The Convention Centre could have been mistaken for the United Nations on Thursday.

Some 500 food buyers from 35 countries, with translators in tow, were all gathered under one roof for Bord Bia’s Marketplace International. Though they were a diverse bunch, the group had one important common interest in Irish produce.

A lucrative day was had. Over 5,000 meetings took place between buyers and domestic companies, and an estimated €35m was sealed in deals.

To accommodate the high numbers, meetings were held as ‘speed dates’. A limited amount of time allocated to each rendez-vous, so best chat-up lines were at the ready as companies ranging from multi-nationals to artisans set out to woo those who flew across continents to our little island.

But the all-important first impressions were made earlier during the week when the buyers toured the country, visiting farms, processors and companies to get a sense of what makes our food a premium product.

It seems many were happy with what they saw - ‘green’ was the one word that stuck out when we spoke to the food buyers.

Xiahong Guo from Shanghai Howell Nutritional Dairy in China was here to look at dairy processors that could import whole milk powder for infant formula. She told us about her appreciation of the Irish landscape and our natural product.

She was one of a large cohort of Asians who travelled to Ireland this week. At the last Marketplace event in 2012, there were 14 buyers from China – the number increased to 150 this year.

Meanwhile, working the room in the way only an American can, Ari Weinweig of Zingerman’s (an artisan retailer in the US) spoke enthusiastically about his fondness for Kerrygold Butter.

Irish food exports were valued at €10.5bn last year. Buoyed by a weak euro, they are expected to grow again in 2015.

Events such as Marketplace safeguard the future of Irish exports, and open the world for small-to- medium enterprises such as Improper Butter and O’Brien’s Fine Foods.

But CEO of Bord Bia Aidan Cotter is correct in saying the real benefit of the event would be the new relationships forged.

The foreign buyers depart from Ireland with Irish air in their lungs, knowledge in their heads, and a contract for a few tonnes of butter in their suitcase.

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Chinese beef buyers in Ireland for Bord Bia's Marketplace 2015.

International buyers eye Irish meat at Marketplace 2015.