Food&HotelAsia to split into two shows in 2020

Nestle Sjora mural at the Nestle booth, Food&HotelAsia 2018.

The most comprehensive international food and hospitality biennial trade event in the region, Food&HotelAsia (FHA), will return in 2020 as two dedicated shows – FHA-HoReCa* in early March and FHA-Food & Beverage starting late March.

The move was announced at the FHA launch ceremony. "We are anticipating exciting times ahead as this transformation will cater to subsegments which will be more relevant than ever to all facets in the food and hospitality industry. It will foster stronger cross-sector collaborations that will help strengthen existing partnerships, at the same time open doors to new business opportunities. It will also deliver distinct experiences and personalised engagements for our participants and enable us to continue to break new ground," said Jimé Essink, President and CEO, UBM Asia.

The next iteration of FHA aims to address some of the most significant changes the industry has faced – the widespread penetration of technology that has driven innovations at industry level while impacting how consumers consume today; and the evolution in tastes – driven both by greater affluence and a move to healthier eating.


FHA-HoReCa will gather global stakeholders from the food service industry to showcase new innovations in hotels, hospitality technology and style, and share best practices. To address the more discerning and health-conscious consumer, FHA-Food & Beverage will bring together the best of food ingredients, drinks and fresh produce to facilitate trade in Asia and beyond.

While the two shows will have distinct identities and differentiated offerings, they will still share the goal of enabling businesses. The move to split the existing show will also offer both exhibitors and visitors more opportunities to engage as well as access to tools and knowledge for innovation.

The two shows aim to provide an enhanced experience and personalised engagement, while meeting the diverse demands of the food and hospitality industry. The expansion of the respective shows will also help exhibitors maximise their presence at the shows.

With 40 years of history, FHA has set industry benchmarks for being the leading authority and trendsetter for the food and hospitality markets in Asia and beyond. First started in a car park in 1978, FHA moved to occupy one hall of World Trade Centre** Singapore in the 1980s, to six halls in 1992. The show relocated to Singapore Expo in 2000 and by 2014, it was the first trade event in Singapore to fully occupy all 10 halls of Singapore’s largest purpose-built exhibition venue.

Over the years, FHA has evolved to address the changing palate of consumers with the introduction of specialty offerings such as Bakery&Pastry, SpecialityCoffee&Tea and ProWine Asia. The 2018 edition surpasses past records, boasting its largest-ever showing with 3,500 exhibitors from 76 countries and regions, including 71 international pavilions. Some 78,000 trade attendees from over 100 countries and regions are expected to turn up.

Poster at Monde Nissin's booth.

“The food and hospitality industry in Asia Pacific is expected to continue its rapid growth trajectory and FHA has long been the business platform driving the industry. In order to address the fast-paced changes, and support the industry as it continues to grow, we believe that the expansion is not only timely but a crucial one, enabling us to both better anticipate and deliver the desired results for the food and hospitality industry through two dedicated shows,” said Rodolphe Lameyse, Project Director, Food & Hospitality, UBM.

“The Singapore Tourism Board seeks to anchor and grow business events that deliver rich content, draw visitors, and establish Singapore as a premier MICE hub anchored on thought leadership and business opportunities. FHA has evolved to meet changing industry needs over the years and now cemented its reputation as Asia’s marketplace for innovation in the food and hospitality industries. We are heartened by this new development and will continue to work with UBM to support the overall sustainability of both shows,” said Andrew Phua, Director, Exhibitions & Conferences, Singapore Tourism Board.

Picture highlights at this year's Food&HotelAsia include:

Equal Strategy creates bespoke music and scent for brands.

A tray of World Cup dirty buns depicting flags picked out in powder. There was a demonstration of how the dirty buns were decorated. The buns are so called as they are messy to eat.

The Myanmar Restaurant Association was serving Myanmar coffee.

Gigantic pack of Cheffaro tom yam paste decorates the Cheffaro booth.

Details:

FHA-HoReCa will be held from 3-6 March 2020 and FHA-Food & Beverage will be held from 31 March to 3 April 2020.

Hashtag: #FHA2018

*HoReCa stands for hotel, restaurant, café and typically represents the food service industry.

**The World Trade Centre no longer exists. The space is now taken up by Vivocity mall.