Malaysia gets ready for Halal Industry events
Malaysia plays host to three major Halal Industry events in less than a month,
with the World Halal Forum, MIHAS and the World Halal Research
Conference all taking place from the 4th to the 10th of May. This is
the most influential gathering of Halal sector stakeholders anywhere,
and further cements Malaysia’s role as a leader in this emerging market
force of Halal.
For the first time, the World Halal Forum is running parallel sessions; one on mainstream market issues, and the other focusing on Standards development. The Halal Standards stream is largely being run by IHI, the International Halal Integrity Alliance, a non-profit organisation that was born out of the interest from WHF delegates in 2006.
It has taken the IHI a while to get up and running, but now, with some financial support from the Malaysian Government, and further support with the involvement of Saudi tycoon Saleh Kamel via the Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Industry, IHI seems to be making progress.
This year’s WHF will see the IHI unveiling six of the ten Halal Standard modules it is developing, in itself a significant achievement. The issue of internationally recognised Halal Standards has been a topic of general concern and interest, and this year we hope to see real progress with this project.
The Malaysian International Halal Showcase continues to hold its place as the largest Halal-only trade show in the world, with an average of around 600 exhibitors.
Originally a private sector initiative, in 2008 Mihas was taken over by the Malaysia’s Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI), and they have put their considerable weight behind this Expo.
This has been a double edged blessing; MITI guarantees government support for MIHAS, and flies in overseas buyers, something exhibitors always like to see a lot of.
However, rather than using the world-class KLCC expo venue, MITI insist on putting MIHAS in marquees at the Matrade site, which has led to grumblings from some of the exhibitors (especially because of parking problems and when the aircon failed last year!)
Regardless, MIHAS is a must-attend event for serious Halal industry players, and each year the event-related sales have increased significantly, further underlining the importance of this event as a world-class trade expo.
An initiative of the Government-linked Halal Industry Development Corporation, this event aims to bring together members of the scientific community working in Halal-related fields.
This is a new interest area, and one that is likely to gain further support and attention in years to come. With the food industry becoming increasingly hi-tech and science-driven, and with the introduction of health products, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals into the Halal sector, the role of science is likely to grow to be a valuable contributor to the Halal market.
Overall, these three events make KL the place to be from the 4th to the 10th of May this year.
HalalFocus.com will be there as media partners at WHF and MIHAS, and we look forward to meeting old friends and new faces in May.
See you there!
