Page 32 - Ameft Journal 2021/1

EVENTS
THAIFEX – Anuga Asia 2020: Opening Ceremony
One edition. Two events. Numerous opportunities.
Amidst the challenging business climate, THAIFEX – Anuga Asia at- tracted an impressive turnout of 797 exhibitors and 21,104 trade visitors at IMPACT Muang Thong Thani, te- stament to the trade show’s value to the F&B industry. Apart from a strong showing from the local community, international businesses from coun- tries like Brazil, Indonesia, Italy, Korea, Norway, Poland and USA participated through their local representative of- fices.
Affirming THAIFEX – Anuga Asia as the leading trade show, it successfully offered an integral platform for busi- nesses to leverage new opportunities.
With a proven track record bolstered by the exciting collaboration of two re- putable brands - THAIFEX and Anuga – this was the first edition of the jointly named THAIFEX – Anuga Asia and was a resounding success, and business networking and market exposure con- tinue to be the main focus points of the show.
After the conclusion of the physical event in Bangkok, business-matching opportunities continued from 29 Sep- tember to 2 October with the introduc-
32 AMEFT 1 2021
tion of a new Virtual Meet element that extends the anchor networking plat- form – The Hosted Buyer Programme. Ensuring that exhibitors achieve maxi- mum exposure and buyers continued to enjoy extensive sourcing opportuni- ties, the Virtual Meet facilitated inter- actions with a carefully curated group of more than 500 international buyers from hypermarkets, convenience store chains, e-commerce groups and others, such as METRO Retail Group, Circle K and Lazada Group – just to name a few.
“We really want to show our appre- ciation to THAIFEX – Anuga Asia for being one of the first F&B trade shows to take place after COVID-19. F&B is a key industry and extending our network of sourcing partners is essential, so in a year with so many ups and downs, and serious unpredictability in business outlook, an event like THAIFEX – Anu- ga Asia with both physical and virtual interaction is a shining opportunity in difficult times. Face-to-face interaction is still irreplaceable for industries like F&B.”, said Laurent Pousse, General Manager, International Sourcing De- partment (Fresh & Grocery), Group Su- permarket & Food Development, The
Mall Group Company Limited.
Key virtual highlights from the hybrid trade show
The tradeshow this year included both online and offline elements with virtual options made available for se- lected event highlights. This successful adaptation allowed THAIFEX – Anuga Asia to provide event participants with a similar variety and quality of activities while not compromising on safety and security.
A great example is how the Future Food Experience+ successfully retur- ned this year as an entirely digital ex- perience – with 13 industry leaders sharing F&B insights and engaging in discussions about future trends in Sou- theast Asia with more than 1,100 regi- stered participants through webinars. The longevity of this virtual event has also been extended as interested par- ties continued tuning in till the end of October.
Other key online elements included video streaming on Facebook Live, with 4,154 viewers watching 62 live sessions over 3 days, an upgraded online plat- form for buyers to obtain quotes and
(Source: @thaifexanugaasia)
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