Inaugural Food Vision Asia 2016 concludes with resounding success

More than 160 senior figures from Asia Pacific and beyond converged at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, Singapore, for the inaugural Food Vision Asia, which took place in April. The forum, which is part of the Food Vision events series, attracted the participation of delegates from 25 countries, as they explored Asia’s rapidly evolving nutrition and food & beverage market through a wide-ranging series of presentations, debates and panel discussions.

'During the last few years, we’ve noticed an increase in interest for our events from industry professionals in Asia,' said Margarete Baltay, Food Vision’s Event Director. 'Food Vision Asia was created to serve this region and to offer industry professionals more direct access to a Food Vision event. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, and it reaffirms our decision to bring the event to Asia.'

Knowledge-transfer and senior level networking: Following the proven Vision events formula of knowledge transfer and senior level networking, Food Vision Asia featured more than 12 hours of knowledge-sharing and discussions, led by a panel of 25 industry leaders from diverse backgrounds, all of whom are experts in their respective fields.

During the course of the event, speakers shared deep insights on their latest research findings or market observations, and delegates examined how they could apply what they gathered in their own fields. The extensive range of topics catered to businesses from the Asia-Pacific region and yet remained relevant to the industry at large, truly capturing the attention of all the attendees.

In addition, delegates also benefited greatly from the ample networking opportunities made available at Food Vision Asia. Lasting connections were forged throughout all 3 days as delegates and speakers alike engaged in robust interactions and active discussions during the speed networking session, roundtable lunch and coffee breaks.

Reflecting the positive sentiments felt during Food Vision Asia, results from a post-event survey revealed that 9 out of 10 delegates think Food Vision Asia succeeded in connecting leaders from the nutrition, food and beverage industry, while 86% are confident that the knowledge they gained will add value to their businesses. 'The various sessions at Food Vision Asia were very insightful,' said Hendra Adisubrata, Food Manufacturing Director at TPS Food. 'The event provided a wide range of industry information and enabled me to network with delegates from all over the world.'

Sara Aparicio Hill, Associate at K&L Gates, concurred, saying that the event provided her with an opportunity to glean new insights to the food industry. She revealed: 'Food Vision Asia has been most impressive with its quality conference line-up. The topics are very relevant and the speakers have shared some practical advice and refreshing insights that will be most helpful to industry professionals. In my line of work, it is important to stay up-to-date with the latest news about the F&B market. Being at Food Vision Asia has allowed me to gain an even better understanding of the industry.'

Don McLellan, Chairman and Managing Director of AFC Yeast, who is in search of business opportunities, shared: 'I came to Food Vision Asia with the aim to commercialise our product, and I’ve had the chance to interact and connect with like-minded industry professionals here. I’m glad to be here and it’s been a really good experience.'

Hotbed for industry advancement: Of the many topics that were explored at Food Vision Asia, several stood out and were popular with the delegates at the event, including critical global issues such as malnutrition and obesity, and niche areas like nutrigenomics. These presentations received many queries from the attendees and prompted numerous additional discussions.

Even as delegates catch up on the latest market developments and forge new connections at Food Vision Asia, the event serves a larger purpose for the industry — shaping its future by engaging the top decision makes across sectors and countries. Through the in-depth discussions and interactions, Food Vision Asia challenges conventional thinking and inspires new opportunities for sustainability and profitability in business, impacting the industry beyond the event’s duration.

Apart from the discussions, Food Vision Asia was also the platform of choice for the launch of the Global Halal Alliance, validating its status as a leading forum in the nutrition industry. Led by the Iskandar Regional Development Authority and set up in collaboration with AsureQuality and Haltex Group, the alliance aims to develop a worldwide standard for the creation, marketing and sale of Halal products.

In addition, Food Industry Asia (FIA) hosted its Annual General Meeting in conjunction with Food Vision Asia, further testifying to the event’s prominence within the industry. The association worked in close partnership with the organisers to develop the programme and to reach out to the industry. Commenting on the success of Food Vision Asia, Steven Bartholomeusz, Head of Advocacy & Communications at Food Industry Asia, remarked: 'We collaborated closely with the team behind Food Vision Asia to put the conference agenda together. The turnout is great and the feedback about the conference sessions is very positive.'