More than 410,000 Public Visitors Enjoy Food Expo

	The five-day expo attracted more than 410,000 public visitors, up five per cent over last year
	The Gourmet Zone featured 16 chefs and foodies, including Japanese celebrity chef Kei-san
	TVB Network Vision’s Sneaky Cook show held a live session at the Gourmet Zone’s Star Kitchen. The programme was hosted by Luk Hoo (right) and Fat Boy (second from left), with Samantha Ko (left) and Jess Sum (second from right) the featured guests
	The expo’s Trade Hall, open 15-17 August, gave food suppliers and buyers from all over the world a premium venue for trading

20 August 2013 – More than 410,000 public visitors, up five per cent over the previous fair, attended this year’s HKTDC Food Expo, which closed yesterday. The five-day fair was organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC).

Night Star
Fair highlights included the Gourmet Zone, featuring fine fare organised under four themes: Western Delicacies, Asian Cuisine, Chic & More and Sweet Delights. Also popular was the Public Hall, with night tickets available for the special price of HK$10. Indeed, night visitors accounted for 19 per cent of the fair’s total public visitors.

More than 1,100 exhibitors from 26 countries and regions participated in the fair’s 24^th edition. The fair’s Trade Hall, open 15-17 August, drew more than 19,600 trade buyers from 63 countries and regions, up 18 per cent over last year’s total.

Connecting Buyers and Sellers
"The HKTDC has always strived to connect suppliers and buyers and create business opportunities," said HKTDC Deputy Executive Director Benjamin Chau. "We organised nearly 70 buying missions, totalling more than 3,300 buyers, to this year’s fair. The HKTDC also invited 12 prominent retailers and distributors, including 759 Store, CitySuper Ltd, Ng Fung Hong Ltd, Sogo (Hong Kong) Co Ltd and Yata Ltd. Once we understood their purchasing needs, we matched them with suitable suppliers on-site. This helped buyers find quality suppliers and enhanced their purchasing efficiency."

Ida Tang, Director of the 759 Store, a local department chain featuring food products, said she was at the expo looking for direct suppliers from all over the world. The company joined the fair’s buyer booth, with its business-matching service, for the first time. "We consider it extremely well done," said Ms Tang. "The pre-arranged meetings with exhibitors saved us a lot of time, and we found three promising suppliers in one morning."

"This is a really amazing expo with unrivalled scale compared to other trade fairs we have attended," said Jeff Hurley, President of Guam’s Trade Route Companies. Guam, one of the fair’s 14 pavilions, was participating for the first time. "Since Hong Kong is unquestionably the gateway to the Chinese mainland, we want to gain exposure and experience by participating in the expo."

Fair Video: Premium Fare at Food Expo
http://www.hktdc.com/info/webcast/v/en/en/1X04BTST/

Fair Website
http://www.hktdc.com/hkfoodexpo/tc

Media Enquiries
Please contact the HKTDC's Corporate Communication Department:

Joe Kainz
Tel: (852) 2584 4216
Email: joe.kainz@hktdc.org

About the HKTDC
A statutory body established in 1966, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is the international marketing arm for Hong Kong-based traders, manufacturers and service providers . With more than 40 global offices, including 11 on the Chinese mainland, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a platform for doing business with China and throughout Asia. The HKTDC also organises trade fairs and business missions to connect companies with opportunities in Hong Kong and on the mainland, while providing information via trade publications, research reports and online. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com.

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