or something else?

Based on this, we share specific information with our agents, who can then pass it on to relevant buyers. Rather than arriving at the fair and simply walking around without knowing where to go, buyers already know which stands they should visit and what they can expect to find there.

That helps everybody save time.

It is good for buyers because they can focus on relevant suppliers, and it is also good for exhibitors because they meet buyers who are specifically interested in what they offer. The exhibition lasts only three days, so we really try to focus on creating B2B matches at exhibitors’ stands.

That is also an advantage compared with ordinary B2B meetings. At the fair, buyers can see the products, meet the teams behind them and get technical information directly at the stand.

Fructidor: Now that the 2026 edition has come to an end, what are your plans for 2027?

Murat Özer: For 2027, we want to improve the international buyer programme further. We do not only want to increase the number of buyers; we also want to extend the geographical reach and bring in buyers from more regions that are interested in sourcing from Türkiye.

Right now, we are Türkiye’s only international exhibition dedicated specifically to the fresh fruit and vegetable sector, and what we want to do is keep our position as strong as possible.

Fructidor: Is it already possible to disclose anything about potential cooperation with the government, or is it still too early?

Murat Özer: It is actually a very good question. In Türkiye, there are certain criteria that an exhibition has to meet in order to receive international exhibition status. There are around eight criteria, and we succeeded in fulfilling them.

As of 1 September, Interfresh Eurasia has officially been recognised as an international exhibition in Türkiye’s fresh fruit and vegetable sector.

The next step is particularly important. Once you have this approval, there is the possibility of receiving financial support from the Turkish Ministry of Trade. That can help us strengthen and further develop the existing exhibition.

This means additional funding can become available for international marketing as well as local marketing, which gives us more strength and helps us reinforce our position in the market.

Fructidor: What would you say to companies that did not come this year, were unsure about participating or simply could not make it? Do you already know the dates for 2027?

Murat Özer: Of course. The timing will remain almost exactly the same, with the dates moving by one day because of the calendar. Interfresh Eurasia 2027 will take place on 7–9 September.

We want to remain at the beginning of September because it gives us a little distance from other international exhibitions and makes it easier for people to travel between events. We always look carefully at the international exhibition calendar when deciding the dates.

For prospective exhibitors, we also launched our early-bird sales on the final day of this year’s exhibition. The early-bird discount is 30%, and we are not asking for immediate payment. Exhibitors can arrange payment over three or four months in instalments.

So, if somebody visited the exhibition this year, saw the show, felt that it was successful and is thinking about exhibiting next year, they should contact us as soon as possible and get their name on the list.

We will first approach our existing exhibitors and give them some time to decide whether they want to keep their current space. If they decide not to exhibit again, those spaces will then be opened for general sales.

So, for visitors who are considering becoming exhibitors in 2027 and would like to benefit from the early-bird discount, now is the right time to contact us.

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