HKTDC Food Expo And Concurrent Fairs Open Today

Week-long global gourmet food parade and a whole lot more

HONG KONG, Aug 12, 2021 - (ACN Newswire) - The HKTDC Food Expo, HKTDC Hong Kong International Wine & Spirits Fair (Special Edition), HKTDC Hong Kong International Tea Fair, HKTDC Home Delights Expo and HKTDC Beauty & Wellness Expo, hosted by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), opened today at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC). The five public fairs have assembled 900 exhibitors from Hong Kong and beyond to showcase a global selection of delicacies and lifestyle products. About 85% of the exhibitors said they are making available at least one consumption voucher payment method to provide a smoother shopping experience for visitors.

In addition to the five public fairs, the International Conference of the Modernization of Chinese Medicine and Health Products (ICMCM), jointly organised by the HKTDC and the Modernized Chinese Medicine International Association, runs at the HKCEC on 12 and 13 August.

Officiating at this morning's opening ceremony for the fairs was Guest of Honour Edward Yau, Secretary of Commerce and Economic Development of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). Margaret Fong, HKTDC Executive Director, said: "Given the current travel restrictions, we are grateful to see group and individual exhibitors from outside Hong Kong showcasing products through their local representatives, including those from Mainland China, Cambodia, Finland, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Norway, the Philippines, Poland, Thailand and Vietnam. Their presence underlines Hong Kong's strength as the ideal trading platform through which food suppliers from around the world can expand their business networks. We are most delighted to welcome 900 exhibitors who are showing their support for these events."

On-site hygiene measures to ensure safe shopping experience

The well-being and safety of exhibitors and visitors is the top priority at the exhibitions. Various measures have been put in place to protect people against the pandemic, including requiring everyone entering and staying in the fairground to wear a mask; not allowing eating, drinking and sample tasting in the fairground; setting up temperature-screening stations; providing hand sanitiser at multiple locations around the venue; and stepping up the cleaning and disinfection of exhibitors' booths and the venue itself. Physical ticket sales for the August exhibitions are not available at the fairground to avoid the use of cash and minimise contact. Visitors can pay with their Octopus cards at the entrance toll booths to gain entry. To spread the flow of visitors and encourage the public to visit the exhibitions during non-peak hours, the HKTDC has introduced morning and night admission tickets at special prices.

Updates on the visitor flow and crowd control measures at the HKCEC will be provided on the event website for the consideration of those wishing to visit the fairs. For more details, please visit hkfoodexpo.hktdc.com/tc

Food Expo (12-16 Aug): wide selection of delicacies and culinary masterclasses

The 31st Food Expo comprises the Gourmet Zone and the Public Hall. The Public Hall, which opens throughout the five-day fair, showcases a global selection of food items including Japanese salted half boiled egg marinated in sea salt from Okinawa (booth: 1B-D02); Malaysian bak kut teh from Klang Back Street King Seng (booth: 1B-C21); radish pickles with three times more Chinese parsley, deep fried garlic, sakura shrimp and dried chillies (booth: 1C-B34) and low-calorie cauliflower rice (booth: 1E-E21). The Premium Food Zone in the Public Hall features food items offered by more than 20 renowned brands, including Tai Pan's brand-new vegan snowy mooncakes, Maxims' "Minions Collection" mooncakes, as well as other products from Nissin, Chui Lau Heung, WH Group, Chewy, Kee Wah, Wing Wah, Super Star Group, Tao Ti and more. New joiners in 2021 include Sau Tao and Chen Yun Pao Chuan.

The much-anticipated Gourmet Zone is open to the public for four consecutive days (12 to 15 August) and features five thematic zones, namely Asian Cuisine, Western Delicacy, Sweet Delight, Green Palate and Coffee Avenue. Speciality food items are featured in each zone, including tender aged sashimi with rich umami taste (booth: 3C-B17); lemon ginger kombucha that is both healthy and delicious (booth: 3C-E08); decaffeinated sparkling coffee tea brewed from Bolivian Cascara (booth: 3C-F24); Japanese Kohakuiro plum wine that uses 100% Japanese plums soaked in distilled brandy (booth: 3C-A02); and Daitouryou premium white peach from Yamanashi, Japan with 13.5 degrees of sweetness (booth: 3C-F07).

