Hong Kong will be the centre of the fruit trade for a few days in September, as China’s commercial and trading hub plays host to Asia Fruit Logistica (AFL) and the Asiafruit Congress for the first time.
More than 3,000 key buyers from the international fresh fruit and vegetable business are expected to attend this year’s trade fair and conference event, which takes place from September 10-12, 2008 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC).
Trade visitors will find a trade fair that is 70 per cent bigger than last year's launch event in Thailand: more than 200 exhibitors from 30 countries worldwide are due at this year's AFL, while the congress is on target to attract more than 600 top-level delegates from all over the world.
“Asia Fruit Logistica is the most international trade fair for fresh fruit and vegetable marketing that we've ever seen in Asia,” said Gérald Lamusse, managing director of GPE Global Produce Events GmbH, the joint-venture company which organises the event.
Exhibitors will be on hand from 11 countries in Asia and major supplying countries such as the US, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa as well as Europe and Latin America. The largest number of exhibitors comes from the host country China, with a strong presence of exhibitors from Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand also present.
Key supply countries such as the US, Australia and New Zealand as well as emerging suppliers from Peru, the Netherlands and Italy have more than doubled their space at this year.
“Almost all of Asia’s leading fresh produce companies as well as key regional operators and smaller, specialist niche players are going to be exhibiting in Hong Kong in September,” explained Lamusse.
Organised by Asiafruit Magazine, the Asiafruit Congress promises an array of top-level speakers from the international fresh fruit and vegetable business. The three-day conference, which takes place every morning at the HKCEC, looks at the key trends in Asia's fast-changing fresh produce business.
"Developments across the Asian fresh fruit and vegetable business have always been the focus of the Asiafruit Congress," said Asiafruit Magazine editor John Hey. "This year the [congress] is going to look in detail at the ongoing changes in Asian food retailing, at the emergence of new consumer markets such as Vietnam and India, and at some of the key trends in major supplying countries to Asia."
More information is available online at www.asiafruitlogistica.com and www.asiafruitcongress.com
