Steven Leong’s Blog

2 years ago, I attended the largest Food and Hospitality show that I have ever seen in Singapore Expo. 2 years on, I was there again this year… armed with my trusty camera and a determination to do a better coverage of the event compared to the last time.

FHA2008 (or Food and Hotels Asia 2008 in full) as the event is known affectionately is in it’s 16th edition this year; with over 2,600 exhibiting companies from 70 countries, it is definitely bigger than ever, this time it occupied the remote Hall 7 of Singapore Expo whilst the previous it only occupied 6.

FHA2008 has lined up a wide showcase of the industry’s must-haves, offering international buyers direct access to a wide range of products, services and technological solutions that meet their needs, while simultaneously providing an excellent platform for them to engage in trade opportunities and network with business peers and industry experts.

FHA2008 incorporates several specialised events – FoodAsia, Wines&SpiritsAsia, Bakery&Pastry, HotelAsia, HospitalityStyleAsia and HospitalityTechnology. Each event has its own distinct profile tailored forthe increasingly sophisticated needs of the region’s food and hospitality industries.

The show is predominantly a tradeshow that is geared to welcome over 50 buyer delegations, including SATS Catering Pte Ltd, the Hotel and RestaurantAssociation of the Philippines, National Bakery Association of India, Batam View Beach Resort and the Hong Kong Bakery and Confectionery Association Limited.

Of course, being a Hungry Photograher™, what really interested me about FHA has and always will be the food. FHA regularly attracts participation from premier hotels and restaurants from all over the world in its Gourmet Challenge and this year, we saw teams from Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and of course Singapore dazzle everyone with their definition of gourmet cold edible buffets.

This year’s entrants to the Gourmet Challenge really raised the bar, though I could not taste the food (it’s reserved for the judges and the SGD50 per pax paying “patrons”)… they most certainly looked exquisite and I could barely control myself not to steal a piece or two whilst photographing them.

PART 2 >>