Food&HotelVietnam2011 Post Show Report

A Truly International Food and Hospitality Trade Event Serving Vietnam

The 6th edition Food&HotelVietnam2011 was a resounding success in all aspects and has reaffirmed its position as the largest and truly international trade event for the food and hospitality industry in Vietnam. The 3-day show, held at Saigon Exhibition & Convention Center from 28 to 30 September 2011, saw a whopping 9,860 trade visitors from 49 countries and regions. Competitions including the Vietnam Barista Competition, Vietnam Culinary Challenge and the inaugural Vietnam Best Sommelier Competition added on a new level of excitement to the already buzzy show floor. Delegates also expressed that the FHV Conference organised by Vinalab has exceeded expectations and gave an additional dimension to their visit to FHV. Over 50 members of the press were present and provided the show with extensive coverage that span across the print media, broadcast media and the internet.

A bird-eye view capturing a portion of the record-breaking 8,880sqm exhibition.

The press conference held on Day 1 of the show was well attended by both the
local and overseas media.

373 exhibitors put up interesting products that kept the visitors occupied.

Visitors

An international event with so many exhibitors from across the globe and so much to see, it is no wonder that a record 9,860 trade visitors flocked to be part of the action at Food&HotelVietnam2011. This is an overwhelming increase of 26.7% over the previous edition held in the year 2009.

Below is a breakdown of visitors by regions:

Food&HotelVietnam2011 has gained strong recognition and support from the local food and hospitality community as the most established international trade event for the industry in Vietnam. From just 51 buyer delegations in the previous edition, Food&HotelVietnam2011 welcomed 99 buyer delegations who came to hunt for quality products and supplies to enhance their business propositions. They included decision-makers, specifiers and purchasers from Cong Ty Golf Palm Song Be, Diamond Place Convention Center, Jollibee Vietnam Company Limited, Les Celliers D'Asie Vietnam Co, Saigon Tourist Holding Company, Sheraton Saigon Hotel & Towers, Shop & Go JSC, Starcity Saigon Hotel, Vietnam Air Caterers, and more…

 The buyer delegation from Sammy Hotel includes its Director, F&B Manager,
Chief Engineer and Housekeeping Manager.

The buyer delegation from Rex Hotel includes its General Manager,
Directors, Executive Housekeeper and staff from its Purchasing Department.

The buyer delegation from Phnom Penh, Cambodia was made up of
decision makers and purchasers from hotels, supermarket, bakery and airline caterer.

Hear what our visitors have to say…

"This year the exhibition is better organised than the previous show. There were many exhibitors in the show that we know. We also got contacts of some companies for cooperation in the future. In general, we had a fruitful time at the show and will definitely be back at Food&HotelVietnam2013".
- Mr. Lam Hong Nguyen, Purchasing Manager, Jollibee Vietnam Co Ltd

"This is my first visit to Food&HotelVietnam. I was recommended to attend this event by our supplier LSH (Cambodia). We are here to visit some suppliers and to look for new kitchen equipment. The exhibition is of very good quality and there are plenty of interesting products. I look forward to return in 2013."
- Mr. F.S. Chong, Operation Director, Cambodia Air Catering Services Pte Ltd

"My F&B Manager and I came to source for new kitchen equipment and imported beef. We are particularly interested inthe products at the USA pavilion!  We have also come to meet some of our current suppliers and to get new supplier contacts.This is a great show and given the close proximity between Phnom Penh and Ho Chi Minh City, we will definitely be back for the next edition."
- Mr. Song Teng, Executive Chef, Hotel Cambodiana

"This is my second visit to Food&HotelVietnam and it is the biggest show that I have been to in Vietnam with so many international exhibitors.There are plenty of suppliers but this time, we are particularly interested in dairy products, meat and ingredients. We look forward to Food&HotelVietnam2013."
- Ms. Trang, Senior Purchasing Officer, Vietnam Air Caterers

"We find this year's exhibition interesting and fruitful for us. There are many more innovative products, especially on hospitality equipment. We have got some necessary information at the show. The number of group pavilions also contributed to the diversity and scale of this event. We look forward to Food&HotelVietnam2013! "
- Mr. Tran Huu Tung, General Manager, Yeebo Restaurant

Exhibitors

Occupying 8,880sqm of exhibition area, Food&HotelVietnam2011 featured a record 373 exhibitors of which, 74% hailed from 29 countries and regions. Adding to the wide range of products and services were 15 group pavilions from Australia, Belgium, France, Germany, Korea (AT Centre, ChungbukTechnopark, Gwangju, Gyeongsangbuk-Do Medical Crop Cluster, Gyeong Nam, Jeollanamdo, Namwon City and Pocheon-Si), Poland, Singapore and USA.

