Thailand: Thaifex – World of Food Asia
Thaifex – World of Food Asia remains first choice for food and beverage industry in Southeast Asia
21,401 trade visitors from 101 countries thronged the three halls
The biggest ever Thaifex – World of Food Asia drew to a close with 21,401
trade visitors from 101 countries who conducted business with 992 exhibitors
representing 24 countries and regions. Around 20% of the visitors came from
overseas with the most number from Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, USA and
Hong Kong. Occupying three halls for the first time, the leading trade fair for
sourcing Asian food and beverage products was a rousing success. First-time
exhibitor, Min-Hyung, Kim, Manager of Korea Dairy Industries Association said,
“Our exhibitors are very happy as they have met good buyers from Thailand
and overseas.”
According to Frost and Sullivan, global retail revenue of food and beverages
reached US$11.6 trillion in 2009 and is likely to reach US$15 trillion in 2014.
Echoing the upswing in global food and beverage demand, Director-General of
the Department of Export Promotion (DEP) of Thailand, Mrs. Srirat Rastapana
said, “Thailand is one of the top food exporters in the world. Our food exports
in 2009 have increased by about 20% from the previous year and reached $8.7
billion in the first five months of 2010. Thaifex – World of Food Asia is a key
business platform to facilitate our export trade so it is gratifying to see the
international buyers continue to support the event despite having to
change their travel plans from May to end June.”
Mr. Chatchai Boonyarat, Vice President of the Thai Chamber of Commerce
added, “Thailand manufacturers cover the whole value chain of the food and
beverage industry and this can be seen on the trade fair floor. Thaifex – World
of Food Asia provides the right platform to nurture and develop innovation as
well as promote key trends in the food and beverage industry, making it a
crucial trade event.”
Expressing similar sentiments, Mr. Michael Dreyer, Vice President Asia Pacific of
Koelnmesse continued, “Although the past few months have not been easy, the
positive results show that Thaifex – World of Food Asia is still the first choice
where global players converge to network and conduct business. By bringing
back the international visitors, we have succeeded in maintaining the overall
image and position of Thailand as a prime business destination.”
Mr. Patrapee Chinachoti – (TCEB) Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau’s
Board of Committee emphasized that, “It is business as usual for all
organizations since the conclusion of recent political tensions. The increase in
the number of exhibitors and visitors attending Thaifex – World of Food Asia
2010 is proof that Thailand provides a stable platform for all international
events. To enhance Thailand’s exhibition industry, TCEB will spare all efforts to
facilitate and support businesses that plan to organize their events in Thailand,
as seen in the latest campaign, “Extra Night Extra Smile” which offers a host of
privileges designed to maximize the overseas visitors’ stay and experience in
Thailand.”
An important investment for food and beverage manufacturers
Thaifex – World of Food Asia is the event of choice for many exhibitors such as
The Nederlands Pavilion which took part for the sixth consecutive year.
Organizer of the pavilion, Mr. Rubert Konijn, Counselor of Agriculture, Nature
and Food Quality from the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality
remarked, “Each year we are growing with more exhibitors as the trade fair is
important to both our exporters and importers.”
Another repeat group exhibitor is the Philippines pavilion which gathered 22
food and beverage suppliers under its flag. Ms. Doris U. Gacho, Officer-In-
Charge, Service Business Department, Center for International Trade
Expositions and Missions, Philippines said, “Thaifex – World of Food Asia is a
window to the world, particularly for international buyers sourcing Asian food.
We would like to continue our participation to strengthen our relationship with
our customers whom we meet here annually.”
Innovations and trends presented
Covering the entire value chain of the food and beverage industry, Thaifex –
World of Food Asia is also where the latest innovations and trends are
presented. Health and convenience are still the buzzwords driving the global
food industry. As consumers become more health conscious, the selection of
raw materials, ingredients and additives becomes an important factor in
manufacturing.
At the same time, consumers seek more convenience in terms of food
preparation. Packaged food is more popular and there is a wide range of
choices available, ranging from simple fish cake to gourmet Kurobuta pork,
from instant chicken noodles to microwaveable Italian pasta. These trends are
carried over to the technology sector where there is increased demand for
flexible consumer packaged goods which are portable, re-sealable and easy to
prepare whilst maintaining the freshness of the food product.
These key trends were discussed at several seminars which were filled out with
participants engaged in rewarding discussions with panel speakers. Industry
professionals spoke on food safety and quality management standards,
explored trends of the food market in Asia, China and Japan, challenges in
import and export in Asia as well as the organic food market.
Recognizing the spirit of innovation, the “Best Value Awards for Creative Food
Products in Asia” contest was organized to acknowledge and raise the profile of
participating exhibitors’ products. The award went to Mit Phol Syrup for its
innovation, convenience, health quality, environment friendliness, packaging
and taste. Mr. Pakdee Sirisoponsilp, Brand Management and Product
Development Manager of Mit Phol Syrup appreciated the extra marketing
opportunity. He said, “This contest has helped to further promote our range of
products on the trade floor and the additional publicity from this award has
helped us in our business networking.”
Thailand Chefs Competition to boost food service sector
Across the hall, the pleasant clinking of crockery could be heard as chefs
whipped up a storm in competition at the Thailand Chefs Competition. A total
of 122 teams made up of 200 contestants from top hotels and restaurants in
Thailand put their culinary skills to the test as they coveted for 13 awards in 5
contest categories. Chef Jamnong Nirungsan, President of the Thai Chefs
Association of Thailand commented, “The Thailand Chefs Competition has
received great support from Thaifex – World of Food Asia. This is the future for
young chefs as it provides an excellent platform to showcase new talent at a
trade fair of international standards.”
Agreeing with Chef Jamnong, Ms. Sutapa Karnkoravict, Director of Sopexa
Thailand felt it was important for organizations to contribute to the
development of culinary excellence and talent in Thailand. She said, “We are
proud to be one of the key sponsors for the French Cuisine matching French
wine category at this trade fair. In addition to recognizing young talent, this
competition also helped to raise awareness of our products and services.”
(A list of winners is appended in Appendix 1.)
First World of Halal a success
The new World of Halal, held parallel to Thaifex – World of Food Asia, is a
dedicated platform for businesses in the burgeoning halal trade to connect and
expand their networks in the region and around the world. A total of 3,805
trade visitors attended the trade fair and participated in discussions at the
supporting World of Halal Conference. The top countries which visited World
of Halal came from Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, United Arab Emirates, Iran and
Israel. The conference engaged participants in a series of sessions covering
topics such as meeting halal market needs, halal certification practices as well
as methodologies on halal procedures.
Mr. Noel Shield, CEO of the Brunei Halal Brand at the Brunei pavilion, testified
to the success of the trade fair, saying, “Thaifex – World of Food Asia is the
most important show in the food and beverage industry and will always be.
World of Halal has provided an excellent platform for trade and networking
opportunities for businesses interested in promoting the halal brand. The
sessions are definitely eye-openers and we are already looking forward to
participating next year.”
The next Thaifex – World of Food Asia and World of Halal will be held from 25
– 29 May 2011.
