Asia Fruit Logistica is moving to Bangkok for its 2022 edition from its traditional location in Hong Kong, organiser Global Produce Events (GPE) has announced.
Asia’s premier fresh fruit and vegetable trade show takes place on 2-4 November 2022 at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center (QSNCC) in the Thai capital.
The world-class exhibition centre in Bangkok (pictured below) hosted the first-ever edition of Asia Fruit Logistica back in 2007. And the state-of-the-art facility has recently undergone a multimillion-dollar upgrade, adding five times more space as well as cutting-edge technology and services. That makes QSNCC the ideal venue as Asia Fruit Logistica celebrates its 15th anniversary in 2022, according to GPE.
The organiser said this year’s relocation to Bangkok is not permanent, and that Thailand is the best place in Asia to host an in-person Asia Fruit Logistica this year because of the strict Covid-entry travel restrictions that remain in force in Hong Kong and China.
“Asia’s fresh fruit and vegetable trade is desperate to meet in person again, and hosting Asia Fruit Logistica in Bangkok this year means we can put on a physical trade show,” said David Axiotis, executive director of Asia Fruit Logistica.
“The global fresh produce business can meet again face-to-face in Asia at Asia Fruit Logistica in November 2022. This is a unique opportunity to reconnect, to re-engage with the market, and to develop new business with new top-level contacts.
“Asia Fruit Logistica is as always held alongside Asiafruit Congress, which is the place to get the best information on every aspect of the fresh produce business across Asia,” Axiotis added.
Quarantine-free entry
Thailand resumed its Test and Go programme for fully vaccinated travellers on 1 February 2022. It means international visitors can attend Asia Fruit Logistica easily and conveniently, GPE noted.
Under the current Test and Go scheme, fully vaccinated travellers can travel by air from any country in the world and are exempt from quarantine: they must take a Covid-19 test on arrival in a government-approved (SHA+) hotel on Day 1 [or on their date of arrival]. Travellers are free to go if they receive a negative result and take an ATK self-test on Day 5 and report the test result as instructed by the Ministry of Public Health.
“We’re really excited to bring Asia Fruit Logistica back to Bangkok,” said Axiotis. “It’s one of the most dynamic and vibrant cities in Asia and it has a proven track record in facilitating high-quality international events. And it’s also where we started Asia Fruit Logistica in 2007.”
“Thailand is well situated in South-East Asia and has excellent global and regional connectivity for international visitors via Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport. And we all know that Thailand is a great place to visit.”
Chiruit Isarangkun Na Ayuthaya, president of the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), said his organisation was looking forward to welcoming Asia’s premier fresh fruit and vegetable trade show to Bangkok.
“TCEB has a policy to support MICE [business events] and to propel the growth of strategic industries such as food and agriculture and logistics, so Asia Fruit Logistica is a perfect match with our policy.
“As a government agency, TCEB is ready to partner in making trade shows in Thailand a platform for successful connection between local and overseas businesses.
“Bangkok has enhanced its reputation as one of the world’s top MICE cities with the recent multimillion-dollar investments in infrastructure, facilities and attractions.
“Asia Fruit Logistica 2022 can count on the city’s first-class services and support, and we’re confident it will be a highly productive and enjoyable event for participants.”
Regional hub
Thailand is also a key hub for South-East Asia’s fast-growing fresh fruit and vegetable business and presents fresh opportunities for visitors and exhibitors, Axiotis noted.
Thailand is a significant consumer of fresh fruit and vegetables; it is an attractive market for fresh fruit imports, with volumes up by 30 per cent year-on-year in 2020 to almost 700,000 tonnes.
The South-East Asian nation is also a powerhouse exporter of tropical fruits, shipping some 1.65m tonnes of tropical fruits in 2020. China took more than 65 per cent of its exports. It means that many top Chinese companies have offices in Thailand to manage their sourcing.
Full steam ahead
Axiotis said GPE is now going full steam ahead with preparations for the 2022 edition of Asia Fruit Logistica.
“It is a big job to bring together 800 exhibitors and 12,000 visitors from all over the world as we did for our last trade show in 2019. That’s why it’s especially important that we hit the ground running,” he said.
“GPE is well set up to do that: we have our teams in Shanghai and Bangkok, our global network of sales agents covering more than 120 countries and regions across the world, and our partners at Asiafruit Magazine and Fruitnet.
“We’re looking forward to welcoming our exhibitors and visitors to Bangkok and to putting on a really great show for the global fresh fruit and vegetable business.”
