Food industry prepares for big show

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

01 Jun 2005

The Australian food and hospitality industry is preparing for its biggest tradeshow ever, with the huge Fine Food Australia exhibition coming to Sydney from 12-15 September 2005.

This annual event has been growing in size and importance for the last decade. This year it seems to have reached a new level, with support flowing from around Australia and the world. Every hall will be full of the latest ideas and products.

According to Exhibition Director, Timothy Collett “There has been a strong demand for one national show that services the entire food and hospitality industry. This event has now achieved a critical mass where buyers and sellers cannot ignore it.”

The show will fill all six halls of the Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre at Darling Harbour. There will be almost 900 exhibitors from 25 different countries. Organisers expect over 25,000 buyers from the retail, foodservice and hospitality industries.

Exhibition space has been sold out for some months. Whilst this may be a common marketing message put out by event organisers in this case it is certainly true, with a number of companies and country groups wishing that they could have gained more space.

Timothy Collett says that it has been frustrating not being able to accommodate every request for a stand, but points out that the show is bigger than ever before with hundreds of new companies taking part. He promises that “buyers will be amazed by the range of new products on show”.

A whole new section is Fine Wine & Spirits. As the name would suggest this is a showcase of alcoholic beverages for the retail and foodservice trade. This new section is a response to the demand from buyers to see all their suppliers under one roof.

Another exciting section is AACS Convenience World. This ‘show within a show’ features products designed for the route trade. It is endorsed by the Australasian Association of Convenience Stores and includes free seminars and field trips.

One of the growth areas in the last few years has been in catering and hospitality equipment. This year all the majors will be represented including Angelo Po, Australian Fine China, Casio, Comcater, Curtin, FED, Goldstein, Hobart, Irinox, Lennard, Roband, Skope, Stoddart and Worldtech.

Other feature areas include Bakery World, Confectionery World, Dairy World, Drinks World and Natural Products World. In addition there are a range of industry competitions and seminars, including the Great Aussie Meat Pie Competition, Culinary Challenge, Bakeskills Competition and Best of the Best Pizza Competition.

Entry to the show is restricted to members of the food and hospitality industry. Tickets can be purchased at the door but you can avoid the queues and entry fee by pre-registering. This can be done quickly and easily on the show website at www.finefood.com.au