All these contributed to the buzz of excitement that was palpable even before doors were open to visitors; a total of 57,510 attendees from 109 countries and regions signed up to attend the trade show, Janice Lee, FHA’s Event Director-Food for Hong Kong and Singapore, revealed.

"It’s been a great experience because all the travel restrictions in Singapore have lifted (and) it encouraged travellers from all over the world to re-connect and conduct their business here," Lee said.

This sentiment was echoed by attendees of the trade show.

Albert Eringfeld, Executive Director for export market development with Canada Beef, was excited to attend in-person and the networking opportunities available with regional players. "Singapore is the regional hub for the broader Southeast Asia region and… it brings in a lot of buyers and clients not only from Singapore but from the broader region, especially countries like Vietnam, Indonesia and Philippines."

The newly introduced feature zone took up 1,400 square metres of the trade show to throw the spotlight on top industry and product innovation trends in the alternative protein sector. Dedicated to plant-based and food-tech alternatives, it attracted well-known global players such as Impossible Foods and Finnbrogue Artisan as well as homegrown start-up Shiok Meats.

Among the products on display during the event were plant-based products, energy drinks and kombucha, among others, and these new products target the health conscious, Lee said.

One buyer who participated this year was Turban Chopsticks from Perth, which focuses on vegetarian, plant-based and sustainable foods. Reflecting on the event, founder Mei Yong said: “Sustainability and plant-based [foods are] the future and it's fantastic to see Singapore really focusing on that and bringing a lot of new exhibitors that are focusing on plant-based protein … and healthier foods.”

Staying Sustainable

Beyond the APA feature zone, FHA-F&B’s organiser Informa Markets had embraced sustainability in more practical terms, eliminating 8,000 metres of carpet from the event and used recycled paper for materials such as the visitor guide. In addition, there were oil drums on site for chefs to recycle their used oil after cooking demonstrations.

Informa Markets’ commitment to sustainability doesn’t end there. It recently became a signatory of the Global MICE Sustainability Alliance, which includes the Singapore Tourism Board along with five other partners in the exhibitions and conferences industry. The alliance aims to meet the growing demand for sustainable business travel by reducing waste and the carbon footprint of exhibitions.

As part of the alliance’s efforts to explore and establish standards for green events, it will set out clear sustainability targets for its identified pilot event, FHA – Food & Beverage 2024, and trial green initiatives then.

FHA-F&B also proved to be a successful platform in providing thought-leadership and insights to industry trends, as well as matching like-minded businesses looking to grow their business in this part of the world.

Experts from global players like Good Food Institute, Nestle, Tyson Foods and AgFunder VC, among others, were on hand to provide their insights. Those looking to enter the halal foods market were also equipped with insights from workshops and seminars that focused on areas like certification, trends and technology.

For exhibitors like Finnebrogue Artisan, the event was well placed to help them expand into the region. Its Chief Strategy Officer Jago Pearson shared that being at the event was a platform for the firm to access regional markets and players to share on their Better Naked range of products and innovations.

“The conversation we’ve already had with so many potential retailers, distributors and customers has been brilliant, and we can’t wait to launch here in Singapore in the next few months,” he shared.

FHA has been in the industry for 44 years since 1978 and with the resounding success of the 2022 edition, it looks set to be a mainstay in Singapore’s events calendar for the foreseeable future.