BANGKOK, 06 JUNE 2018 – The 15th and
largest edition of THAIFEX-World of Food Asia came to a close on Saturday, 02
June 2018, after five action-packed days on the show floor. A total of 13,110
international trade visitors from over 150 countries were present at the
region’s largest dedicated F&B trade show, representing a 9.4% growth from
the 2017 edition and surpassing all of the show’s previous records.
This brought the total trade
visitor count to a whopping 62,039 – a 12.6% increase from the previous show,
surpassing the expected number of 60,000, and the largest visitorship at THAIFEX-World
of Food Asia to date.
An impactful platform that
showcased the synergistic partnership between the government and private sector
to address growing F&B demands and concerns in Asia, THAIFEX-World of Food
Asia is jointly organized by Koelnmesse Pte Ltd, the Department of
International Trade Promotion, and the Thai Chamber of Commerce.
“The potential of ASEAN is
tremendous. We've been recording strong double digit growth since 2014, in
conjunction with the establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community. In fact, we
have been adding an average of 10,000 sqm to the show every year since then,
and we’ve even carved out an additional two trade days this year to better
facilitate business exchange,” said Mathias Kuepper, Managing Director,
Koelnmesse. “This year's record-breaking figures are a testament to the
attractiveness of the ASEAN F&B market, and we’d like to give our heartfelt
gratitude to all exhibitors, buyers, and visitors for their constant support.”
The platform for
business and commerce
THAIFEX-World of Food Asia 2018
played host to 2,537 exhibitors, recording a remarkable 17% increase from the
previous year, attesting to the increasing importance of the ASEAN region to
the F&B industry. Representatives from countries such as Argentina,
Belgium, Germany, Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, and Vietnam held a
strong presence at the show, with international exhibitor numbers on par with
local exhibitors for the second year running.
Echoing the same sentiments, Mrs.
Napawan Promkhatkaew, Managing Director, Family Tree Foods Co. Ltd said, “The
online business matching and database management tools at THAIFEX-World of Food
Asia contributed greatly to our successful participation as an exhibitor this
year. Not only were we able to widen our business networks and meet prospective
customers from other parts of the world such as Latin America, Africa and the
Middle East using these tools, the strong promotional efforts of the organizers
also meant our existing customers knew about our participation at the show, and
took time to fly in to Bangkok to meet us here.”
Across 01 and 02 June, more than
3,000 buyers were hosted by the Department of Page International Trade Promotion and
Koelnmesse. The program helped match top buyers 2/4 with international exhibitors
looking to penetrate the burgeoning F&B market in ASEAN.
“Exhibiting at THAIFEX-World of
Food Asia is a truly important opportunity for Argentina and for any company
looking to penetrate the ASEAN market, which is why we flew representatives
from 28 companies halfway around the world to be here. Through the customized
business matching program, we had the privilege of introducing high quality
food products from Argentina's central region to the hosted buyers, exchanging
knowledge, and interacting with like-minded individuals in the industry,” said Mr.
Diego Gómez, Head of Commercial Promotion in Federal Council of Investments.
“Premium Distribution is always on
the lookout for products and suppliers to keep us competitive and to further
expand on our 2,000 stock keeping units,” said Ms. Emma Khine Mon, Head of
Supply Chain, Premium Distribution. “THAIFEX-World of Food Asia’s hosted
buyer program provided us a dedicated, uninterrupted session to learn about new
potential suppliers, focus on exploring new opportunities, and forging new
partnerships.”
Affirming Thailand as Kitchen of
the World
This year’s Thailand Ultimate Chef
Challenge (TUCC) certainly did not disappoint visitors as the world’s elite
culinary talents cooked up a storm, preparing a myriad of local and
international delicacies. The highly popular culinary challenge saw more than
1,300 entries from 10 countries pitting their skills against one another, all
vying for the coveted championship titles of the various challenges within the
competition.
Together with more than 40
international judges from 11 countries, this year’s collaboration between
Koelnmesse, Thailand Chefs Association and the Worldchefs (WACS) crowned the
following champions:
·
Best Ultimate Pastry Chef Award?Ms. Chanida Kanapitakpong, Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University ?
·
Best Ultimante Junior Chef Award?Ms. Chanida Kanapitakpong, Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University ?
·
Best Ultimate Professional Chef Award?Ms. Sucharat Piyachokphaisarn, Suan Dusit University ?