It was brisk business for many exhibitors. Some even had their display set sold within
the first hour of show's opening.

With 8 group pavilions, the Korean exhibitors are sparing no efforts in penetrating
the Vietnam market.

With the fast rising demand in Vietnam, tea and coffee exhibitors received
positive response from visitors.

Hear what our exhibitors have to say…

"We have sold almost all of the items that we have brought to Food&HotelVietnam2011 as there was a good crowd with quality buyers over the three days. We've had our regular customers here to support us, and have also met new customers as well. We have already booked our space for 2013!"
-  Ms. Pamela Lin, Marketing Executive, Simplex Pte Ltd

“This is the second time that we are exhibiting at Food&HotelVietnam as the results from the last edition were very positive. This year, it is just as positive as all our expectations were met and we’ve managed to make a great number of contacts over the three days, with quality suppliers and customers.  The show was organised very professionally.”
– Mr. DominikGoerts, Head of TGM Horeca, METRO Cash & Carry Vietnam

"This is our first participation at Food&HotelVietnam and the response has been very encouraging. We have received a number of good enquiries and have met many potential buyers. Vietnam is an important market for us and we want to have a presence here. We are looking forward to 2013."
– Mr. Danny Lim, Managing Director, Yong Wen Food

"This is our first participation at Food&HotelVietnam. We have received many enquiries on our products from various industries and potential clients from the FMCG sector. The feedback that we have gotten about our participation is excellent!"
– Mr. Philip Lin, Business Development Director, Omni Nutrition Pte Ltd

Vietnam Barista Competition 2011

The second edition of Vietnam Barista Competition concludedwith the birth of a new barista champion after three days of intensive competition. The competition attracted baristas from all over Vietnam who came with the hope of winning the tophonour and to eventually represent Vietnam at the Asia Barista Championship 2012, which will be held at Food&HotelAsia2012 in Singapore.

The Winners…

Champion – Mr. Nguyen Quoc Viet, Scoozi Coffee
First Runner-up – Mr. Do Hoang Nhat Anh, Dang Le
Second Runner-up – Mr. Nguyen Dinh Hai, Highlands Coffee
Best Signature Drink – Mr. Le DucHuy, Trung Nguyen

Vietnam Culinary Challenge 2011

Organised by the Saigon Professional Chefs Guild, Vietnam Culinary Challenge has grown to become a prestigious competition that is highly regarded by the local culinary community and the food & hospitality industry.  This Challengehad local chefs from restaurants and hotels in a series of 'cook-offs' and were evaluated by a panel of international renowned chefs. After 3 days of intense competition, Hotel Equatorial Ho Chi Minh City emerged as the biggest winner, bagging three top awards including the coveted title of Grand Champion.

The Winners…

Grand Champion – Hotel Equatorial Ho Chi Minh City
Best Culinary Establishment – Hotel Equatorial Ho Chi Minh City
Dream Team – Hotel Equatorial Ho Chi Minh City(Tran PhuHien, Nguyen Phuong Dong, Vu Nhan Hien)
Vietnam Cuisine Champion –Vo Hoang Nhan
Hot Cooking Champion – Tran Thi Thuy
Best Artist – Nguyen Van Lap

Vietnam Best Sommelier Competition 2011

The inaugural Vietnam Best Sommelier Competition 2011 was successfully organised by the France Ministry of Agriculture and Fishing and Sopexa during Food&HotelVietnam2011. Six local contestants competed for the chance to represent Vietnam at theupcoming South East Asia Sommelier Competition in Jakarta, Indonesia.Competitors were judged on their level of service, blind tasting, and were fieldedquestions to test their knowledge on French wines.

The top winner goes to Hoang Hong Ha who is the Banquet Manager at the Sheraton Hotel Hanoi. Coming close in second place is Tu Le Huy from Bacchus Corner, Ho Chi Minh City. And in the third place is Phan Thanh Thien Huong from La VerticaleRestaurant, Hanoi.

Conference

As the buzz continues at the exhibition hall, the meeting room in the morning of Day 2 and Day 3 was packed with delegates eagerly engaging the panel of distinguished speakers at the FHV Conference organised by Vinalab. Delivered in Vietnamese, a total of 86 and 75 delegates attended the two sessions respectively.It covered topicsonfunctional food, food safety, competitive abilities for SMEs, and the application of innovative methods on hospitality equipment.

Food&HotelVietnam2013 will return from
24 – 26 April 2013 at Saigon Exhibition & Convention Center
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.