Events

FHA 2008 to focus on food safety

Grown to seven halls at Singapore Expo for the first time; will feature the president of the World Food Safety Organisation

FHA2008 (Food&HotelAsia2008), the largest international food and hospitality show in Asia, which will for the first time occupy seven halls of Singapore Expo compared with six halls for previous shows, will highlight prevalent food safety issues.

Said Stephen Tan, chief executive of Singapore Exhibition Services and president of Allworld Exhibitions Alliance, the organiser of FHA2008, "Food&HotelAsia has always been at the forefront of the culinary, food, beverage, hospitality and service sectors in Asia. Besides bringing in the best possible technologies to the service industries, issues of importance will have to be addressed at this show. Hence, the focus on the pressing topic of Food Safety, which has been of concern lately."

Clean food is topical in the light of recent media reports in Singapore and current food issues that are surfacing in Asia. The topic will be dealt with two-fold at the event: a Food Safety Management Course on ISO 22000 will be conducted at the show by the president of the World Food Safety Organisation, Guy Kurkjian, and an FHA Food Safety Forum 2008 will be held.

Food Safety Management
Course - ISO 22000

The full-day course on April 25 will cover key topics including the effective control of food safety hazards. According to industry specialists, since its launch in 2005, only a handful of food-related companies are believed to have adopted ISO 22000, which surpasses the HACCP internationally recognised system.

ISO 22000 is an international, auditable standard that specifies the requirements for food safety management system by incorporating all the elements of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) together with a comprehensive management system. This standard was designed to cover all the processes along the food chain that deal with the end product being consumed, bringing everybody along the food chain under a common system throughout the food chain.

By learning and understanding ISO 22000, all players, including all of FHA's exhibitors and visitors who are the primary producers, food manufacturers, food service outlets and service providers, will be able to communicate more effectively throughout the supply chain, integrate quality management and food safety management, control and reduce food safety hazards, and more.

FHA Food Safety
Forum 2008

This forum will encompass a wide spectrum of issues related to food safety and will feature prominent speakers from food organisations and businesses. Among the highlights:

• A keynote address on ‘Food Safety Concerns and Upcoming Requirements for Regulators’, Guy Kurkjian, president of the World Food Safety Organisation
• ‘Designing and Implementing a Food Safety Programme for your organisation’ by Ser-Low Wai Ming, President of Singapore Institute of Food Science and Technology
• Case Studies on topics like: ‘Implementing Food Safety Programs for Mega Events’ by Michelle Keygan, Manager for Program Development, New South Wales Food Authority, ‘Cold Chain Management of Vegetables’ by Lam-Chan Lee Tiang, head, Horticulture Branch, Food Supply and Technology Department, Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) and ‘Cost Efficient Food Handling Without Compromising Quality’ by David Lowry, Food Safety Scientist, Ecolab.

Other sessions covered during FHA 2008 include:

1. Asian Club Managers' Conference 2008

The 7th Asian Club Managers' Conference is highly relevant for the club industry in current times. Held at ONEº15 Marina Club, dubbed as Asia's finest Marina, this conference is designed with country, golf, town and sports club managers in mind. The programme combines education with recreation, and plenty of networking opportunities with club professionals from around the region.

Some of the conference topics include: Club Ranking - Is it just about pricing?, KPIs, The Concept of the General Manager/Chief Operating Officer, Talent Recruitment & Staff Retention, Branding and Re-Branding, Grass Analysis and Selection for the Region, The F&B Challenge, Setting up a Spa, Security & IT Technology - The Next Wave

2. FHA/AHRA Hotel GM Forum 2008

The FHA/AHRA Hotel GM Forum 2008 brings together the best minds in the ASEAN hotel and hospitality industry to share and discuss topical issues that impact them. The Forum will provide an economic outlook of hotels in the region; examine the changing hotel landscape with the entrance of casinos/integrated resorts, including a panel discussion with speakers from leading hotel chains. Some of the conference topics include: ASEAN Hotel Outlook, The Changing Customer & Hotel Landscape: Specialty Hotels, Using Technology to Harness the Competitive Landscape, Examining the Transforming and Changing Landscape with Casinos/Integrated Resorts, Emerging Trends in Hotel Management & Operations, Strategies for Success - Managing Costs and Delivering Value, Important Attraction and Retention Strategies.

3. Halal Trade Forum 2008

With 1.6 billion Muslims worldwide and Islam the fastest-growing religion, the global Halal market is estimated to be worth US$ 580.91 billion. Being Halal is more than just meeting Islamic requirements. It is about adhering to stringent safety and hygiene practices and ensuring that the entire production, preparation, packaging, handling, storage, distribution and marketing processes meet quality and safety benchmarks. Featuring international industry experts, market leaders and representatives of government and Islamic organisations, this forum will equip you with the knowledge, tools and real-life case studies to break into global Halal food and drinks market. Some of the conference topics include: Halal standards and Certification, Halal Implementation, Halal Technology and Research, Halal Market Access.

4. FCSI APD Seminar - Investing in Practical Technology Can Improve Performance

Foodservice Consultants Society International (FCSI) are presenting specialist speakers describing the technology behind a range of systems that offer operators the opportunity to improve their performance through the application of technology in ware washing, oven cooking and refrigerated meal transportation. The presentations will describe the background and basis for the technology that will enable operators to make effective value judgments when selecting equipment.

