FINE FOOD 2004 AN INCREDIBLE SUCCESS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

23 Sep 2004

Fine Food Australia, the international food, drink and equipment exhibition was staged in Melbourne from 6 -9 September and was “an outstanding success”, according to organisers, Australian Exhibition Services.

Exhibition Director Timothy Collett said “Fine Food 2004 was a stunning show. It brought together a record number of buyers and sellers in a world class food exhibition right here in Melbourne.”

Fine Food was staged alongside the Hotel Australia and the new Fine Wine & Spirits exhibitions. Together they showcased a record 900 exhibitors and occupied the entire Melbourne Exhibition Centre, a first for a trade show.

Exhibitors came from around Australia and represented every major industry sector. There were virtual shows within the show for bakery, confectionery, dairy, drinks, equipment, meat, natural products and seafood.

The event was also international with exhibitors from 25 countries. These included major group pavilions from Britain, China, Greece, India, Korea, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand and Turkey.

Retail and foodservice buyers responded to this huge event by attending in large numbers and making purchasing decisions. The final visitor figure was 30,050 including 3744 interstate and 2188 internationals.

Visitors were well balanced between the retail, foodservice and hospitality industries. The largest category was restaurants with 5600 visits. Surveys show 89% of visitors discovered new products of commercial interest and 84% were directly involved in purchasing or specifying.

“We set out to maintain the position of Fine Food as the ‘must see’ food industry event by being fresh, relevant and innovative,” said Exhibition Director, Timothy Collett. The results suggest this has been achieved.

Next year the show moves back to Sydney from 12-15 September. According to organisers it already 70% full and will fill all six halls of the Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre. New events will include a hospital catering conference.

Export Success
One of the reasons for the growth of Fine Food has been the increasing number of overseas buyers attending. This gives exhibitors the opportunity to sell to local and overseas markets.

An international campaign run with the assistance of Austrade and Government of Victoria attracted 2,188 overseas buyers. Around 300 of these were part of official missions hosted by Austrade staff.

Overseas buyers were welcomed by the Honourable John Brumby, Treasurer and Minister for Innovation. He said “Victoria is the food bowl of Australia, and Fine Food is a perfect event for meeting local suppliers”.

Jorg Kubisz, Executive Chef, Cathay Pacific Catering Services said “this show is as good as any we have seen around the World. We have discovered some excellent new Australian products.”

Special events
Buyers coming to the show could also take advantage of a large number of special events running on the show floor and in surrounding venues.

The Melbourne Culinary Challenge is an official chef’s competition staged by the Australian Culinary Federation. This year it featured three live restaurants and a new stage area where junior chefs could learn from the masters.

New this year was an association with the famous Melbourne Food & Wine Festival. The festival organises hosted a series of industry debates as well as a joint media function at the show.

The convenience industry enjoyed a series of events at the show hosted by the Australasian Association of Convenience Stores. These included free seminars, field trips and a networking lounge.

Industry dinners included the AACS C-Store Dinner, AFMA Distributors Awards Dinner, Baking Industry Awards Dinner, Executive Housekeepers Cocktails and the Master Chefs Dinner.

Other events on the show floor were the Great Aussie Meat Pie, Best of the Best Pizza Challenge, Bakeskills, Australian Nut Conference, Affinity Health Conference and the Masters of Australian Food & Wine.

Exhibitor Quotes

“We have been able to tap into a focussed niche market in Melbourne that we would not otherwise have access to. Fine Food has opened a lot of doors that have normally restricted us.”
James Lao, Marketing Manager, Laguna Homestyle Biscuits

“Fabulous show with a terrific response from both local and overseas buyers. Overwhelmingly successful and superbly organised.”
Bernard Goston, Manager, Amanti Gourmet Coffee

“In addition to the contacts we were able to gain reactions from consumers - direct feedback is the key. Also able to gain contacts outside our normal distribution.”
John Walys, Manager, Cobs Gourmet Popcorn

“There was a great cross-section of overseas people willing to place and confirm orders straight away, which is unusual.”
Doug Newberry, Managing Director, Norganic

“Good response. Strong every day. We are satisfied with the overall success.”
Pietro Pace, Managing Director, AR Foods Group

“Absolutely fantastic. Genuine leads. We are very happy.”
Steven Hood, Business Development Manager, Bakels

“Good steady crowds, and lots of end-users which is positive.”
Brian Dwyer, Key Accounts Manager, Trumps Sunfresh Foods

“Very good. Most consistent out of twenty years participation at Fine Food.”
Peter Bidwell, Victoria Sales, Peerless Foods