·
Best Ultimate Establishment Award (Professional) Suan Dusit
University ?“The passion and dedication demonstrated by these
chefs during the competition truly showcased what TUCC is all about. The
gastronomic talents were raised to a whole other level at this year’s edition
of TUCC. Every year, the competition gets stiffer and we’re excited to see what
the 8th TUCC brings,” said Chef Willment Leong, Organizing Chairman,
Thailand Ultimate Chef Challenge. ?The 4th Celebrity Coffee Bar
brought together 14 famed baristas from around the world, where they showcased
their finesse in coffee brewing and perfected latte art. ?
Espresso and brew tasting
masterclasses were also held to cater to budding coffee Page connoisseurs,
where baristas and exhibitors offered tips and tricks on how to perfect 3/4 the art of
making coffee.
“I thoroughly enjoyed the
opportunity to learn different brewing techniques from other champion baristas
from around the region. It was amazing to see how our shared passion for coffee
connected us despite our different cultural backgrounds. Although this is the
first time I’m taking part in a trade exhibition, my experience at the
Celebrity Coffee Bar has inspired me to start sharing sessions back home in the
Philippines to spread the love for coffee with both amateur and professional
baristas,” said Mr. Aldrin Lumaban, 2018 Philippine National Barista
Champion.
Minimizing food waste and giving
back to local communities
According to the UNEP, roughly 30%
of the food produced worldwide is lost or wasted every year. Hence, in
partnership with the Thai Scholars of Sustenance (Thai SOS), a foundation
committed to increasing food security through the management of food waste,
exhibitors at THAIFEX-World of Food Asia came together to collect leftover food
during the teardown of the show. The food donation was then inspected, packed,
and stored appropriately by Thai SOS, before being delivered to local
communities in need of supplies.
New features for 2019
Keeping abreast of industry trends,
and proactively gathering insights from show attendees, both new and revamped
segments have been carved out for next year’s THAIFEX-World of Food Asia.
Exhibitors and visitors can look forward to a new trade show featuring fresh
produce, evolved from this year’s THAIFEX Fruits and Vegetables. At the same
time, the THAIFEX Frozen Food trade show will expand to include frozen fruits
and vegetables to better streamline and facilitate buying processes.
A future trend fuelled by the
increasing prevalence of food allergy is the “free-from” market, which will
debut at the show next year, featuring products that are free from allergens,
such as non-GMO, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, and sugar-free.
THAIFEX-World of Food Asia 2019
will be held from 28 May to 01 June. More information about the event is
available here:
Website: www.thaifexworldoffoodasia.com
Facebook:
THAIFEX
World of Food Asia Instagram: @thaifexworldoffoodasia LinkedIn: THAIFEX-World of Food Asia
THAIFEX-World of Food Asia 2018
press kit and event images can be downloaded here.
About THAIFEX-World of Food Asia
THAIFEX-World of Food Asia is the leading
annual international trade exhibition for food & beverages, foodservice
technology, retail & franchise in Asia. It is a trade event to meet,
establish new business networks and to heighten your success. This one-stop
food exhibition also features latest food producing technologies, food safety standards,
related businesses and services, as well as a most fascinating culinary experience from
the world of food. www.thaifexworldoffoodasia.com
About Koelnmesse
Koelnmesse – Global Competence in
Food and FoodTec: Koelnmesse is an international leader in organizing food
fairs and events regarding food and beverages processing. Trade fairs such as
the Anuga, ISM and Anuga FoodTec are established world leaders. Koelnmesse not
only organizes food trade fairs in Cologne, Germany, but also in further growth
markets around the globe, for example, in Brazil, China, Colombia, India,
Japan, Thailand, the United States and the United Arab Emirates, which have
different focuses and contents. These global activities enable us to offer our
customers a network of events, which in turn grant access to different markets
and thus create a basis for sustainable and stable international business. http://www.koelnmesse.com.sg/
Further information is available
at: http://www.global-competence.net/food/
About The Department of
International Trade Promotion
The Department of International
Trade Promotion is committed to providing excellent service to Thai entrepreneurs
in international business, including trade facility, cost reduction, value
creation of goods and services, providing consultation for overseas market
access and maintenance, as well as close cooperation with the private sector to
promote Thailand as a major gateway of Asia. http://www.ditp.go.th/
About the Thai Chamber of Commerce
The Thai Chamber of Commerce plays
a proactive role in representing the interests of the local Thai business
community. https://www.thaichamber.org/
Your contact for enquiries:
Ms Lynn How
Koelnmesse Pte Ltd
Email : l.how@koelnmesse.com.sg
Tel : +65 65006700
THAIFEX-World of Food Asia 29 May –
02 June 2018
www.thaifexworldoffoodasia.com
