The second Benelux Pest Fair was held in Berkel Enschot, The Netherlands on 29 September 2010 and, despite poor weather, attendance was very good as Joeke Nijboer reports.
Much rain was forecast for the day so a high attendance seemed unlikely. However, to the satisfaction of the organisers, Pest Control News and Rinus vanZanten, over 200 people visited the Fair. Forty travelled from Belgium and, ofcourse, there were also the representatives of the 28 companies who talkedenthusiastically about their current products and innovations.
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Many manufacturers as well as professional pest management operators werepresent including Network, Bell Laboratories, Lagerweij, Van Meijel, BES,Tilmar, Flexchemie, EWS, PestScan, Denka, Russel and Pestwest. All three Dutchdistributers, RIWA, Edialux and Kilgerm were also present along with weretraining and examination institutes such as NVPB, CPMV, KAD and the SPAGroup/Opor. Pest Control Newshad a stand manned by , the Dutch editor and our reporter on this event, Joeke Nijboer. As well as offering information about the PCN magazines, visitors were able to see and even try eating some of the insects that were on display reports Joerke. |
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To show that insects can be very palatable, confectioner Robá¨rt from Oisterwijk presented a few hundredinsect-snacks. After some hesitation the chocolate and pastry snacks withinsects were almost all gone by the end of the afternoon and just about everyonewho tried them found they liked them.Insects can be very nutritious. On display were: Buffalo worms, morioworms, mealworms and grasshoppers all of which are edible. The nutritional valueof these insects is higher than that of a steak. It is generally only people from theWestern world who have an aversion to eating insects.
Jenno Brookman from ISS delivered a lecture on Dutch legislation and IPM
(Integrated Pest Management) which was repeated in the afternoon. In all some110 visitors attended the lectures.
Later in the afternoon those who had reserved places at the buffet suppergathered in the bar near the bowling alley. During the “Happy Hour” sponsored byoffered by Bayer Agro Science everyone was free to use the bowling alley. Aconjurer sponsored by BASF amused the crowd with his tricks.
The buffet supper was excellent – especially the dessert buffet which was visited more than once by many. The Roleros trio entertained the guests playing old Beatles songs. All in all a good end to a very successful second Benelux Pest Fair. It seems unlikely it will be the last.