AnuFood China: successfully closed the curtain

Shenzhen / CN. (km) South China’s F+B industry is getting much needed cheer with the successful holding of AnuFood China in April 2021, the leading food + beverage industry exhibition in South China powered by the world’s top food show – Anuga – in Shenzhen. After experiencing the ups and downs of the worldwide economy affecting numerous industries around the world, including China’s food businesses, AnuFood China was met with enthusiastic response.

With the tagline «Restore, Refresh, Revitalize», organizers of the show aim to do just that. Newly launched in the burgeoning city Shenzhen, AnuFood China 2021 spans more than 20,000 square meters, featuring a host of products under its roof including sweets and snack foods, staple foods and condiments, beverages, meat, organic food, dairy products, seafood and aquatic products, fruits and vegetables, and F+B services. Some 460 exhibitors hail from more than 34 countries and regions, bringing with them a total of over 2,000 brands. According to Koelnmesse the exhibition has warmly received more than 19,773 trade visitors during the three-day period.

The inaugural edition sees heartening industry support in the form of country pavilions from Germany, Poland, Czech Republic, South Korea, Ireland, Greece, the United Kingdom, Uruguay and Indonesia.

In addition, to better serve international exhibitors who are unable to be physically present at the exhibition, the Virtual Plus business platform on-site equipped with professional bilingual staff serves to facilitate communication with buyers online in real time. Exhibitors from Poland, the United States, Lithuania, Portugal, Belgium, Argentina, Russia, Brazil, Ukraine, Türkiye, Cyprus, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Pakistan, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan and Hong Kong, Macau made full use of this service to live stream their product offerings.

Not to be outdone, quality Chinese brands from the provinces of Zhejiang, Hebei, Hubei, Shandong, Changchun, Jilin, Jiangsu, Fujian, Shanxi, and Ningbo are also participating under their respective regional pavilions, proudly endorsing the «Made in China» identity.

Karol Pęczak, Vice-Consul from Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Guangzhou said: «AnuFood China in this year was unusual. Because of Covid-19 and related travelling restrictions, a portion of companies from abroad could not participate the fair in person. This was also the case of Polish companies and institutions. The Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Guangzhou was representing Polish National Support Center for Agriculture and was directly involved in promotion of Polish food industry producers and exporters.

I have to admit that AnuFood China 2021 went successfully. Exhibits from Polish companies including fruit and vegetables, juices and juice concentrates, dairy products, grain products and cereals, pasta, beer, confectionery, snacks, chocolate and food additives, drew a great attention of professional visitors. We see huge potential in Chinese market. AnuFood China gave our companies a big chance to connect with Chinese business partners.»

Evan Wang, general manager of PMI Food Service, shared the feedback: »PMI is committed to the development of imported food and has set up branches in over 40 countries and regions. The very aim of the participation is to explore South China’s market and provide more premium food products, including meat and seafood. We’ve met a lot of familiar customers and more new friends. We are looking forward to seeing more meat associations and meat suppliers could gather together here in future. We’re very satisfied with the exhibition and look forward to the re-participation at AFC 2022.»

The exhibition has also attracted a great many trade visitors originating from 9 major mainland cities, Hong Kong and Macao in Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). Among them, Ms. Amy QIAN, vice president of F.S.I. association, one of the partner in planning a food mall in Dongguan city specialized in imported food products said: «We plan to import food + beverage products from all over the world and give more options for the local consumers in Dongguan. AnuFood China is in line with our demand for its great variety of products from quite a lot of different countries. And we hope to visit AnuFood China in 2022 to purchase more imported products.»

In addition to the mass marketing campaign, the organizer also keep close touch with industry associations in the region and invited them to visit as buyer delegations including the ones from Guangdong Dealers Chamber of Commerce, Guangdong Provincial Alcohol Industry Association, Shenzhen Catering Association, Dongguan Retail Business Association, Zhuhai Food Safety Association and Xiamen Food Industry Association etc.

Onsite visitors enjoyed as many as 30 conference sessions, cooking competitions, customized F+B tasting experiences, covering hot topics of the entire industry, and providing a more diversified showcase and interactive experience.

Shenzhen Retail Business Association – one of the organizers of the exhibition, kickstarted with the Global Imported Food Retail Market Trends Forum on the opening day, inviting industry experts, e-commerce channels, and well-known retail practitioners to share their views on national policies, supply chain development, flow of commodity, and examine imported food development trends.

Next, the Global Animal Protein Trade Services Innovation Forum hosted by Meat International Group analyzed global animal protein market trends, discover the future of frozen meat products through cutting-edge forecasts, and brand value creation.

On Day Two, another organizer of the exhibition – the China Chamber of Commerce of Import + Export of Foodstuffs, Native Produce + Animal By-Products (CFNA) hosted their member meeting and focused on key import sources, the impact of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) to China’s food import industry, food brands in the post-pandemic era, and discussions on the trends of the imported food industry as well as experience sharing to help companies have a deeper understanding of policies and market trends.

Food has always been at the heart of the Chinese culture. The China Cuisine Association held a national seminar spotlighting distinct local specialties and the related value in promoting tourism across various parts of the country, further promote the transformation of food resources into tourism advantages, product advantages, and economic advantages to integrate the respective F+B culture with the tourism industry.

As a supporting value-added service tailored to exhibitors’ and buyers’ needs, the on-site business matchmaking program is made up of an exhibitor-led segment based on product categories, and an invited buyer-driven segment by market channels. Totally, there are over 1,100 meetings occurred during the entire 2 days in the matchmaking area, playing its hand as a catalyst for the region’s economy.

An indispensable part of a food and beverage exhibition is food tasting. Leaping away from the traditional taste-and-critique format, the Foodie Space brings the experience of restaurant dining to the show, featuring top-notch equipment and renowned chefs to create an immersive dining experience for pre-booked visitors. A collection of high-quality ingredients, such as plant protein products are transformed by leading culinary masters into scrumptious dishes.

Fresh Irish produce and products including pork, seafood, cheese and whiskey also had a dedicated session, among a myriad of cooking demonstrations.

To further promote Chinese food culture, the first «Bougainvillea Cup» Chef Challenge organized by the Shenzhen Cuisine Association and Koelnmesse received much attention. 12 local culinary teams in GBA gathered at the event and are raring to showcase their culinary prowess over a two-day period to see Team Macao crowned as the final champion.

«Restore, Refresh, Revitalize». AnuFood China made a great debut in Shenzhen. With the global pandemic gradually being under control, AnuFood China is set to return on next spring in 2022 with a greater scale, more international + domestic exhibitors and more premium products to meet every one of you from the food + beverage industry in South China.

bakenet:eu