Lee explains why Hong Kong’s accessibility made it the location of choice for the pan-Asian event that kicks off on September 7, 2011.
“There’s a lot of other shows out there that are in regional countries and very dedicated to China, Japan, Korea, Malaysia and Indonesia but we are looking to bring all of that together,” Lee said, of a market estimated to push through $45bn in the next couple of years.
“That’s where the growth is, that’s where the investment is and that’s where a lot of the innovation is as well.”
Latin America
Lee enthused about the just-announced South American version of the expo that will kick of on March 28-29 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
“It is very much a South American audience there incorporating Argentina, Peru, Mexico and other countries there as well,” he relayed.
Brazil’s emergence as a key growth economy, its product base and the growing interest of international companies in the country eased its selection for the show.
Europe
He said the flagship event – Vitafoods Europe – continued to grow with exhibitor and visitor numbers up by 15-20% in 2011.