Speciality & Fine Food Asia (SFFA) is Southeast Asia’s leading trade show for artisan, gourmet, and fine food and drink offerings. Originally from the United Kingdom, SFFA first came to Singapore in 2017, courtesy of specialist exhibition organizer Montgomery Asia. This year, the third edition will run from July 17 to 19 at the Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre.
The trade show brings together entrepreneurs, exhibitors, chefs, hospitality leading experts, and foodies by introducing new gourmet and specialty food and beverages from around the world, and the latest culinary techniques.
Co-located with SFFA is Restaurant, Pub & Bar Asia (RPB Asia), a trade event focusing on the needs of the restaurant, pub and bar sectors in the region. The show will bring together decision makers and key buyers from hospitality and food service industries, all looking to see what’s new in the market, source for suppliers, and hear the latest trends from industry professionals.
What all this also means is that for those in the TRADE—that means if you’re part of the F&B and hospitality industries—entrance for you is FREE! And if you have products you want to exhibit, you can email SFFA. (*Standard rate begins at SGD580 (approximately PHP22,000)).
Last year, I was honored to have been invited to been part of a panel discussion on conscious dining and sustainability along with Julien Royer (Odette), Ken Loon (The Naked Finn), Isaac McHale (The Clove Club in London) and food personality Lennard Yeong, moderated by TV presenter Charlotte de Drouas. I also loved scouring the booths and discovering products like a coffee robot machine, and chocolates from the Philippines (Malagos Chocolates is a yearly exhibitor!)
Some key highlights to look out for this year:
-Over 160 exhibitors to date. These include 14 national pavilions (up from eight last year), representing countries including Japan, Peru, Spain, United Kingdom, USA and Singapore.
-The launch of the Industry Ambassador Programme where top industry leaders will provide their feedback and content ideas to fine-tune show offerings. They will explore solutions to real-life challenges and equips visitors with the latest market content and insider knowledge to drive sustained growth in in an increasingly competitive Southeast Asian HORECA landscape. Yours truly is honored to be part of it along with F&B and hospitality stalwarts Loh Lik Peng (Unlisted Collection), Andrew Ing (The Lo & Behold Group), Eve Felder (Culinary Institute of America- Singapore), Emmanuel Benardos (Fairmont & Swissotel The Stamford), Edmund Toh (Disciples Escoffier International- Singapore Delegation), etc. (Click here for the full list)
-The second year of Pitch! Investor Pitching Series, addressing hot button topics in food technology and sustainability
-Confirmed show visitors that include decision makers from Amazon, Andaz, Changi Airport Group, Government of Canada, New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, Michelin Guide, Nestle, Culina, Dairy Farm, Takashimaya, Les Amis Group, Mariott International, Redmart, HSBC, Singapore Airlines and many more. (See the full list here)
-Key program highlights like Fine Food Live (where leading chefs will hold inspirational demo sessions on flavors, sustainability, provenance and menu development; this year it is in partnership with the World Gourmet Summit (WGS)); SG Food Tech Week (discussions on topics like blockchain, big data trends, food innovations and smart food cities); Two Exciting Bartender Competitions and One New Singapore Cocktail (co-located show RPB Asia 2019 will play host to two of the region’s prestigious bartending competitions—the 31st National Cocktail Competition by the Association of Bartenders & Sommeliers Singapore (ABSS) and the second edition of the Bartender Invitational by The Bar Awards– and they will be paired up to create a new Singapore cocktail, inspired by national dish, chicken rice!); Asia Food Innovation Awards (organized in association with FoodBev Media, for the second year, the awards body will recognize and reward excellence in food industry innovation); Pitch! (envisioned as a ‘Shark Tank’ style program, start-ups compete for funding, mentorship and valuable contacts within the investment, F&B and hospitality sectors); Retail Industry Report by KPMG (What does the future of F&B retail hold? How are consumer purchasing trends evolving? How does technology continue to change the rules of engagement? All trade attendees to RPB Asia this year will get access to the Retail Industry Report by KPMG); Start-Up Village (a dedicated zone for companies that have been trading in Singapore for less than three years—a must-visit to discover the latest and most innovative brands in the market today.)
Looking forward to seeing you there!xx
For the latest updates, please visit the official show websites – Speciality Asia and RPB Asia and follow the shows on social media. Trade visitors can now register online for their *free entrance badges* at either show website.