FHA2008, the 16th in the series held biennially, will also incorporate several specialised events - FoodAsia, Wines&SpiritsAsia, Bakery&Pastry, HotelAsia, HospitalityStyleAsia, HospitalityTechnology - distinctively tailored for the increasingly sophisticated needs of the region's food and hospitality industries.

First time

For the first time at FHA2008, the Asia Barista Championship will have professional baristas from countries such as Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand fighting for the title of Asia Barista Champion. This group of National Champions will then be judged by a panel of experienced international judges. The winner will be crowned as the champion of the first Asia Barista Championship and there are also awards given to ‘Best Espresso’, ‘Best Latte Art’ and ‘Best Blended Signature Beverage’. The Asia Barista Championship is a regional event that seeks to recognize baristas as a professional career in the region as well as develop the growth and quality of gourmet coffee. This inaugural event is co-organized by Singapore Exhibition Services, Kerry Ingredients Asia and Singapore Coffee Association.

Halal Pavilion

The halal food pavilion was a hit at FHA2006, and it will definitely prove to be a draw for a second time running at FHA2008. It reaches out to a growing halal market, not only locally but internationally. The pavilion will comprise of two aspects: one for halal food and beverages, while the other focuses on business aspects of the halal business, such as consultancy and financial services.

FHA Culinary Challenge

The FHA Culinary Challenge, recognised around the world as one of the most important culinary competitions. Keep a lookout for exciting challenges in cold table displays, ice and pumpkin carvings, cake dressings and many more in the pipeline.

FHA Imperial Challenge

2008 will see the return of the FHA Imperial Challenge, showing Chinese cuisine at its best. This 'live' competition will have talented teams from China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan cook up a storm in this 'survival of the fittest' battle. Awards will be given to the 'FHA2008 Imperial Challenge Champion Team' as well as 'Best Imperial Chef'.

Wine&SpiritsAsia2008

Wine&SpiritsAsia Challenge - the contest that promotes world-class wines to Asia, received 629 entries in 2006, an overwhelming 121 more entries compared to its first showing in 2004. Of all the entries that were submitted, ten emerged with gold, 90 were awarded silver, 302 got bronze, while 144 obtained merit. Given that the wine entries will be judged by influential connoisseurs, the stage is set for the 2008 event to raise the prestige and commercial value of winning wines.

HotelAsia

In its Tourism 2020 Vision, the World Tourism Organization stated that tourist arrivals to the Asia- Pacific region would reach 195.2 million by 2010 and 397.2 million by 2020 (Hotel News Resource, Year 2005). Hoteliers in Asia are showing faith in this prediction. There are 386 actively pursued construction projects planning a total of 111,285 rooms - a true reflection that Asia is pulsating with hotel development. (Hotel News Resource, Year 2006). Focusing on a wide range of foodservice equipment, storage systems and hospitality management systems, HotelAsia2008 will showcase the future of hospitality operations, bringing together manufacturers, producers and buyers from the hotel, restaurant and foodservice sectors.

Bakery&Pastry2008

The Asian Pastry Cup aims to promote pastry art through a competitive approach, by providing an ideal platform for pastry chefs to meet and share their ideas on how to enhance the fine art of creative pastry.

Founded by Valrhona and Ravifruit in partnership with Singapore Exhibition Services and Singapore Pastry Alliance (member of Singapore Chefs Association), the 2nd edition of the Asian Pastry Cup is the official platform to pre-select three Asian countries to participate in the World Pastry Cup in Lyon, France. 2008's competition will see 10 teams from around Asia competing and displaying their skills in front of a live audience. Teams that have confirmed their participation are from Australia, China, Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan and Vietnam. Japan and Korea will not be a part of this selection as they run their own national selections.

HospitalityStyleAsia

Hotels are not only pumping big bucks into expanding globally, the heat is on to stay competitive within the market, by offering luxurious guestrooms. Consumers nowadays have high expectations and hotels have to keep up with their demands in order to keep pace with the intense competition. At HospitalityStyleAsia2008, you will find all the luxurious furnishings, eye-catching tableware, chic interior products, trendy accessories and related services needed to support Asia's growing hospitality industry.

Hospitality Technology

The event where the world's cutting-edge technology providers can present their solutions to hospitality & foodservice industries. Increase your sales, uncover new business prospects, build new partnerships and engage in host of networking opportunities at the event.

Trade visitors to FHA2008 can get a first hand understanding of the latest and most sophisticated technologies in the hospitality industry at the HotelTec Showcase. The uniquely designed showcase, located at the back of Hall 4, will feature state-of-the-art technologies, resources and products from the hospitality technology aspect of FHA2008. Trade visitors can experience the convenience and efficiency of technology applications at the showcase put together by leading hospitality technology companies such as Alcatel-Lucent, Bartech Automatic Systems, Infrasys , Sigma.3, Softbrands, Vingcard and many more! The Showcase will unveil technology applications such as: Hotel check-in using passport reader technology , Multimedia signages, The use of RFID technology to unlock the doors of hotel rooms, IP Phone Telephony, IPTV, etc.