Asia’s largest F&B fair forecast to generate THB70 billion in Bangkok next month

The trade fair will return in full force for the first time in four years after Covid-19.

Some 3,000 exhibitors from 43 countries are expected to participate, along with 60,000 visitors, buyers, and decision-makers from over 120 territories, said organisers on Wednesday.

Over 5,500 booths across 11 exhibition halls totalling 130,000sqm will form a global platform to make deals, explore innovations and extend marketing, they added.

The Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP), the Thai Chamber of Commerce (TCC), and Koelnmesse are among the organisers.

The event will also showcase Thailand's status as a leading producer and exporter of world-class food, driven by the Commerce Ministry’s promotion of Thai cuisine, said DITP director Natiya Suchinda.

Special activities will include a chef competition and knowledge-sharing seminar, a special zone for halal food, future food and innovations, and exhibitions on trade information, Thai fruits, and Thai trade and food-related organisations.

Running in parallel with the onsite fair will be the Thaifex-Virtual Trade Show, offering product catalogues, 3D models, images and videos. Trade deals at the virtual fair will be negotiated via video calls, chat or messaging, Natiya said.

Thaifex is expected to generate orders and business worth over 70 billion baht, with online purchases alone exceeding 1.5 billion baht, she said.

However, those figures represent only a fraction of the additional indirect benefits that Thai and international businesses can reap after the event, she added.

Thailand was the 15th largest food exporter in the world in 2022, up 22.7% year on year to 1.36 trillion baht, TCC secretary-general Kitsana Vachekrilas said.

The increase was driven by rising global demand for food products as countries gradually reopened their borders.

Large food businesses have responded positively to the full-scale return of Thaifex, said Kitsana, as it allowed them to test market viability and create global business opportunities. He forecast the fair will spark significant expansion of Thailand's food and beverage industry.

Thaifex-Anuga Asia this year will highlight the latest technology and innovations for sustainable in the food and beverage industries, in line with global trends, Kitsana said.

Among them will be zero-waste and food-waste innovations to promote sustainable practices across the value chain, plus eco-friendly production methods that feature Carbon Footprint and Eco Score labelling.

Organisers will demonstrate that advances in sustainability are not just a passing fad, but a reality that must be embraced by all stakeholders, Phusit Sasitaranondha, managing director of KoelnmesseThailand said.

Thaifex will practise what it preaches, reducing its environmental impact by favouring digital over printed materials and recycling banners into bags, he said.

Thaifex-Anuga Asia will be held at IMPACT Muang Thong Thani in metropolitan Bangkok from May 23 to 27.