The inaugural Countrywide Food Service Distributors’ trade show held in Melbourne recently produced an emphatic win-win-win result for organisers, exhibitors and visitors. Countrywide Food Service Distributors is Australia’s largest group of independently-owned wholesale distributors. Members deliver goods to food service outlets including cafes, restaurants, pubs, clubs, hotels, motels, health and aged care facilities, schools and educational institutions, takeaways, fast food outlets and pizza shops, caterers and bakeries. Linde was invited to exhibit at the trade show which was designed to bring together key suppliers identified by Countrywide members as “best of breed” with products and services of particular relevance to them.

The feedback we have had from exhibitors and from our members who attended has been very positive

Countrywide Food Service Distributors surveyed its members prior to the trade show, asking them to nominate companies with which they had previously had positive experience. Attendees from around Australia who visited the Linde display were provided with briefings on the company’s latest safety, automation and clean truck solutions. Information on the best aisle width and reach truck footprint combinations was in demand, while Linde’s E16 electric forklift, R20 reach truck, new MT15 electric pallet truck and T20 electric pallet truck also attracted keen interest. Countrywide Food Service Distributors’ 114-member companies have a keen interest in the levels of safety, productivity and ergonomics offered by Linde equipment. Their businesses operate 160 multi-temperature warehouses.

Our stand had visitors from Tasmania, the Northern Territory and Western Australia who had the opportunity to see key equipment in the one place at the one time,”

“The feedback we have had from exhibitors and from our members who attended has been very positive,” Brad Dean, Countrywide’s General Manager Operations commented.” “I’d have to say that by any measure it was hugely successful. We’ll survey our members, but from what we know already, there’s a very strong chance we will run trade shows on a biannual basis.  We had two halls at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. In one hall we operated a ‘stock market’ which saw food suppliers write $114 million of business based on special deals for our members in just five and a half hours. “In the second hall where Linde staged its display there were 180 exhibitors. We are in the supply chain logistics business, so it was important to have exhibitors who could add value for our members by helping them run their businesses cost effectively with the best equipment. Christine Nolland, National Marketing Manager, Linde Material Handling, said the company welcomed the opportunity to put its advanced equipment in front of businesses for which it could make a profound difference.  “Our stand had visitors from Tasmania, the Northern Territory and Western Australia who had the opportunity to see key equipment in the one place at the one time,” she said. “This was an extremely well-run trade show which represented a good investment of time for the Countrywide Food Service Distributors members who attended. “For our part, Linde appreciated the opportunity to demonstrate how businesses can take their operations to the next level of efficiency and productivity while maintaining high safety levels and low emissions.”