Business booms at Thaifex - World of Food AsiaMore exhibitors and more visitors generated an effective business meeting

TWENTY percent of the 21,833 trade visitors who registered at the 5thThaifex - World of Food Asia in Bangkok this May came from 126 countries outside Thailand. Visitors came as far from the United States, China and Japan, and a remarkable number of regional visitors, particularly, Malaysia and Singapore, also attended. The strong turnout accounted for another success of the trade fair as on one of the leading business platforms for the food and beverage industry in Southeast Asia. "Thaifex - World of Food ASIA 2008 confirmed and strengthened its key role for the food business in Southeast Asia," commented Gerald B鰏e, chief executive officer of German trade fairs organizer Koelnmesse, after his visit to the fair. The fair is co-organized by Koelnmesse and the Department of Export Promotion (DEP) in Thailand, in cooperation with the Thai Chamber of Commerce. This close partnership has enabled the show to grow with each edition, from 721 exhibitors in 2004 to over 1,000 in 2008. In recognition of the DEP's role in the event's success, Koelnmesse presented its former director general, Chantra Purnariksha, with the exclusive Anuga gold pin for her contribution as founder of this public-private cooperation and the Thai agency's strong support over the years. Exhibitors agreed that the visitor attendance and growth of the show has been tremendous. A comment from Dr. Jan de Graaf, chief representative of Central Marketing Agency of the German Agricultural Industries (Shanghai), reflect much of the sentiment at the show. "This show is very well put together. Our exhibitors were very satisfied with the response they received on presentation," he said. Excellent platform for exhibitors Over a thousand food & beverage industry players featuring halal and organic products, food catering & hospitality services, food technology and retail & franchise business were at the show. The 1,011 exhibitors represented 33 countries, with a strong 45% foreign participation. A new participant this year was an Italian pavilion, which brought in 20 exhibitors showcasing fine Italian cuisine. Giuseppe Maneti, Italian Institute for Foreign Trade (I.C.E), remarked, "There is a good presence of trade visitors here who provided good contacts for our exhibitors." More satisfied first-time exhibitors came from Taiwan. "This is our first time participating and the show has left a good impression on our exhibitors. There are many business opportunities and the show is professionally organized. We will definitely be back next year," remarked Sunny Chen, secretary general of the Taiwan Confectionery, Biscuit and Floury Food Industry Association. A further increase of exhibitors in the Food Catering & Hospitality Services sector shows that this market segment is constantly growing given rising demand across Asia. In fact Pongsak Phinainitisatra, general manager of equipment and service provider Retailink, said that Thaifex - World of Food Asia is the only show they selected to participate this year. Other exhibitors expressed their intent to return in 2009. "We are returning next year. The exhibition facilities are good and the organization is very professional. Our exhibitors have met their target visitors from the region," said Gwang-Don Sung, deputy director, Overseas Marketing Team Korea Agro-Fisheries Trade Corp. "We will return next year to take up bigger space," promised Jennifer T. Torres of the Philippine Department of Agriculture's Market Promotion & Development Division. Rubert Konijn from the Dutch pavilion was another satisfied exhibitor. "It's our third year here and it gets better every year. The lively atmosphere, the organization, the networking and business opportunities contribute to the show's success," he said. So to learn more about the market trends in the region, and technologies for the booming health food and halal food segments worldwide, clearOriginals