The 21st Hong Kong Food Expo, held together with the Hong Kong International Tea Fair and the International Conference & Exhibition of the Modernization of Chinese Medicine & Health Products (ICMCM), open simultaneously on August 12, at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The three fairs under the same roof, offer a one-stop trade and consumer gathering catering to growing demand for gourmet food, health food, tea and Chinese medicine.
Food Expo, a signature Hong Kong summer event, has been well-received by residents for years. Many exhibitors made use of the Food Expo to test consumer response to their new products and to demonstrate their products’ marketability to local and overseas retailers and distributors.
The Food Expo sets a centre stage for good food from all over the world. It has been popular among industry players and consumers. This year, the Food Expo expanded its Public Hall domain, spanning from Hall 1 to Hall 3, bringing more choices to foodies around the region and trade buyers worldwide.
The three fairs taking place at the same time, there was abundant opportunities for crossover business activities among the various participants. As well as showcasing new products and services, leading experts and celebrities share their ideas at various cooking demonstrations, industry forums and seminars during the fairs.
Hong Kong Food Expo 2010
Renowned as a gourmet paradise, Hong Kong boasts a wide variety of culinary delights ranging from local snacks, international cuisines to expensive and rare food ingredients. The Food Expo as a pre-eminent gourmet event is growing from strength to strength. Food companies from around the world also flock to the event to explore business opportunities.
Food Expo is the annual signature event in Hong Kong, a feast for foodies, by featuring a wide range of international and local delicacies, providing an ideal trading platform for exhibitors to showcase their latest products to international buyers, as well as featuring a wide variety of products for public visitors to choose from.
Hong Kong is a convenient and ideal place to trade and do business while the expo is effective in drawing buyers every year. The Food Expo attracted a large number of visitors, including distributors, chefs and consumers all in one place to explore opportunities.
The Food Expo spotlight Hong Kong’s reputation as a business hub and lifestyle trendsetter in Asia. By bringing high-quality products and lifestyle solutions to consumers and trade buyers, each striving to help consumers enjoy a better and healthier lifestyle.
The Food Expo is hugely popular with the general public and has proved highly rewarding for trade buyers. The fair provide a platform for sourcing and networking, creating business opportunities among different sectors. In addition to bringing an international gourmet feast to visitors, to enhance the cultural exchange between Hong Kong and other regions as well.
The HKTDC organised a number of business-matching sessions between local retailers and exhibitors and overseas buyers during the fair. Exhibitors received a lot of sincere inquiries, purchases and cooperation agency intentions. The Expo provides a good stage to showcase products and raise the profile of regional local flavours, fine food and snacks.
The 21st edition of the Food Expo draw more than 700 exhibitors from 22 countries and regions, nearly 100 more than last year. The new open Public Hall area, offering wider choices to buyers and foodies from around the region. Trade buyers hungry for business will find the Trade Hall an effective platform for promoting products and expanding their distribution network.
The Premium Food Zone, introduced last year, returns with more than 30 quality brand names, along with a new zone dedicated to noodles and pasta. Riding on the success of the Premium Food Zone debuted in 2009, the Zone will return this year with over 30 quality brand names, including Appolo Ice cream, Care & Health, Cheong Hing, Chewy, Eu Yan Sang, Fei Fah Medibalm, German Pool, Shuanghui Industry group, Hoi Tin Tong, Wing Wah, Imperial Bird’s Nest, Kee Wah Bakery, Kofco Enterprise, Lee Kum Kee, Luen Kee Hoo, Maxim’s, Meyer, Ng Fong Hong, Nin Jiom, Nissin, Nu Pharm, Sau Tao, Super Star, Tai Pan, Tao Heung Group, Telford International, Sharper Edge, Kimlan, Tung Chun, Vita Green Health Products, and Wah Kee Wing Cheong.
