Bangkok, Thailand, 11 March 2024 – In emphasising innovation, sustainability, and excellence, THAIFEX - HOREC Asia thrilled participants last week, attracting higher than anticipated attendance. Co-organised by the Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP), the Thai Chamber of Commerce (TCC), and Koelnmesse, this landmark event offered an immersive exploration of the future of the hotels, restaurants, and catering (HORECA) sectors in Southeast Asia. THAIFEX - HOREC Asia caters to a surge in the hospitality sector and aims to bring new investments and opportunities to the HORECA industry.
THAIFEX- HOREC Asia, which took place 6 to 8 March 2024 at IMPACT, Muang Thong Thani, Bangkok, attracted 359 exhibitors from 23 countries, and 15,851 unique trade attendees from 68 countries over the 3 days, making it one of the largest HORECA gatherings in the region. Distinguishing itself further, the show hosted 391 handpicked buyers who participated in 1,636 meetings. Projections indicated that trade receipts generated from the show will amount to some 91 million USD in the upcoming year. On-the-spot orders placed at the show amounted to over 10 million USD.
The theme, "Shaping The Future of HORECA," underscored the event’s commitment to pioneer change and foster industry growth through innovative solutions. Stakeholders from across the spectrum (and region) who attended the event expressed their delight that a trade show was now taking place for their specific needs.
"More than a trade show, THAIFEX - HOREC Asia 2024 has surpassed our expectations and become a catalyst for industry evolution," states Mathias Kuepper, Managing Director and Vice President of Koelnmesse Asia Pacific. "By bringing together the brightest minds and the latest innovations, the show is helping to shape the future of HORECA in the Asia Pacific region."
Southeast Asia's tourism sector experienced remarkable expansion and a robust post-pandemic recovery, driven by a surge in tourist arrivals. Thailand led the ASEAN region with 28 million international visitors in 2023. This surge has played a pivotal role in driving the national economy, contributing over 2.3 trillion baht in economic value and providing income for over one-third of Thailand's population. A considerable portion of this economic surge is attributed to the growth of the HORECA sector. Thus, THAIFEX - HOREC Asia was established to help local and regional businesses in Southeast Asia to capitalise on this burgeoning opportunity.
Event Highlights:
Exhibition: The THAIFEX—HOREC Asia exhibition featured nine product categories and showcased six current trends in the sector.
Vanda Dechasmity, Managing Director of VJ Supply, distributor of Thermomix in Thailand, was extremely happy with the event. Not only did she sell several units at the show, but she also met new buyers from hotels and franchises to discuss bulk purchase deals.
“This show has been very, very good for us. We are meeting the right kind of buyers—ones we’ve never met before—and we are making a lot of appointments as we have a lot of potential deals to work on immediately after the event,” said Kuah Soo Shang, Regional Manager for UNOX.
Nuttasak Sopajaroen, the Senior Strategic Marketing Manager for Brand and Marketing Communications for Boncafe Thailand said they had attracted at least 100 leads per day for their B2B sales. “I’m really serious that this show is beyond my expectations. The number of people is a lot more than I was expecting and we’ve met so many potential customers. We already have 60 to 70% of conversions. We are happy that the show has split from THAIFEX - Anuga Asia because the HORECA buyers are far more focused to our business needs.”
Innovative Culinary Solutions: Leading brands like UNOX, Merrychef, Cimbali Group, and HOBART, showcased advanced technologies for efficient and sustainable food preparation and storage.
Several brands took the opportunity to launch new products at THAIFEX - HOREC Asia, like the world debut of HOBART’s FXand FP series ‘cutlery premium’ feature for dishwashers, or Australian startup Scentible, which has created a range of scents designed to teach baristas how to identify coffee bean aromas or defects in coffee. Italian company Elmeco Srl debuted the Elmeco Matrix, a new self-service slushie machine that has an easy interface for consumers, portion control, and connectivity. All three of these solutions were awarded in the THAIFEX - HOREC Innovation Awards.
Scentible’s co-founder Alec Maroush was delighted: “From day one, we've had a lot of great people come through, especially a lot of B2B and corporate companies coming with the right interest… It’s been really good.”
THAIFEX - HOREC Innovation Awards: The inaugural awards recognised exhibitors who are pioneers and trendsetters who are improving HORECA operations with their innovations. The submissions culminated in 9 winners and 27 finalists emerging from a poolof 350+ entries.
THAIFEX - HOREC Xperiential Zone: A unique aspect of the trade show was a compelling showcase of 60 of the current most innovative products available on the market today. It included the featured products of the Innovation Awards which are poised to revolutionise
the HORECA industry.
“This was an excellent experience, first because it was the first time we’ve ever received an innovation award, and because we’ve had the opportunity to meet very professional people. The show is also very well organised,” said Umberto Cortese, CEO of Elmeco Srl. He added that the company, despite showcasing one of only 20 prototypes, had sold three machines at the show and had generated very promising leads with buyers for multinational chain stores.
Knowledge Sharing at THAIFEX - HOREC Academy: With approximately 800 participants in attendance, THAIFEX - HOREC Academy featured a comprehensive programme delivered by 69 industry experts. Over the course of 3 days programme, they conducted 36 live sessions and 13 live demos, offering a treasure trove of insights. The primary goal of the Academy was to highlight the sector's trends and best practices, making it a valuable resource for attendees.
