The 28th edition of Food Hospitality World in Bengaluru reiterated its position as one of the leading industry platforms, as the three-day event featured its first ever Mixology Championship, insightful discussions, innovative culinary skill showcase and buoyant participation By Mohit Rathod
Serving as a global platform for the food and hospitality sector, Food Hospitality World (FHW) Bengaluru was successfully concluded recently. The 28th edition of FHW was held at White Orchid Convention Centre, Hebbal, Bengaluru from June 9 to 11, 2016. The three-day exhibition was inaugurated by Adam Branson, senior agricultural attaché – agricultural affairs, American Consulate General Mumbai; Invernizzi Felice, country manager, Turchia, India and Russia, Fiera Milano; Mohan Deshpande, founder and chairman, Hospitality Purchasing Managers’ Forum (HPMF); Vasudev Adiga, director, Adiga’s Fast Food Joints; Chef Jugesh Arora, president, South India Culinary Association (SICA); and Sonia Chawla, CEO, Global Fairs & Media. Speaking at the inauguration, Branson said, “It’s an honour to be present here. FHW provides a nice opportunity for both, the US and India, to build bridges in this sector by working with chefs and the hospitality community. We want to help the food and agriculture trade between the two countries. The American economy is taking huge interest in the India market.”
Sharing his thoughts on the Indian food and hospitality industry, Chef Arora opined, “Hotel industry is the first infrastructure required for the economy to grow. We are working hard to document the forgotten India in terms of food, hospitality and culture. I am honoured to share the platform with FHW, and I thank everyone present here for the opportunity.” Adding to this, Adiga stated, “It is a pleasure to be here. Being present here for so many years, FHW is still growing fantastically. It provides a great opportunity for the industry to have an understanding of technology, exchanging knowledge and developments. It is an opportunity for beginners to interact with business partners. A lot of foreign investors are now investing in Bengaluru due to the opportunities here.”
Giving his perspective, Deshpande added, “HPMF is associated with FHW since 2011. I have seen this exhibition grow every year. It is a very well organised platform for the food and hospitality space.” Over the three-day exhibition, various informative and interactive special events were hosted. Along with panel discussions and knowledge exchange sessions, SICA played a vital role in the culinary skill space, through competitions and live demonstrations.
Insightful exchanges
Alongside trade, the exhibition also served as a knowledge platform for the industry. On the first day, Hospitality Think Tank witnessed leading general managers of Bengaluru hotels sharing their insights on technology-driven transformation in various aspects of the hospitality industry in India. Hospitality Knowledge Exchange, held on the second day, saw F&B heads/ managers discussing the evolving trends in banqueting which is a key revenue generator for hotels. Additionally, The Power of Purchase focused on new procurement trends in hospitality, with procurement decision makers and professionals from leading hotels and restaurants expressing their perspective and ideas. On the third day, South India’s prominent housekeeping managers gave expert insights on smart housekeeping concepts, innovative technology for cleaning processes and upcoming trends of sustainability, at Housekeepers Connect.
Promoting F&B
FHW 2016 Bengaluru, across the three days, facilitated the chef community to interact and dicuss the present F&B scenario. On the second day, South India Culinary Challenge – Artistic Bakery & Pastry Challenge, South India’s biggest artistic bakery and pastry display competition, saw active participation from aspiring chefs and professional chefs, who competed to showcase and test their skills. Mixology Championship, held on the same day, was a live mixing challenge which showcased innovative skills of participants from across India. On the third day, Live Cooking by Bengaluru Chefs witnessed Bengaluru’s top culinary experts demonstrating live their renowned dishes at the cooking sessions.
An interesting highlight of FHW 2016 Bengaluru was the participation of US Premium AG Products, which was also one of the major supporters of the exhibition, along with Sula Vineyards, Morde, 3F industries, CP Foods, Kesari, Nutty World and more. There were a number of first-time exhibitors at FHW Bengaluru. One such exhibitor was the Ashoka Foam Group, which witnessed positive business prospects at the exhibition. Affirming that, Namit Ashok Goel, director of Ashoka Foam Group, stated, “The experience was very good, that’s why I am going to participate in Goa too, and also book a bigger space for the Mumbai edition. As a trade platform, FHW is a win-win for both sellers and buyers; it is a great platform. Even the response was exceptionally good.” Saral Food Specialties, a Gurugram based processed meat products company, forayed into the South India market with FHW Bengaluru this year. “We entered the South India market with FHW Bengaluru this year, and we received a good number of responses from buyers. The exhibition provides a good platform for business opportunities, due to the presence of modern trade and institutions,” expressed K K Sharma, managing director, Saral Food Specialties.
The FHW trade show is organised by Global Fairs & Media – a joint venture between Hannover Milano Fairs India and The Indian Express.