Strong Line-up Anticipated for HOFEX 2009, Hong Kong May 6-9

Agenda Set for The Hospitality Technology Forum on 7th May 2009

. April 08, 2009

APRIL 8, 2009 - Deemed as one of the most representative food and hospitality tradeshows in Asia, HOFEX, the Asian International Exhibition of Food & Drink, Hotel, Restaurant & Foodservice Equipment, Supplies and Service which takes place at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre from 6 - 9 May 2009, is returning for the 13th edition.

Held biennially since 1987, HOFEX never fails to impress industry players with NEW and EXCITING elements in every edition. HOFEX 2009 is back to deliver more:

Exhibition space - biggest-ever exhibition size of 44,000 m2 that stretches along 11 halls, a 28% year-on-year increase
Exhibitors and visitors - Record-high exhibitors and visitors - gathers 1,800 exhibitors including 41 national groups for the to meet up with 30,000 visitors
Featured sectors - the all-new N.O.W. (Natural, Organic, Well-being products and services), Wine Avenue, Liquor Square, Tea & Coffee Village to satisfy buyers with different interests
Crowd-pleasing and informative events - Trademark events such as the Hong Kong International Culinary Classic 2009 (HKIWC), Hong Kong International Wine Challenge 2009 (HKIWC), Allworld Open Cup - Creative Classic & Bartending Flair, as well as the prestigious Regional Hotel General Managers' Forum, Hospitality IT Forum, and Asian Club Management Conference

HOFEX leads the way to tap into the China market

HOFEX's decade-long success and proven track record fully explains why the show has been regarded as one of the most representative food & hospitality tradeshow in Asia. And because China possesses strong potential that continues to attract unlimited business opportunities, HOFEX has been taking a leading step in tapping into China by inviting valued and potential buyers to come to the show.

Whilst the global financial downturn has posed negative impact towards the food and hospitality industry, HOFEX, with its advantage of linking up China and buyers from around the region, continues to receive positive response from exhibitors.

National groups with impressive growth in exhibition space

Among the 1,800 exhibitors, the national group sector sees strongest growth. A total of 41 national groups including Australia, China, Cyprus, France, Italy, Japan, Korea, Spain, Taiwan, Turkey, USA and more will lead quite a number of individual companies to showcase lots of sought-after entities - fresh milk and healthy products from Australia; fine wines from Italy, France, and Spain; premium beef and pork from U.S.; ham, olive oil, and coffee from Italy; aloe vera, seaweed and kimchi from Korea; and other specialties such as Spanish Iberico ham, American Indian food to name a few.

In view of exhibition space expansion, many of them showed overwhelming responses. From the European continent it sees Spain topping the record - a 94% increase in size when compared to HOFEX 2007, followed by Turkey (71.1%), France (70%), Italy (61.5%), Germany (47.2%), Cyprus (38%), and Austria (22.7%). In Asia Pacific it sees Australia (40.8%) taking the lead with Japan (35.7%) coming a close second.

Industry giants at a glance

Apart from the national groups, HOFEX 2009 also draws the attention and appreciation from numerous well-known exhibitors. Those who have confirmed to exhibit at HOFEX will reach 30,000 valued buyers.

In Equipment & Supplies sector (Hall 1A - D), it sees:

C.E.C. Catering Equipment Co. Ltd, specifies in induction cooking units and ovens.
Kolb (HK) Ltd, specifies in professional multi-tier ovens and pasta-making machines.
Libbey INC, specifies in glassware
Newell Rubbermaid Asia Pacific Ltd, specifies in microfiber cleaning systems and recycling solutions.
Sino Shine Engineering Co Ltd, specifies in insulated containers, top counter refrigerators.
Star Industrial Co Ltd, specifies in plastic containers, glassware racks.
T & P Trading Co, specifies in glass fabric, silicone moulds, professional knives and tools
The Hong Kong Electric Co Ltd, specifies in electric kitchen equipments
Universal Electrical Machine Works Co Ltd, specifies in induction cooking units
Winterhalter (Shanghai) Trading Co Ltd, specifies in professional dishwashers

In Food & Drink sector (Hall 3), it sees:

A&W Food Service Ltd, specifies in fresh fruit juice, food bases, sauce concentrates, seasonings and coating systems
Goodwell Sam Cheong, Grocery Co Ltd, specifies in Italian ice cream and high-end groceries
Hopeful Meat, specifies in frozen meat
Lorence & Co, specifies in Italian gourmet food
Nestle Professional, specifies in tomato pastes, yogurt, canned food
Silco International Ltd, specifies in both fresh and chilled meats
Sutherland Co Ltd, specifies in premium meat e.g. Wagyu sausages, salami, meatballs, cured lamb
Wilson International Frozen Foods (HK) Ltd, specifies in premium frozen foods like certified beef, fries
Worldwide Seafood Ltd, specifies in tiger prawns, live oysters

In N.O.W. (Hall 1E), it sees:

Ada Far East Ltd, specifies in premier perfume
Alive Asia Ltd, specifies in organic fruit jams, teas
Global Zone Ltd, specifies in interiors lighting
Hago Ltd, specifies in health foods and snacks
Hopeful Weaving Factory Ltd, specifies in towel, bed linen
Infotech Rice Co Ltd, specifies in Thai Hom Mali Rice, mixed rice, red rice
Organic Land Ltd, specifies in organic fruits and vegetables
PMI Pacific Co Ltd, specifies in cakes from France, healthy snacks, wines & spirits
Tehmag Foods (H.K.) Co Ltd, specifies in cake mixes, bread mixes
Total Concept Co, specifies in food & beverage linen, rooms linen

Taking advantage of the HKCEC expansion, 95% of the booths have already been sold despite the current economic crisis. For those who want to exhibit at HOFEX, contact the organiser NOW to secure a prime position while space is limited. You just can't afford to miss this biennial tradeshow.

The Hospitality Technology Forum returns again to HOFEX on 7th May 2009

and is co-organized by Pertlink.

For registration contact:

Ms Candy Chan

Tel +852 2804 1500

E-mail: [email protected]

Designed for senior-level professionals in clubs, hotels, resorts and other hospitality-related businesses, this full-day event features a mix of panels and individual presentations covering a wide spectrum of hospitality technology related issues.

Hospitality Technology Forum @ HOFEX 2009

Date: 7 May 2009

Venue: Hall 1D, HKCEC

Programme Schedule:

---|9:00-9:30 Registration

---|9:30-9:45 Kick off

---|9:45-10:30 Optimizing customer experience and revenues - a look at 2010 and beyond

Graham Tate - Managing Director Asia Pacific, IDeaS a SAS Company

Edmund Kwong - Marketing Manager-HK, SAS

Moderator: Jules Sieburgh - President, Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals

10:30-11:15 CIO Panel -Planning for NextGEN Technologies

Geoff McClelland - VP Technology-Hotel Development, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group