The second edition of Food & Hotel Digital Week which ran from 13-17th July 2020 recorded more than 8,000 industry professionals, 60% increase from the first edition in May. The webinar series, with 100 speakers participating in more than 50 sessions, also saw a record rate of over 47% attendance.
Industry Webinar Series – 15 – 16th July
As businesses in the hospitality sector rethink strategies and recovery post-crisis, many establishments are redefining their business models and operations under a new set of rules and regulations. Themed “Hospitality’s New Normal – Restoring HoReCa in Asia”, the two-day industry webinar series covered issues from recovery in regional tourism and hotel sector, workforce skills, redesigning of customer experiences to challenges in the Asian meat and specialty coffee markets.
Global thought leaders from Accor, ASEAN Coffee Federation, City & Guilds, Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne, Electrolux Professional, GlobalData, Jumeirah Hospitality, Michelin Guide Asia, Skypoint Hospitality and Technology, Singapore Tourism Board, STR, Worldchefs and various hotel associations from the region shared strategies for business recovery, trends and opportunities especially in the Asian markets. Attendees were impressed with the relevance and timeliness of the programme, as well as the quality and knowledge of the speakers.
“Our first webinar experience at Food & Hotel Digital Week hosted by Informa Markets has been a rewarding experience made possible with the strong internal support, planning and backend support by Informa Market’s Digital Week team. We look forward to working with Informa Markets on future similar events,” commented Mitsubishi Gas Chemical, provider of chemical products and solutions for the food packaging sector, sponsor of Food & Hotel Digital Week.
Commenting on the industry webinar series, speaker Jesper Palmqvist, Area Director Asia Pacific, STR said, “As a long-time supporter of and collaborator with FHA – and anything that contributes to the growth of Singapore, I very much enjoyed representing STR and participating in the webinar discussing hospitality recovery and online trends at the digital version of the event– and hopefully the next event will be in person again!”
“Thanks for the opportunity to participate in such an interesting panel discussion on a strategically important subject. I believe it was educational for me as well as for everybody who attended. We need to move faster and I believe we should work on showing that things can be changed in a quick way if people understand the issue in all its aspects,” said Alberto Zanata, President and CEO, Electrolux Professional.
“We would like to thank Informa Markets for inviting ASEAN Coffee Federation as one of their partners at the Food & Hotel Digital Week – July Webinar. The virtual event was professionally run with a great turnout. The exchanges between the panellists and the audience were excellent where experiences and forecasts in the coffee industry were shared. We will certainly be looking forward to future participation in the event,” said Steven Tan, Executive Director, ASEAN Coffee Federation (ACF).
FHA Congress – 13 – 14th July
The inaugural FHA Congress co-located with Food & Hotel Digital Week saw a total of 123 attendees from countries and regions such as Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, Korea, and USA, tuning in to catch the simultaneous livestream conference tracks. Industry professionals in the hospitality, food manufacturing and food service sectors, industry associations and regulatory bodies participated in live polls, quizzes and surveys throughout the two-day conference.
Experts from the “Hospitality and F&B – A Strategic Retrofit” track shared best strategies on food safety and quality, F&B and hospitality operations and digitalisation of operations. The second track “Food Manufacturing, Trade & Retail” was a platform for food manufacturers, retailers and innovation experts to exchange technological and operational strategies in an uncertain post-pandemic economic landscape. Debates and discussion also focused on topics ranging from e-retail, food delivery, plant-based meats to Food-Tech and Industry 4.0 solutions for the food & hospitality industry.
“The FHA Congress broke new ground by going fully virtual. With over 50 speakers across two days and four tracks, participants got hot-off-the press updates on how to manage current COVID-related challenges, and future outlook for industry. From operations to digitalisation, food safety to sustainable procurement, and growing markets through e commerce, innovation and new product lines, the discussions were broad yet insightful. We thank all participants and speakers for their contribution and look forward to welcoming you back,” said Sukumar Verma, Managing Director, Informa Connect Singapore.
Country webinar sessions – 17th July
To cap off the exciting week, industry experts from India and Indonesia spoke at length about the opportunities for businesses in the countries. Organised by Food & Hotel India, the “HoReCa – B2B Opportunities for Modern Trade, Cash & Carry Businesses” session presented a current overview of the hospitality industry in India and plans for revival. Speakers from the Forum of Indian Food Importers, Hotel Sahara Star, HVS, Lite Bite Foods, METRO Cash & Carry India, Stanza Living, Travel Trends Today and VIE Hospitality shared their thoughts and perspectives in the cash & carry business.
“Overcoming the Challenges of Culinary Business in The Future” session, organised by Food & Hotel Indonesia, had speakers from the Association of Culinary Professionals – Indonesia and Foodizz.id sharing insights into the culinary sector in the country, challenges and opportunities in the future.
“At a time when cross-border business travel is almost impossible, Saladplate has created a bridge between suppliers and buyers across the region, a premier international wholesale marketplace for sourcing food, beverages and hospitality products from around the world,” said Dave Chan, Founder – Saladplate.com, Vice President – Digital Business & Advanced Analytics, Informa Markets. “We believe Saladplate will grow to become the new norm for businesses to connect even after the pandemic has gone. Through our involvement with Food & Hotel Digital Week industry professionals could see how Saladplate makes sourcing new food and hospitality products smooth and simple and experience the robust, secure technology behind it.”
The next Food & Hotel Digital Week will be held in October 2020, more details will be announced at a later date. For more information, please visit: .
