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SINGAPORE, May 7, 2010 - (ACN Newswire) - FHA2010 closed after a successful showing yet again, having met the targeted number of attendees and met exhibitors' expectations.
The show attracted 52,000 attendees, of which an exceptional 42 per cent were from overseas, compared with 37 per cent at FHA2008. The improvement can be attributed to strong growth in the food and hospitality industries in the Asia Pacific and intensified promotional efforts by the organisers of the show, Singapore Exhibition Services (SES). This was the 17th edition of the biennial show which started in 1978 out of a basement car park at Hyatt Hotel.
FHA2010, held from 20 - 23 April at Singapore Expo, was a record-breaker, being the largest show ever, with a significant increase in size. The show occupied more than 82,000 square metres compared with 72,000 square metres in 2008. The number of group pavilions increased from 33 in FHA2008 to 46 this year. New group pavilions including those from Argentina, China, Philippines, Poland, South Africa and Venezuela as well as perennial exhibitors enjoyed a productive showing.
Despite the feared effects of the Icelandic volcanic ash situation and the problem of getting flights out of Europe, all the 2,545 exhibitor booths were operating. In the small number of cases where exhibitors were unable to fly out here for the show, staff from high commissions and distributors from Singapore or the region stepped in to man the booths.
Overall, exhibitors and country pavilions were delighted with the quality of buyers they met and the results achieved. Many came away from the show having met potential distributors from various countries in Asia for their products.
Said Dr Massimiliano Sponzilli, Trade Commissioner, Italian Trade Commission: "The attendance and quality of the meetings here have been very good. Everybody is happy with the show. The first time exhibitors have made good contacts, and hopefully it will lead to good business.
"Besides bringing in our iconic Italian products like Parma ham, Parmigiano Regiano, pasta and olive oil, we have brought in some new products that have enjoyed a good response," he said.
Some examples are the Tuscan cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil which can be traced back to the farmer who made it, walnuts which are steam-opened and instantly frozen, pasta made with a combination of durum wheat and soya germ which fights cholesterol, baby peaches with truffles which can be used as substitutes for cocktail olives and Amarena candied cherries used as dessert dressings.
South Korea's Ms Song Mi Jeong, Deputy Manager, Korea Agro-Trade Centre which was the organiser of one of South Korea's pavilions, said: "Many of the exhibitors were very surprised that there were so many buyers! Maybe because Korea has become very popular as a destination, more people are beginning to enjoy Korean food and products. Some of our exhibitors have already got buyers and distributors."
WSA2010 a Resounding Success
Wine&SpritsAsia2010, co-located with FHA2010, also gained plenty of good comments from the exhibitors, with many finding willing buyers and potential distributors. Phil Readman, sales and commerce wine manager for Yabby Lake Wines from Australia, said they received 35 - 40 groups per day which included buyers from distribution companies in the region and also hotel chains and airlines. Although a large proportion of the customers were price-conscious, there were still those keen in premium end wines, and they found this a step forward. It was a very positive experience and they had every reason to come back again.
Similarly, Deejay Distilleries from India have found a distributor for Malaysia and Singapore for its whisky, brandy and rum.
Australia's Great Southern Development Commission, which supports seven wineries producing premium wines in Western Wines, said that it had exposure to many countries including China, Vietnam, Indonesia and Russia. Two of the wineries have distributors in Singapore.
"The other five will have distributors following this show," said Ms Elizabeth Reed, TradeStart Export advisor with the Commission. "We met serious quality buyers, whom we were pleased with and will follow up with."
"Exhibitors from the UK Pavilion secured a good number of promising leads from meeting high quality buyers from Southeast Asia, India and Australia," said Ms Valsa Panicker, Senior Trade & Investment Attache, British High Commission. "The companies will be following up on these."
Held for the fourth time this year is the WSA Wine Challenge which aims to promote knowledge and prestige of world-class wines to Asia. The competition was held on 17 - 18 April where international wines battled for recognition and acceptance in the burgeoning Asian wine market. There were 472 entries for this year's challenge from 17 countries.
Platform for Knowledge-sharing
A comprehensive range of conferences were lined up to cater to the needs of the hospitality and food industries. They are excellent platforms for the sharing of expert knowledge and to equip businesses for the trends and changes ahead.
This year the Singapore International Halal Forum (SHIFT2010) focused on the topic Changing Consumer and Industry Trends in Muslim-Minority Countries. Previous conferences have focused on developing trade in Muslim-majority markets. Ms Dewi Hartaty Suratty, head of the Halal Certification Strategic Unit of Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (MUIS), also known as the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore, explained how this platform will help food manufacturers grow beyond their established markets. "It is timely to have this forum to exchange ideas and information so that we can further develop the Halal industry in Muslim-minority countries like Singapore."
Other industry conferences held alongside FHA2010 included:
- Asian Club Managers' Conference 2010, 19 -20 April (at Raffles Town Club)
- Food Safety Forum, 21-22 April (at Singapore Expo)
- Hospitality Operations & Design Conference, 21-22 April (at Singapore Expo)
Culinary excellence on display
The FHA Culinary Challenge (FCC) is Asia's most recognised culinary competition, attracting the world's best in culinary profession to compete and showcase their artistry and creativity. Almost 500 chefs from 22 countries and regions participated in The FCC National Team Challenge, The Gourmet Team Challenge, The Dream Team Challenge and The Individual Challenge.
The FCC National Team Challenge, which is held every four years, featured eight of the best culinary teams from around the world - from Australia, The Czech Republic, Germany, Hong Kong, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and Switzerland. The Singapore National Team emerged as the winner of the coveted Lion Trophy.
"It is a great honour winning the Battle for the Lion Award. The team worked extremely hard, starting our preparations nine months ago. We were aware that we will be up against world class teams from other countries, and the pressure will be great. As such, I am very thankful to my team for their commitment, drive and effort, and we are very happy to win this prestigious award," said Leons Tan, Team Manager, Singapore National Culinary Team.
The exciting food and beverage related competitions held at FHA2010 and WSA2010 included:
- The FHA2010 Culinary Challenge (FCC), 20-23 April
- Asia Barista Championship 2010, 21-22 April
- Asian Pastry Cup, 21-22 April
- Asian Hotel & Restaurant Association (AHRA) Cocktail Competition 2010,
21 April
About FHA
Since its debut in 1978, FHA has had a proud track record of international companies making up over 80 per cent of its exhibitors. FHA2010 will return with an even wider range of innovative products, technologies and solutions available in the global marketplace to answer the demands of Asia's food and hospitality industries. Please visit www.foodnhotelasia.com for more information.
Contact:
Carmen Chan
PR Executive
Singapore Exhibition Services
Tel: +65 6233 6637
Email: car@sesallworld.com
Surendren Apparoo
Buzz Communications
Tel: +65 639 666 95
Mobile: +65 9768 9611
Email: surendren@buzz.com.sg
Topic: Trade Show or Conference
Source: Singapore Exhibition Services (SES)
Sectors: Food & Beverage
https://www.acnnewswire.com
From the Asia Corporate News Network
Copyright © 2024 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. A division of Asia Corporate News Network.
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