Record 2,000 exhibitors from 29 countries for four HKTDC Lifestyle Fairs

HONG KONG - Organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), the 28th Food Expo, the ninth Hong Kong International Tea Fair, the fourth Home Delights Expo and the second Beauty & Wellness Expo, together with the International Conference of the Modernization of Chinese Medicine & Health Products, jointly organised with the Modernized Chinese Medicine International Association Ltd, have concluded successfully. The four fairs attracted a record of more than 2,000 exhibitors from 29 countries and regions and drew nearly 500,000 visitors.

"The HKTDC has been striving to promote global trade," said HKTDC Deputy Executive Director Benjamin Chau. "The four summer fairs provide one-stop shopping and sourcing experience for consumers and trade buyers, as well as an ideal promotion platform for exhibitors. The atmosphere at the concurrent fairs was very vibrant this year. Open to industry players from 17-19 August, the Trade Hall at the Food Expo attracted close to 21,000 buyers, up one per cent compared to last year. We are pleased that many exhibitors have reported satisfactory results at the fairs."

Food Expo: Japan as Partner Country, exhibitors explored global markets
Welcoming a record of over 1,500 exhibitors from 26 countries and regions, the Food Expo comprised three dedicated areas: the Trade Hall, Gourmet Zone and Public Hall. Japan was the Partner Country of this year's Expo, bringing 331 Japanese exhibitors from 36 prefectures to showcase local delicacies and haute cuisine. Takuro Wanami, Director, Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries and Food Business Promotion Division, Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries and Food Department, Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), said: "We are pleased that we have attracted strong interest from various buyers from Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland, and the response is very encouraging. Hong Kong continues to be the biggest market for Japanese food products and serves as a gateway to penetrate other markets in Southeast Asia. The Expo is definitely the gathering place for Japanese companies to grow their overseas business."

Another Japanese exhibitor, Triway Co, Ltd, joined the Food Expo for the first time. Naoto Kimura, President of the company, said that the Expo is an excellent platform to promote their products and develop business. "Among the buyers we met were supermarket chains and restaurants in Hong Kong. Some buyers from Spain, Vietnam, Indonesia, Taiwan and the Chinese mainland have also expressed interest in our products."

Ideal business-matching platform creating trade opportunities
The HKTDC organised more than 100 buyer missions from 25 countries and regions to visit the Food Expo and Tea Fair to source products and provide more business opportunities for exhibitors. In addition, a selection of retailers and agents, including 759 Store, Sun Wah Japanese Food Ltd, city'super and China Resources Ng Fung International Distribution, set up buyers' booths for pre-arranged business-matching meetings with exhibitors.

William Chong, Assistant Manager, Fresh Food, City Super Ltd, said that they were happy with the arrangements. "HKTDC's pre-arranged business-matching service made everything so easy and efficient. I have already found two new suppliers from Korea for different fruits and I have identified a Mexican exhibitor for conventional fruits. The dried longan offered by a Thai exhibitor also looks interesting."

The Trade Hall at the Food Expo welcomed a number of new group pavilions this year, including the Indian pavilion, bringing 32 exhibitors to the fair. Sanjeev K Jain, Head of Export, Parag Milk Foods Ltd, joining the Expo for the first time, said that the company was the largest privately-run producer of cheese and milk products in India. It met some potential customers from Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland on the first day and expect orders of at least one container of goods each upon successful negotiation.

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