GRADUATES BLOG

First business trip to FoodTech in Herning

In November, the PMGP 2022 batch visited the FoodTech trade fair in Herning, Denmark. Happy to be reunited for the first time after the introduction week at the headquarter in Viby, here is what the graduates experienced and how they perceived their first business trip with Arla.

In Arla, everyone tells you that during your graduate journey you have more opportunities to develop and learn than you can imagine. Being now two month in Arla, we can only confirm this with a big YES. And the trade fair in Herning is the best example for this. Even though it was on a quite short notice, all our managers wholeheartedly supported the trip, both as a chance to increase business understanding and as a network opportunity. So after quickly booking accommodations, trains and fair tickets, we were ready to go.

And we did not get disappointed. The FoodTech in Herning is the largest trade fair for food technology in Northern Europe with over 250 exhibitors. Unfortunately, most talks and speak ups were held in Danish, but for us time flied anyways. During the two days at the fair we visited many different suppliers and got a glimpse of promising new technologies that are available for our industry. Moreover, some of us graduates were lucky to meet our mentors or buddies at the fair and used this opportunity for a personal meet-up. And not to forget: We tasted tons of dairy products that were displayed in the course of the International Food Contest - a great chance for us to also taste Arla products that are not available in our home countries as well as products of our competitors.

The fair visit was not a mandatory part of the PMG Programme, but we were all very grateful for this opportunity. And building on our previous thoughts about growth and learning opportunities in Arla: In the programme, it’s also a lot about trust in us and encouraging own initiative. So being only 40 minutes by train away from Holstebro dairy, we decided to prolong our stay for another night and visited Holstebro the next day. One of our fellow graduates is currently on his first rotation there, so he guided us around and we could enjoy an introduction to the site’s cream cheese production at site.

However, it was not only about the fair and the dairy visit, but also personal discussions didn't come too short. We spent the evenings together, eating, talking, laughing, sharing both personal stories and the situation at our sites. All of us value this honest and open exchange of thoughts and the more often we see each other the more familiar we feel. Simply great – right?  

Kira Schwarz

PM Graduate

Period: 2022 – 2024

Kira Schwarz