Asia's booming food and hospitality industry comes together this week for a trade show that keeps getting bigger and better. The four-day International Exhibition of Food and Drink, Hotel, Restaurant and Foodservice Equipment, Supplies and Services (HOFEX) runs from today until Saturday at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.
Held biennially, HOFEX offers an ideal opportunity for industry players to not only showcase products and services but also to network and discuss issues in the sector.
Its increased popularity means the exhibition has grown in size by 21 per cent from last year. Covering 11 halls and concourses, the 14th edition of HOFEX is the largest event of its type in Asia this year, with more than 1,800 exhibitors from 48 countries and regions.
Daniel Cheung Wai-kung, general manager of Hong Kong Exhibition Services, says the regional show has also seen a 30 per cent increase in buyers from the mainland, Macau, Thailand, the Philippines, Taiwan and Malaysia. 'Macau in particular has an increase in hotel projects, restaurants and supermarket chains,' he says. 'While mainland cities, such as Shanghai, are booming, there are also second-tier cities such as Chongqing, Hainan and Chengdu.'
Guangzhou and Dongguan alone will be sending more than 1,500 people to HOFEX. 'Places such as Chongqing, Chengdu, Kunming and Hainan Island are developing their businesses and hotels, and need to upgrade their hospitality facilities, so they need to source new products, services and food products,' Cheung says.
Although Shanghai hosts a large food and hotel show, Cheung says it's not easy for suppliers to sell on the mainland and distribution networks are difficult.