Filipinos participate in Asia’s premier food and hospitality event

Seven chefs representing the Philippines will compete in the Culinary Challenge of Food & Hotel Asia 2006 (FHA 2006), which will be held in Singapore from April 25-28. They will vie for top honors in 15 competitions set under the Individual Challenge category.

The chefs, Jaime R. De Vera from Makati Shangri-La, and Maria Christina Javier, Lee Jose, Liza Michelle Garbes, Michiko Suzuki, Maude Arianne Jimenez, and Janice A. Lazaga, from the Center for Culinary Arts, will compete against 600 chefs from 21 countries.

Individual Challenge competitions include cold table displays, ice/vegetable carving, live cooking events, and more. Other categories featured in the culinary competition include the National Team Challenge where national teams present cuisines of their respective countries by preparing three-course meals; Gourmet Team Challenge where competitors seek to present the most aesthetically pleasing table and buffet displays; and the Dream Team Challenge that features thrilling on-the-spot competition. The FHA 2006 Culinary Challenge is currently the third largest in the world.

Twenty-six associations, including the World Association of Cooks Society, support FHA 2006’s Culinary Challenge. As a recognized competition, it serves as a venue for chefs to gain international exposure, sharpen their skills and elevate the cuisine and service standard in food and hospitality institutions.

Other competitions in FHA 2006 are the Wine & Spirits Asia Challenge, a competition organized in 11 categories for both Old World and New World wines, and the Asian Pastry Cup, a spin-off of the internationally acclaimed World Pastry Cup. The Asian Pastry Cup is the official platform to pre-select two Asian countries to participate in the World Pastry Cup in Lyon, France next year.

Conferences and workshops will be held at FHA 2006 to increase competence in the food and hospitality sector. Bakery Asia workshops will explore issues in trans-fats and the latest baking trends with an American Institute of Baking certified instructor. An Asian Club Management Conference will be held as a forum where participants can exchange tips on how to manage clubs in today’s challenging environment. For those who want to develop their skills as wine tasters, Bob Campbell, one of the world’s 250 masters of wine, will conduct a wine diploma course. Participants may also opt to attend the food safety forum, hotel GM forum and Foodservice Consultant Society International (FCSI) Asia public seminar. Likewise, a hospitality and foodservice technology seminar will address critical issues and demonstrate the latest technological developments.

An exciting and potentially lucrative business field will be presented at the halal trade exchange seminar. This will help participants capture a slice of the growing halal trade business.

FHA 2006 is Asia’s biggest and leading international food and hospitality trade exhibition. Through its seven specialized events, namely FoodAsia, Wines&SpiritsAsia, BakeryAsia, HotelAsia, HospitalityStyleAsia, FHA Culinary Challenge, and HospitalityTechnology, the event will showcase the latest in the food and hospitality business.

This year, 2,850 exhibitors from more than 60 countries plus over 40 country group pavilions from Asia, Australia and New Zealand, Europe, North America and South Africa will participate in the event. They are set to impress visitors with the newest products, services, and technology. Of the 2,850, only six exhibitors are from the Philippines. These include Dole Asia (fresh produce, dried/package fruits and juices), Mega Fishing Corporation (canned food/sardines), Middleby Worldwide (manufacturer of food service equipment), Optima Display Systems Co. (custom manufacturer of food merchandising counter, including baking trays, pastry equipment, service/kitchen counters), Seagull Glassworks (specializes in custom- made glass items such as plates, platters, bowls, display systems, and other hotel accessories), and Sommelier Selections (sardines canned/pouched.)

FHA 2006’s organizer, Singapore Exhibition Services Pte Ltd chief executive Stephen Tan, was in Manila recently to answer questions about the 15th FHA event that will be held at the Singapore Expo (Halls 1-6). He emphasizes, "FHA is not a public show. Rather, it is a business show whose purpose is to promote business development and business prospects." With a show area of 65,000 square meters and an estimated 37,000 potential buyers or business partners, the business opportunities presented by participating in FHA 2006 are tremendous. "Asia is an equally important region and it is time for a mindset shift. Manufacturers need to concentrate more on the fast-growing Asian market."

Tan reveals that a good number of exhibitors in FHA 2006 are European and North American companies, who are hoping to capture a portion of the flourishing Asian market pie.

How is FHA relevant to the Philippines? Philippine companies have been using FHA as a platform to source for and procure the latest food and hospitality supplies/ equipment for their business needs. Just as significantly, an increasing tourism boom from the Asian market demands that Philippine F&B institutions cope with rising requirements for hospitality services. It should be noted that Philippine tourism grew by six percent on the average in 2005 – on par with the world and regional growth rate. Tourist arrivals from China jumped 150 percent, overshooting its target volume for September. 2005.

Tan encourages Philippine businesses to explore the possibilities and opportunities that they can attain at FHA "We involve ourselves in many industries. FHA has the potential to open up a big business market for Philippine brands and services," he says.

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To learn more about FHA 2006, visit http://www.foodnhotelasia.com.