No. 01 / 06 June 2018, Bangkok
THAIFEX-World of Food Asia 2018 reinforces position as biggest F&B trade show in the region and sees largest volume of international trade visitors.
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 International Trade Promotion and Koelnmesse. The program helped match top buyers 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.”
Mr. Jason Green, VP Foods North Asia and South East Asia, Unilever, added, “Our presence at THAIFEX-World of Food Asia has been valuable to build strategic relationships with other F&B players. We want to transform these new relationships into collaborations for the development of innovative and more sustainable solutions for Asian consumers.”
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 connoisseurs, where baristas and exhibitors offered tips and tricks on how to perfect 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 feature for 2019.
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
You can access the Post Show Report here: THAIFEX 2018 Post Show Report
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. https://www.koelnmesse.com.sg/
Further information is available at: https://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. https://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/
