FHA sets new record as industry climbs back

With the food & hospitality industry getting back to its feet after a challenging 2009, this year’s Food & Hotel Asia (FHA), held from April 20-23, reached a record size.

The event, held every two years, took up over 82,000sqm in more than eight halls and featured the latest in hospitality technology, equipment and products. This is an increase from 2008 when the four-day show, the largest Asian trade show in this sector, covered seven halls and 72,000sqm.

In all, a total of 2,542 exhibitors from about 70 countries took part.

Industry is expanding

Organisers Singapore Exhibition Services (SES) said that the success of the event reflected the optimism in the Asian economy, particularly in its food, hospitality and travel industries. 

They said that the forecast for Asia’s food service industry looked bright, as consumers become increasingly affluent and exposed beyond their cultural borders.  

Food service companies are revamping their services in order to meet growing demand arising from changing consumer habits.  Recognising this, global players continue to press ahead with major expansion plans across Asia.

“FHA has grown with the development of the industry in the region.  Our aim has always been to maximise value to our exhibitors and visitors, through raising the standards of the event and all of its components,” said Ms Ting Siew Mui, Project Director for FHA from Singapore Exhibition Services.

The show saw the participation of over 40 group pavilions, compared to 33 previously. New group pavilions including those from Argentina, China, Dubai and Poland, joined perennial exhibitors from France, South Africa, Italy, Singapore, Spain, Turkey and many more. 

Taking place alongside FHA was WSA (Wine&SpiritsAsia), which was organized as a dedicated show co-located with FHA2010 – consolidating exhibitors of wine and spirits products and services on one show floor. 

FHA’s conferences, seminars and workshops, including the Food Safety Forum, HFTP Asian Finance & Technology Conference, and Asian Club Management Conference, continued to add value to the event in 2010.

For the first time, FHA2010 featured a conference dedicated to hospitality operations and design – the “Hospitality Operations & Design Conference”.

Then there were the competitions which added buzz and vibrancy to the showfloor.  FHA2010 featured the Asian Pastry Cup, Asia Barista Championship, FHA Culinary Challenge (FCC) and WSA Wine Challenge (formerly known as Wine&SpiritsAsia Challenge).