The 2014 edition of Food&HotelAsia (FHA) and Wine&SpiritsAsia
(WSA), the region’s most established and comprehensive food and hospitality
trade show, has made its mark by becoming the first event to max out the
Singapore Expo – Singapore’s largest exhibitions venue. Occupying all 10
exhibition halls and Max Atria, FHA and WSA, organised by Singapore Exhibition
Services (SES), will be held from 8 – 11 April this year.
The event spans a total of 100,000 sqm, an eight per cent increase in
size from 2012. It is the largest edition in the event’s illustrious 37 year
history. This year, industry buyers can
expect to source from a gathering of 2,800 exhibitors from 70 countries/regions
and 54 group pavilions at FHA. Offerings span across all aspects of the food
and beverage (F&B) and hotel industry, such as food products, bar and
kitchen equipment and supplies, food processing equipment, hotel amenities,
tableware and hospitality technology, among many others.
Mr. Stephen Tan, Chief Executive of show organiser
SES, who has nurtured the show over the last 30 years says, “As industry
pioneers we wanted to create a platform where local and regional food and
hospitality businesses could benefit from what was available in the global
market place as it was not easily accessible back then. Over the years, FHA has grown with the
development of the region’s hotel and F&B industry to become its top
sourcing platform, and pinnacle trade event. This year is a milestone for FHA
and WSA as it has maximised the available exhibition space of Singapore’s
largest exhibition venue. Moving forward, the event will only continue to grow
as new markets in the region become more developed, and demand increases.”
New
speciality show at Food&HotelAsia – SpecialityCoffee&Tea
Tea isn’t simply
tea in India. It is a staple beverage
and a day without it is incomplete for the average consumer in India. Tea is
indigenous to the Eastern and Northern parts of India, but the tea industry has
grown tremendously over the years, making India the largest grower and producer
of tea in the world.
The tea production in India was 979,000 tonnes as of 2009. India
is the world leader in terms of consumption, export and production of tea – it
accounts for 31 per cent of the global tea production. The
total turnover of this industry is approximately Rs.10,000 crores. Estimated
domestic tea consumption has also increased from 838 million kilograms in
2009-2010 to 890 million kilograms in 2012-2013
The 19th edition of FHA will see the
launch of SpecialityCoffee&Tea, bringing the total number of
speciality shows to six. Set against the backdrop of a booming café culture in
Asia, SpecialityCoffee&Tea will integrate all
aspects of the industry in a single platform featuring a comprehensive range of
equipment, coffee beans, tea leaves and accessories from across the globe. SpecialityCoffee&Tea
is the largest, most comprehensive and international show of its kind in the
region.
Prominent international exhibitors at the show include renowned local and international industry brands such
as Bunn-O-Matic, Bravilor, Cimbali, Diedrich, Dilmah, Ebenezer, Empire Tea, Expolanka Teas, Giesen, illycaffé, La Marzocco, Nestlé, Rancilio, Santino Coffee, Santos and
many more. In addition, the event will also host the FHA Barista Challenge and
first-ever FHA Latte Art Challenge, alongside a number of courses, workshops
and fringe activities.
Ms. Lindy Wee, Director of Public Relations at SES
says, “Rising affluence and changing lifestyles in the region has created
greater demand for gourmet coffee and tea. The launch of SpecialityCoffee&Tea
throws a spotlight on the industry and highlights its development, and caters
to the region’s booming café culture. In addition to the exhibits at
SpecialityCoffee&Tea, visitors from India can also source from the
offerings at HospitalityStyleAsia and Bakery&Pastry for all their coffee
and tea needs.”
The other five specialised shows are FoodAsia, HotelAsia,
Bakery&Pastry, HospitalityStyleAsia, and HospitalityTechnology.
The Indian Food Industry
The Indian food market is estimated at over US$18 billion, accounting for
about two thirds of the total Indian retail market. According to consultancy
firm McKinsey & Co, the retail food sector in India is likely to grow from
around US$70 billion in 2008 to US$150 billion by 2025, accounting for a large
chunk of the world food industry which is expected to grow from US$175 billion
in 2008 to US$318 billion by 2020, and up to US$400 billion by 2025. The food
processing industry is one of the largest industries in India – it is ranked
fifth in terms of production, consumption, export and expected growth. The
Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has estimated that the foods processing
sector has the potential to attract US$33 billion worth of investments in 10
years and generate employment of 9 million persons – days.