Competitive Platforms: For the inaugural edition, the ASEAN Coffee Federation hosted theASEAN Barista Team Championship, along with an intense competition for housekeepers, the Thailand Ultimate Housekeeping Challenge, which highlighted talent and innovation. Substantial prizes and industry recognition were on the line at both competitions.
Trends and Insights:
Sustainability Focus: Nearly 40% of exhibitors presented sustainable solutions, from energy-efficient appliances to innovative applications or management systems for food waste, reflecting the sector’s commitment to minimising environmental impact.
“We are a very small business and didn’t expect such interest from hotels and resorts in our products,” said Suwattana Nanchai of S&P Bioenergy, the company behind SUPP branded cleaning products. “I didn’t expect anything like this and now we need to find a way to scale.”
Digital and Contactless Innovations: Featuring digital guest experience and contactless services, THAIFEX - HOREC Asia 2024 showcased technologies that enhance operational efficiency and customer satisfaction.
Plant-Based and Wellness Trends: With the rise of health-conscious and environmentally aware consumers, exhibitors displayed the latest products and solutions for plant-based menus and wellness solutions, like alternative milks for use by baristas, or tools and equipment to measure and enhance fitness and body composition.
Global and Local Participation: The event boasted significant international and local company participation, with 359 exhibitors from 23 countries and a 27,000sqm exhibition space, a note-worthy start for a first time trade show.
Exclusive Hosted Buyer Programme: 391 trade buyers were handpicked and hosted to attend THAIFEX - HOREC Asia 2024. Key industry players such as the Cambodia Hotel Association, Vietnam Hotel Association, the Restaurant Association of Vietnam, Vietnam Executive Housekeepers Association (VEHA), Danang Hotel Associations and notable organisations like AWC, Dusit International, and the Minor Group, participated in the programme designed to foster strategic partnerships and sourcing opportunities.
To participate in future editions, please visit http://thaifex-horec.asia/.
SUPPORTING QUOTATIONS
● Vasin Rojanakanjananant, Commercial Director for Springmate mattresses, said that over the first two days of the exhibition, they had booked some ten meetings over the following two weeks and that, “We have approximately 20 deals in the making.”
●Jackie Douglas, President for the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI), said that the reception had been very pleasing. “We’ve had interest from lots of organisations to run our courses, which is our bread and butter, so we’d definitely like to exhibit again.”
● “Because we work in the hotel industry, for us, it's not only the small suppliers that we look into, which is quite interesting, but also the largest suppliers, whether it's food-related, operational machinery, or equipment-related items. So it's very interesting to see the different kinds of machineries and varieties that each brand has. Like, for all the new models of ovens we can compare what each of the brands offers, whether they are big or small,” observed Sabri Kocoglu, a THAIFEX - HOREC Asia Hosted Buyer and a Executive Chef at the Hua Hin Marriott Resort & Spa.
● Visitor Mike Vakrushev, a business owner with interests in Dubai and Thailand, said, “This show is very interesting, especially if you come from another region, because you can find products to sell in Europe and elsewhere.” He went on to ask how he could get a booth to sell his aromatherapies solutions at the show in 2025.
About THAIFEX - HOREC Asia 2024
THAIFEX- HOREC Asia 2024, a tradeshow for the HORECA sector, is dedicated to showcasing the latest innovations, facilitating industry connections, and promoting sustainable practices to drive HORECA towards new heights of excellence.
Organisers
About the Department of International Trade Promotion, Ministry of Commerce, Thailand
The Department of International Trade Promotion is committed to providing excellent service to Thai entrepreneurs in international business, including trade facilities, cost reduction, value creation of goods and services, providing consultation for overseas market access and maintenance, as well as close cooperation with the private sector to promote Thailand as a major gateway of Asia. http://www.ditp.go.th/
About the Thai Chamber of Commerce
The Thai Chamber of Commerce represents as the Thai private sector to facilitate business and trade as well as to serve as the central coordinating agency between the government and private sector, and also helps to promote trade, business and economic cooperation including, build relationships between Thai and partner countries at the bilateral and multilateral level as well as plays a proactive role in representing the interests of the local Thai businesscommunity. https://www.thaichamber.org/
Koelnmesse Asia Pacific – Global Competence in Food and FoodTec
Koelnmesse is an international leader in organising food fairs and events regarding food and beverage processing. Trade fairs such as the Anuga, ISM and Anuga FoodTec are established world leaders. Koelnmesse not only organises food and food technology trade fairs in Cologne, Germany but also in further growth markets around the globe, for example, in Brazil, China, Colombia, India, Italy, Japan, Thailand, the United States and the United Arab Emirates, which have different focuses and contents. These global activities enable us to offer our customers a network of events, which in turn grant access to different markets and thus
create a basis for sustainable and stable international business. Further Information is available at: https://www.koelnmesse.com/current-dates/all-trade-fairs/
Media Contacts
PINPOINT PR Pte. Ltd.
thaifex-pr@pinpointpr.sg
Illka Gobius +65 9769 8370
Windy Oktaviani +62 811 910 9266
Organiser
Faith Lim
+659230 6126
faith.lim@koelnmesse.com.sg
Media Resources
● Pressroom: https://pressroom.thaifex-horec.asia/
● Images: https://pressroom.thaifex-horec.asia/images-and-videos
● Media accreditation to THAIFEX - HOREC Asia: https://pressroom.thaifex-horec.asia/accreditation
● Interview requests: thaifex-pr@pinpointpr.sg