INTRODUCTION
The industry’s major event
The International Berry Congress is now the most important event jointly organised by the European Union’s berry sector, with a significant global impact.
Its continuous growth over the first ten editions in terms of activity and participation makes it a key event for companies focusing on the production, marketing and export of soft fruits, as well as for companies that interact with this sector as suppliers of products and services.
For this reason, the growth in the number of companies present in the commercial exhibition area and stands is particularly noteworthy. In this regard, the eleventh edition of the Congress will feature new spaces to enable the participation of more companies.
The soft fruit sector (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries) in the province of Huelva is at a critical juncture in determining the current state of these crops and, above all, shaping the immediate future and the challenges it faces in the short, medium and long term.
The need for ongoing support for this sector, which is vital to Huelva’s economy; the impact of recent difficult seasons (problems with drought, rising costs, prices, profitability, competition from third parties and new producing countries, the choice of varieties…) and the new socio-economic landscape (in terms of sales, exports and profitability) that the cultivation of raspberries, blackberries and blueberries is continually opening up, make it necessary to establish a permanent forum for analysis that addresses, year after year, the actual situation of a sector as dynamic as that of soft fruits, as well as analysing the most significant opportunities for improvement that arise.
It was against this backdrop that Freshuelva launched the Berry Congress in 2015, focusing on a sector that has undergone a transformation and opened up new business opportunities for traditional strawberry cultivation thanks to the introduction of other berries, such as raspberries, blackberries and blueberries.
The success of the ten previous editions, both in terms of the number of participants and the number of sector companies attending the event, justifies Freshuelva’s decision to continue this Red Berry Congress by organising an annual event that already has an international impact, and to choose Huelva as the permanent venue for this gathering of the entire sector.
The 11th International Red Berry Congress will be held on 17 and 18 June 2026 at the Casa Colón Conference Centre in Huelva.
This Congress will bring together representatives from the soft fruit sector, the companies involved in the production and marketing of these crops, as well as companies that provide services or distribute products for direct application and use in this activity.
Organization
The 11th International Berry Congress is organised by Freshuelva, an association that brings together the largest proportion of berry producers and exporters, as well as the largest and most active companies in the sector, and is responsible for drawing up the programme for the event.
The Congress also benefits from the institutional support of Huelva City Council, Huelva Provincial Council and the Regional Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Sustainable Development of the Regional Government of Andalusia, alongside Agapa. Furthermore, the support of the Caja Rural del Sur Foundation as the exclusive main sponsor highlights the scale and importance of this event for the province of Huelva, thereby reinforcing its position as the global hub for soft fruits.
The 11th Berries Congress will feature four areas of activity:
Conference Centre
which will feature an official programme of conferences, presentations and panel discussions, the content of which has been designed by Freshuelva.
Presentation area
which runs a parallel programme of presentations and technical talks.
Exhibition areas and trade stands
where companies showcase their products and services.
Business meetings and events area
to encourage collaboration between companies and speakers.
- Congress Centre: Inside Colon House is the Congress Centre, where the official conference programme will take place. With a capacity of 850 people, it is equipped with the technical facilities required to host events of this nature.
- Exhibition space: The Tinto and Odiel halls, the Patio de las Bolas, and the halls and gardens of the Colon House (from which the Conference Centre is accessed) will be the venues set aside for companies and exhibitors specialising in activities, products and services related to the cultivation of red berries.
- Technical conferences: Room A and Room B, next to the main auditorium, will host the technical presentations.
- Meetings: The Levante Pavilion is the venue for meetings, gatherings and business networking sessions.
Event location
The Colon House in Huelva will once again host the 11th International Berry Congress, a venue with the necessary infrastructure, technical facilities and capacity to accommodate an event bringing together more than 1,700 participants.
Situated right in the heart of Huelva’s city centre and close to all amenities, this venue is surrounded by a wide range of facilities, including hotels, cultural venues, restaurants, car parks and leisure areas.