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VIV WORLDWIDE HISTORY

About 40 years ago VIV started in the Netherlands with an innovative idea for the poultry and pig production industry. We’ve come a long way since then.

The early days.
As the Netherlands developed a more specialised agri-business industry, including the move to more innovative livestock production, the Dutch feed industry and the Ministry of Agriculture launched a pig-farming fair. A short time later, Royal Dutch Jaarbeurs joined them with its fair for show-poultry. It became known as “the Trade Fair for Innovative Animal Farming” (Vakbeurs Innovatieve Veehouderij) VIV for non Dutch speakers.
In 1986 the fair was renamed, VIV Europe to emphasise its international aspirations. These days, VIV is recognised as the leading brand name amongst international target groups. In fact, VIV worldwide has become the de facto world standard for top quality, innovative livestock production.

Growing fast.
The Dutch have a long history of trading with the world, so as farming increased and animal protein production spread further across Europe during the 80’s and 90’s, Dutch companies were naturally interested in getting involved in these new markets, and Royal Dutch Jaarbeurs was a pioneer in these international developments. VIV quickly developed into the pre-eminent trade fair for international suppliers and buyers in the industry. But that was just the start of VIV’s growth around the world.

Going East.
In 1986 and again in 1989 VIV travelled to Tokyo but it was clear that Thailand was a more central location for VIV Asia. South East Asia’s increasing purchasing power has made the show the focus of the animal protein production industry throughout Asia. Not long after, in partnership with a Turkish show organiser, VIV Turkey was launched and has become a strong regional trade exhibition.
In 2000 the first VIV China was organised. With such a large, fast growing economy, the show went from strength to strength. It started in Beijing, then moved to Nanjing in 2018 with the support of VNU Exhibitions Europe, before moving to Qingdao in 2019 and becoming China’s annual VIV Qingdao show

Onwards.
At around the same time VIV Russia quickly became the key point of reference for the Russian meat industry. Since 2019 the show has been further developed by our local partner and took back its original name “Meat and Poultry Industry Russia”. Then came India. VIV India has been organised twice and joined together with another Indian trade show ILDEX, in one unified trade platform in India for 2012. The VIV Leadership Forum India took place in 2019 as a dairy-focused program and the Indian market remains a priority for the VIV portfolio. In Latin America VIV worked to provide for the Spanish speaking Latin Americans. VIV America Latina took place in 2010 with a local partner, in Guadalajara, Mexico. Before that, several VIV editions were held in Brazil at the end of the 90’s.

Latest moves.
VIV worldwide is actively present since 2016 in the Middle East and since 2017 in Sub-Saharan Africa. VIV’s commitment to offer the MEA region international high-end platforms has made a good start and is bound to bring promising results via a continued presence in these markets. We are enthusiastically planning further developments in the region. Stay tuned.