“My Best Ideas Often Come to Me While Cycling”
Christina Freier is the new Director of FRUIT LOGISTICA
_SDesk.jpg&w=828&q=75)
Christina Freier is the new Director of FRUIT LOGISTICA. In this interview, she talks about what excites her about the world’s leading trade fair, the experience she brings to her new role, and the direction she would like to take in the future.
Christina, you have been part of Messe Berlin for almost 20 years and officially took over as Director of FRUIT LOGISTICA on June 1. What does this role mean to you personally?
FRUIT LOGISTICA is an exceptional event and one of the strongest brands in Messe Berlin’s portfolio. That is why this role means a great deal to me. Over the past years, I have been involved in various international events and helped develop them further. Taking responsibility for FRUIT LOGISTICA is a great honor for me – and an exciting challenge. The trade fair has enormous appeal and, at the same time, still offers a great deal of potential for the future.
You have already been leading FRUIT LOGISTICA in an interim capacity for several months. What has impressed you most during this time?
What impresses me most is how solution-oriented the industry is in responding to current challenges. Topics such as sustainability, climate adaptation, resilient supply chains, and the use of new technologies are affecting companies worldwide. At the same time, I see tremendous innovative strength and a willingness to work together to find answers to these challenges.
What I find particularly fascinating is the balance between tradition and change. Over the past few months, I have met many entrepreneurs whose family businesses have often existed for generations. At the same time, they approach new challenges with great openness, a spirit of innovation, and entrepreneurial courage. This combination of down-to-earth values, passion, and a forward-looking mindset impresses me greatly.
In addition, there is the international diversity of FRUIT LOGISTICA. Companies, markets, and perspectives from all over the world come together here. This unique mix is what makes the event so special to me.
You are known as a strategic thinker and a team player. How would you describe your leadership style?
It is important to me to provide direction and to make decisions clearly and transparently. At the same time, I am convinced that the best ideas emerge through dialogue. FRUIT LOGISTICA thrives on a strong team, close customer relationships, and ongoing exchange with the industry. That is why I listen carefully, take different perspectives into account, and then make decisions with the bigger picture in mind.
Especially over the past few months, I have seen how much dedication, expertise, and passion the team brings to the continued development of FRUIT LOGISTICA. I am very grateful for that. Together, we want to write the next chapters of this success story.
“A Leading Global Trade Fair Must Not Rest on Its Market Leadership.”
FRUIT LOGISTICA is the world’s leading trade fair for the industry. Why is now the right time to set new priorities?
A leading global trade fair must not rest on its market leadership. Our customers’ needs are changing, new markets are gaining importance, and competition for attention is growing. That is why our goal is not only to maintain FRUIT LOGISTICA as the industry’s meeting place, but also to consistently expand its role as a business, innovation, and knowledge platform.
For the upcoming event, we will focus particularly on three topics: innovation, buyers, and congress. The aim is to make innovations even more visible, create additional added value for exhibitors and buyers, and further strengthen knowledge transfer within the industry. In the area of buyers in particular, we are working on new approaches designed to further increase the business value of the trade fair for all participants.
What are you particularly looking forward to in the coming months?
I am looking forward to conversations with our customers and partners around the world. The best ideas often emerge through direct exchange – or, in my case, while cycling to work. We will use the coming months intensively to prepare the next steps for FRUIT LOGISTICA.
I am especially excited to see our ideas become visible and to shape the future of FRUIT LOGISTICA together with the industry. After all, the strength of the trade fair has always been its ability to bring people, companies, and ideas together – and that is exactly what we want to build on.
Would you like to stay in touch with Christina Freier? Connect with her on LinkedIn: Christina Freier | LinkedIn