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THE STAR - PRESS RELEASE

APRIL 2002

 

 

Sandton Convention Centre to play host to major players in food, drink and hospitality industries

 

Major players at the forefront of the food, drink and hospitality industries are ready to dazzle and entice at The Star Food & Hotel Africa 2002 exhibition at the Sandton Convention Centre, 28 September to 1 October 2002.

 

This highly acclaimed exhibition, organised by leading exhibition organiser Specialised Exhibitions, showcases a comprehensive range of local and international products and services.

 

"We know how important tourism is to our country, and Food & Hotel Africa makes a positive contribution to this industry by profiling the latest trends and developments in food, beverage and hospitality, and, being an international exhibition, attracting visitors from around the globe," says Renee de Winnaar, Exhibition Manager, Specialised Exhibitions.

 

"This year we have made some changes to the show, including being open on a Saturday and Sunday to enable interested consumers the chance to see what’s new in the food industry and hotel business. The inclusion of The Star Angela Day Food Theatre is a huge bonus for us, and promises to be of immense interest and of great value to consumers," she says.

 

Specialised Exhibitions and Food & Hotel Africa 2002 is thrilled to have The Star as a partner. This partnership, together with the support of the Federated Hospitality Association of South Africa (FEDHASA) and the South African Chefs’ Association, is promising to create an exciting and fun show that is set to tantalize the taste buds. 702 Talk Radio is also on board as a media sponsor.

 

Showcase of local and international products

 

Food & Hotel Africa 2000 attracted over 6 500 visitors with many international visitors from around the world including Australia, Belgium, France, Germany, India, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Russia, Singapore, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, the USA, and from Sub-Saharan Africa - all giving positive feedback on exhibitor professionalism and the vast quality product range.

 

"The show provides a tightly focused platform for business research and development, promoting trade and investment, accelerating the sales process, launching of new products, exploring networking opportunities and marketing of products and services," says de Winnaar.

 

"We are expecting strong international participation for the show which will enable local companies to establish stronger international trade links whilst exploring lucrative investment opportunities."

 

Exhibitor line-up

 

There isn’t any doubt as to the benefits of exhibiting at The Star Food & Hotel Africa 2002. Says Laurie Robinson, Distribution Area Sales Manager, Bavaria Brau of the previous show: "It was great, with very good quality visitors that generated plenty of very good leads." Noni Torrent, Representative USA Rice Federation, SA, agreed: "The show was very good with good quality visitors and leads – we will participate again."

 

Frey’s Quality Meats was also positive, with its MD Walter Frey saying: "we were very satisfied with the organisation of the show, which brought us a lot of new business leads."

 

"The Star Food & Hotel Africa 2002 will provide the industry with the opportunity to position itself in both the local and global markets, to view the latest trends, to get a fair indication on how South Africa competes with international counterparts, and to explore this lucrative market even further," says Willem Fick, Executive Director, FEDHASA.

 

Amongst the line up of exhibitors this year, Fairview, well known for its goat and cows milk cheeses and its red and white wines, will be using the exhibition to promote a wide product range including its popular Brie, Camembert and blue cheeses.

Promotional company Thirsty's will be back with its innovative "Supercoaster" and the new "leather look" foiled coaster, both available as a unique corporate gift.

Sycro Distribution will be offering a wide range of products including book matches, bar accessories, Glowarm patio heaters, Greenheat® - a non-spill, long, clean burning spirit gel for chafing dishes, Platemate - a hygienic and practical plate stacking system, and the Wino Dino, a third-hand cocktail plate clip which clips onto your plate and holds your wine glass, leaving one hand free.

 

Clover S.A. will be showcasing products such as fresh milk, juices, fermented products, cheese and butter, and will also focus on spray drying, blending and mixing facilities that enable manufacture of customised products ranging from skimmed milk powder to baby formulae, baking mixes and ice cream products.

Led by Cape Wine Master Christine Rudman, the Cape Wine Academy has strived to instil a greater sense of awareness and appreciation of wine into the South African public and will be promoting its comprehensive wine courses that are structured to address the needs of a variety of students, be they wine lovers intent on simply understanding more about a favourite hobby, or trade professionals who require in-depth knowledge to enhance their job performance.

A patented system that gives a warm glow of traditional candlelight and used by thousands of clubs, restaurants, hotels, special events facilities, guest houses, caterers, cruise liners, retirement homes and holiday resorts across the globe on a daily basis is what Custom Candle Sales delivers. This elegant and romantic decoration item is perfectly sized for the dining room table and provides light of 7 - 10 hours with its unique rechargeable candles.

Inn Staff specialises in the supply on demand of professional temporary and contract personnel to the hospitality industry lending credibility and support to staff and customers.

 

Well known brand names such as Granny Goose, Sealy Mattresses, Hospitality Classics, Prestige Cleaning, Hi-Chem Chemicals and Panasonic Business Equipment will be brought together at the exhibition by Hospitality Warehouse, a joint venture between AXS-One and RCI Southern Africa that offers customers an Internet based shopping hub, a full end-to-end procurement system, a complete supply chain management offering as well as an outsourced fulfilment process.

 

 

Government applauds international exposure

 

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) applauded the show for its ability to give exhibitors international exposure and for industry players to view endless sophisticated products and services available in the industry.

 

Says Richard Helm, agricultural counsellor for the USDA in Pretoria: "American exhibitors were very positive about Food & Hotel Africa 2000 and believe it to be a ‘must attend’ event for anyone wanting exposure for their food and beverage products in South Africa."

 

The US pavilion theme of an American Café spotlighted products from various companies with product sampling scheduled at regular times during the day ensuring product exposure for exhibitors.

 

"Our US delegation included individual exhibitors as well as several companies that used the American Café as a vehicle for representation of their products at the show – a decision that generated high volumes of future sales."

 

"We are hoping to be back at this year’s show and look forward to another successful event," Helm concluded.

 

 

European Pavilion

 

A European pavilion comprising 15 companies is in final planning stages after overseas funding was made available to the UK companies. This will make for a strong British stand - with food and drink being the most important aspect for British exhibitors.

 

"With The Star as our partner, and with the support of FEDHASA, the SA Chefs’ Association and 702 Talk Radio, this year promises to deliver even greater benefit to both visitors and exhibitors," says de Winnaar.

 

For further information on exhibiting or visiting The Star Food & Hotel Africa 2002, contact Renee de Winnaar at (011) 835 1565 or email renee@specialised.com