Earlier this month Food&HotelAsia (FHA) 2016 opened its doors to more than 3,000 exhibitors from over 70 countries, to what is widely considered the most important foodservice trade show in Asia. Occupying an area of 97,000sqm the event is split into six show area halls where over 68,000 visitors from 90 countries visited to experience the latest in innovation and foodservice technology.
Toni Clarke FCSI, chair of the Asia Pacific Division of FCSI calls the FHA show the most important biannual event in the APD calendar. “It provides a forum where the vast majority of allied members are exhibiting the latest development in technology and products and it provides the best networking opportunity for all categories of APD membership,” she explains.
Alongside the thousands of products on show, a comprehensive range of cooking demonstrations, trend talks and product launches informed, inspired and entertained visitors.
The show is the only fully face-to-face board meeting of the year, but FCSI APD also hosted a busy schedule of events, including a series of seminar sessions on the first day, starting with a whistle-stop tour of BIM by Roberto Assi, representing the FCSI Europe, Middle East and Africa (EAME) division. It highlighted how BIM will revolutionise future foodservice projects with “one WorldWide BIM standard being established” to help consultants, allied members and clients around the world benefit from a more integrated project mapping process where assets will be stored in one common place.
Later the seminar turned towards the central theme of the afternoon around climate change and the impact on foodservice. Brandon Kua FCSI began the session offering insights from last year’s Paris COP21 climate change conference. He highlighted the fact that last year saw an “unprecedented number of warmest and coldest temperatures ever recorded around the world”, which had resulted in extreme weather conditions affecting crop production and water availability. With these events occurring more frequently, the pressure on food production and waste management and continuing foodservice equipment innovation to deliver ever more energy efficient and carbon-neutral results is set to continue. FCSI consultants can take a leading role in educating clients on what can be done to spec their facilities in a way that delivers the highest foodservice results, with the maximum consideration to the environment, indeed many saw this as “a duty”.
Next came two sessions by strong allied member supporters of FCSI APD, Granuldisk’s CEO Peter Schon, and T&S Brass’ Ken Gallagher and Bill Stella, respectively VP global sales and director of international sales. Both discussions focused on water – more specifically ways to save, conserve, purify, manage and optimise its usage and flow. With both commercial gain and environmental benefit, the messages were loud and clear – there are easy ways to do your bit, and whether it’s utilising the free of charge ‘water audit’ offered by T&S Brass, or developing products using the latest technology to minimise water consumption like Granuldisk, it made sound business sense for the present as well as protecting future business by looking after the planet.
Clara Pi FCSI hosted a session aptly named food for thought on climate change. Facts such as “a one degree change in temperature can lead to a 10% reduction in crop yields”, and “one third of greenhouse gases originate from foodservice related activities”, continued the theme of the day – the world of foodservice can, and must do its part in helping to reduce impact on the environment.
During the show, the FCSI Asia Pacific 2016 Innovations Award was presented to Hoshizaki for its Electrolyzed Water (ROX) product.
Dan Davey