Meanwhile, new elements like a dedicated zone for noodles/pasta was set up to bring a comprehensive offering of all related products under one roof. Numerous cooking demonstrations by professional chefs in the zone present a variety of versatile and mouth-watering ways to prepare noodles and pastas, which help to promote and nurture the culture of noodles/pasta appreciation.
An effective platform for promoting products and expanding distribution networks, the Food Expo include a Trade Hall in addition to the Public Hall. Located in the Grand Hall, Japan and Korea represent the first and second largest pavilions respectively. The Japanese Pavilion bring over suppliers from the Kumamoto Prefectural Government, Sapporo and Miyazaki, as well as represent exhibitor groups from Argo, JETRO (Hong Kong and Fukuoka Branch), Mitsubishi UFJ Research and Consulting (MURC), and Shizuoka Bank.
Meanwhile, the Korean Pavilion present exhibitors from the Daegu Technopark Bio Industry Center, Korea Agro-Fisheries Trade Corp, Korea International Trade Association (Daejeon), Korea Agro-Fisheries Trade Corp (Gyeongnam Branch), and the Small & Medium Business Corporation (Jeju Regional Headquarters).
Hall 3 offer a variety of exhibits, including Bakery Products and Rice, Beverages (Alcoholic), Canned, Frozen and Processed Food, Health, Green and Organic Products and Kitchenware.
The Trade Hall was open 12-14 August, with the initial two days restricted to trade buyers and the final day open to the public as well. To lure more buyers and consumers, the HKTDC has arranged for special entertainment, including artist performances and prize drawings, on the stage in Hall 3. This will allow visitors to take breaks during their tasting journeys, and to mix business with fun.
Mixing business with the many pleasures of food, the Expo offer cooking demonstrations by a Michelin chef and workshops on such topics as “healthy eating.”
Hong Kong Tea Fair 2010
The 2nd Hong Kong International Tea Fair, to reinforce Hong Kong’s role as a premier tea-trading hub. The 2010 fair welcome more than 300 exhibitors from 15 countries and regions, including major tea-producing regions of the Chinese mainland, Chinese Taiwan, India and Sri Lanka.
Highlighted exhibits at the fairground include Hunan black tea, Ansi tie guan yin, Fujian kee mun tea from the mainland, Darjeeling tea from India and Ceylon tea from Sri Lanka, together with a variety of organic tea from all over the world.
The 2010 fair introduce “Friends of Tea,” pairing the beverage with a variety of food and snacks. In the “Friends of Tea” section where tea is paired with a variety of foods including Chinese pastries, cookies, nuts and more. Apart from tea trading, the fair features a Tea Industry Conference on market trends and branding, as well as a Chinese Tea Enterprises Forum, a variety of tea forums, tea-tasting sessions and other activities showcasing the art and culture associated with tea.
Other highlights include the “Vote for Most Popular Tea 2010”, and the final round of the International KamCha competition. Regional winners from the Chinese mainland, Australia, Canada, and Macau will gather for the championship in preparing the unique Hong Kong-style milk tea.
ICMCM 2010
The 9th edition of ICMCM welcome more than 125 exhibitors from 13 countries and regions. The fair was divided into specific zones showcasing product categories. Highlights include a two-day ICMCM conference, August 12-13, under the theme “Research & Applications,” as well as a CEO Forum and Luncheon on August 12.
A public forum, “Prevention and Empowerment Concept of Traditional Chinese Medicine,” takes place August 14-15. In Hall 1A concourse, an educational display coordinated by Chinese University of Hong Kong demonstrate Chinese medicine’s effectiveness in treating mental illness.
HKTDC
Established in 1966, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body dedicated to creating opportunities for Hong Kong’s businesses. With more than 40 offices globally, including 13 on the Chinese mainland, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a platform for doing business with China, Asia and the world. With 50 years of experience, the HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to provide companies, particularly SMEs, with business opportunities on the mainland and in international markets, while providing information via trade publications, research reports and digital channels including the media room.