Additionally, over the next three years India’s hospitality sector is
likely to see investment of over US$200 billion with investors’ shifting their
focus to Asia’s growing economies.
Mr J Shanker, Director, CII commented, “FHA2014 and WSA2014 provide an
ideal platform for Indian companies to discuss the latest food and hospitality industry trends and issues. We have seen the event growing bigger and
have benefitted greatly from the exposure the show has offered. Today, the
event is a world class show with visitors from the region and beyond.”
This edition of FHA and WSA sees an 80 per cent increase in participation
compared to 2012 from Indian companies like Allanasons Limited, Confederation
of Indian Industry, Mitora Machinex Pvt. Ltd, Pentair Water India, Elite Global
Products and many more.
Food&HotelAsia and Wine&SpiritsAsia attracts an international
audience
FHA is a perfect platform for local manufacturers and distributors to
expand their regional client base. With the internationality of the show, FHA
sees visitors from more than 100 countries/regions each edition. The 2012
edition welcomed a record total of more than 42,000 trade visitors, an increase
of 10.4 per cent over 2010. Notably, overseas visitors increased by 14.5 per
cent and made up 41.6 per cent of the total visitors.
Wine&SpiritsAsia – the region’s premier industry trade event
Increasing disposable income, wine tourism, wine clubs & festivals
and a growing preference for wine amongst women has led to a dramatic increase
in wine consumption in India. According to an analysis by the Indian Wine
Industry it is expected to grow at a CAGR of around 25% during 2011 to 2014.
Since 2010, WSA has
been held alongside FHA to give it the space and distinction to grow into a
premium trade exhibition of spirits and wines for regional buyers. Spread
over 5,000sqm the show has 200 exhibitors from 20 countries/regions and seven
group pavilions. This year’s show has the most number of group pavilions,
representing the world’s top producing wine regions, with Spain leading the
charge with the biggest pavilion. Adding to the buzz on the show floor is a
series of talks and masterclasses highlighting wines from countries such as
Austria, France, Italy and Spain.
All-rounded
experience at FHA and WSA
Come April 2014, a combination of the shows’
exhibition, conference, competitions and fringe activities will deliver a
holistic experience to all attendees.
Competitions
- The FHA Culinary Challenge (FCC) will see 856
chefs from all over the world battle it out in the Individual Challenge, Dream
Team Challenge and Gourmet Team Challenge. Returning this year to the FCC is
the National Team Challenge. Held once every four years, 11 national teams will
compete, but only the top three will qualify for the Battle of the Lion, with
one emerging victorious. SpecialityCoffee&Tea will play host to the FHA
Barista Challenge and the first FHA Latte Art Challenge, while the Asian Pastry
Cup will be held in conjunction with Bakery&Pastry.
Competitions at WSA include the RIPE-WSA Cocktail
Challenge as well as the WSA Wine Challenge. Entries from across the globe will
be judged by a panel of Asia’s top wine buyers and writers for the WSA Wine
Challenge. Awards for the winning wines will be presented at the first MAGNUM NIGHT,
an exclusive networking event for the international wine scene, on 8 April
2014. The winning labels will also be displayed at an exclusive tasting lounge
at WSA.
Conference - The FHA International Conference this year has more than 90 speakers and will throw the focus on key issues currently affecting the industry, paramount among them is the manpower crunch and ways to ease it. In view of this, the conference will feature a plenary session and an in-depth master-class to provide the industry with practical solutions on how to deal with the manpower shortage.
Other topics that will be covered
include managing hotel operations and revenue optimisation
strategies; managing F&B operations and food concepts; latest technologies
for the hotel and F&B; food Safety, covering latest food regulations and
contamination detection methods and food product innovation and development.
“Overall, FHA and WSA deliver a comprehensive,
holistic and meaningful event for the whole industry,” added Mr Tan. “Providing businesses with the latest
innovations, new food products and unique amenities to choose from, as well as
sharing ideas, knowledge and best practices will in turn translate to an
enhanced experience for the consumer.”