Activity highlights at the Food Expo include:

- Culinary masterclasses on "Less Salt and Sugar" recipes to encourage urbanites to develop healthy eating habits (13 August)

- Cooking demonstrations performed by eight celebrity chefs, including Ricky Cheung, Executive Chef of The Food Story; Kitty Siu, Executive Chef of Kitty's Kitchen; Will Leung, Executive Chef of 1111; Sandy Keung, founder and Executive Chef of Good BBQ; and Ng Kong-kiu, founder and Chef of Ju Xing Home (12 to 15 August)

- Local Fresh 123 at which the Fish Marketing Organization and Vegetables Marketing Organization will introduce fresh ingredients from local fisheries and farms (13 August)

- A series of seminars covering topics such as Dark Magic in Microwave Cooking (13 August), Plant-based Meat Development in Hong Kong (13 August), EatSmart Restaurant Star+ (12 August), Diet Therapy (14 and 15 August) and Foodwise (13 August)

- The Beef-and-egg King Prize Presentation Ceremony, highlighting what goes into making one of the most popular choices served at Hong Kong-style cafes, the beef and egg sandwich (13 August)

- Hosted by Jacky Chan, Chef's Dialogue invites three renowned Hong Kong chefs to share their tips on cooking, eating and ingredient selection (14 August)

Wine & Spirits Fair (Special Edition) (12-16 Aug): expert sharing, huge range of drinks

A new addition to the August fairs, the Hong Kong International Wine & Spirits Fair (Special Edition) introduces a broad range of old and new world wines, such as Luna di Luna prosecco (booth: 3D-A01) and wine from the East Helan Mountain Area of Ningxia, Mainland China (booth: 3C-G14). Popular craft beers include Hokkaido Brewing Melon Ale (booth: 3D-A31); MiMi Beer Ruby Roselle Gose (booth: 3C-G13) and Lion Rock Signature, a beer with a silky foam and a refreshing complex fruity taste (booth: 3C-G12). Japanese sake and spirits lovers will enjoy Pure Rice Daiginjo Dairi Special Limited, a masterpiece sake by Fujinishiki brewed with Omachi rice and low-flow water from Mount Fuji, with a specially designed bottle in the shape of the sacred mountain (booth: 3C-G08), Japanese whisky with a unique yuzu and myrtle flavour (booth: 3C-G20) and other interesting brews.

Wine lovers should not miss the series of activities covering the outlook for natural wines (13 August); sake basics delivered by the Hong Kong General Chamber of Wine & Spirits (13 August); a chit-chat on wine and food pairing with TV host Cecilia Wong (14 August); criteria for selecting high-quality wines from different production regions by Anty Fung, an MWM Wine School recognised instructor (14 August); spirit recommendations by the Hong Kong Wine and Spirits Association (15 August), and more.

International Tea Fair (12-16 Aug): selected teas and teaware, inspirational events

The 12th Hong Kong International Tea Fair showcases a variety of high-quality specialty teas, including Rooibos Tea from South Africa (booth: 3D-A12), fully hand-processed Tieguanyin Coal Fired Tea (booth: 3D-A20), 2002 Yiwu Song Ping Hao Lao Shu Tea Block (booth: 3D-A16), premium blended Da Hong Pao and Aged Old Growth Shui Xian from Wuyi Mountain (booth: 3D-B13), Matcha Divine Cloud (booth: 3D-A08A) and other selected teas. Delicate teaware is also featured at the fair, such as NIKKO - FLOWER DANCE designed by Japanese artist Shinpei Naito (booth: 3D-A08), Nambu Iron Kettle from Japan (booth: 3D-A02) and a Famille-Rose tea bowl with an intricate image of a woman teaching her child in the garden (booth: 3D-A10). Activities include an introduction to Japanese tea leaves (13 August), Tea for the Soul (14 August), The Mystery of Tea Therapy (15 August) and a milk tea workshop hosted by KamCha (15 August).

Home Delights Expo (12-16 Aug): one-stop shop for home tech and household products

The Home Delights Expo returns for its seventh edition, running for five consecutive days. The Avenue of Delights gathers multiple lifestyle brands, such as Towngas, ZWILLING J.A. Henckels, Tiger and German Pool, offering various kinds of home appliances, kitchenware, tableware and household items. Featured products include sterilisation items such as a car air purifier that employs NASA-developed technology (booth: 3F-D20) and an intelligent disinfection diffuser using ultrasonic technology (booth: 3G-E07).

In addition, the fair features Hong Kong's first-ever Smart (IoT) Anti-scorch Gas Built-in Hob (booth: 3F-E02), which can be linked to a mobile application that ensures hassle-free monitoring and supports remote emergency shut-off; and a foldable universal cooker that can be used as an electric oven, a hot pot, a stir-fryer, a grill pan or a barbeque grill (booth: 3F-A16), offering a creative solution for those who love cooking but have limited space at home. Other attractions include a showcase of home design solutions from the Hong Kong Furniture and Decoration Trade Association, while Sharon Lam, Founder of Home Therapy, will deliver a talk on decluttering under the pandemic (12 August).

Beauty & Wellness Expo (12-16 Aug): discover the formula for improved wellbeing

The fifth Beauty & Wellness Expo welcomes the Federation of Beauty Industry (H.K.), Hong Kong Hair & Beauty Merchants Association, International Beauty & Health General Union and The Cosmetic & Perfumery Association of Hong Kong to present a variety of health- and beauty-related products at their pavilions. Popular products include a bedding and mattress spray with an anti-dust mite function and blended Indian Neem and eucalyptus essential oils (booth: 3E-D06); an energy-balancing therapy machine that incorporates big data into body analysis and health advice (booth: 3E-A12); and a professional plasma skin purification treatment that employs thermal plasma condensation technology to purify skin, enhance absorption and accelerate skin regeneration (booth: 3D-C01).

Mask-induced skin problems have become of increasing concern since the pandemic began. Beauty & Health Columnist Yoko Tsang will share tips on treating mask-related skin problems (15 August). On the same day, the Hong Kong China Federation of Bodybuilding & Fitness will stage an event to introduce the Hong Kong Bodybuilding & Fitness Invitation Championship.

ICMCM (12 to 13 August): convergence of healthcare insights

Jointly organised by the HKTDC and the Modernized Chinese Medicine International Association, the International Conference of the Modernization of Chinese Medicine and Health Products (ICMCM) runs on 12 and 13 August. The conference this year is themed "Integrative Medicine for Prevention and Treatment of COVID-19 and Related Disorders: Clinical Studies and Product Development", presenting invaluable Chinese medicine insights to industry practitioners. The speaker line-up features professors from Yale University in the United States and experts from the Netherlands, Malaysia, Mainland China and Hong Kong. Running in a hybrid format, physical and online sessions will be offered to facilitate the exchange of ideas among participants. Registered Chinese medicine practitioners in Hong Kong are eligible for the CME application.

More opportunities to spend consumption vouchers plus daily lucky draw

The HKTDC has invited Octopus and WeChat Pay to provide exhibitors with exclusive discounts to encourage them to use the payment platforms, which in turn will give visitors more opportunities to spend their recently received consumption vouchers under the HKSAR Government's Consumption Voucher Scheme. Besides, the "Buy-more-win-more Lucky Draw" will be held every day during the exhibition period with prizes including five-star hotel accommodation packages, restaurant vouchers, luxury food items, skincare kits and health products. Spending HK$200 or more with a single receipt gives visitors one entry into the lucky draw - the more you spend, the greater your chance of winning.

The HKTDC has launched the August Happy Buy website for the five exhibitions, allowing the public to keep up to date with the latest shopping news and various flash sales, including a HK$1 Super Star Seafood Feast, bottled Hong Kong-style milk tea and Musang King durian snowy mooncakes. E-coupons can be downloaded in advance to enjoy all the special offers at the exhibitions. For more details, please visit the August Happy Buy website at

https://ecoupon.hktdc.com/food

In addition, a vaccination incentive campaign is running during the fairs to give out 30,000 free admissions to citizens who have been vaccinated (that is, having received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine). Members of the public can enter the venue for free on weekday mornings (12, 13 and 16 August before 12 noon) by presenting their COVID-19 vaccination record. Free admission will be given on a first-come-first-served basis while the quota lasts. Many exhibitors are also participating in providing discounts and gifts for people who have been vaccinated. For details, please visit the August Happy Buy website.

Websites:

- HKTDC Food Expo:

https://hkfoodexpo.hktdc.com

- HKTDC Hong Kong International Wine & Spirits Fair (Special Edition):

https://hkwinefairaugust2021.hktdc.com

- HKTDC Hong Kong International Tea Fair:

https://hkteafair.hktdc.com

- HKTDC Home Delights Expo:

https://homedelights.hktdc.com

- HKTDC Beauty & Wellness Expo:

https://hkbeautyexpo.hktdc.com

- The International Conference of the Modernization of Chinese Medicine and Health Products (ICMCM):

https://icmcm.hktdc.com

- August Happy Buy website:

https://ecoupon.hktdc.com/food/

About HKTDC

The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body established in 1966 to promote, assist and develop Hong Kong's trade. With 50 offices globally, including 13 in Mainland China, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a two-way global investment and business hub. The HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to create business opportunities for companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in the mainland and international markets. The HKTDC also provides up-to-date market insights and product information via trade publications, research reports and digital news channels. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Follow us on Twitter @hktdc and LinkedIn

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