POST SHOW PRESS RELEASE

6 June 2012

With multiple free trade agreements now in place, Seoul Food & Hotel,Korea’s premier international exhibition for the food and hospitality industry, this year proved an even greater attraction to all of the world’s leading exporters. 

In a show more than a third larger than the previous event, 420 exhibitors from 43 countries, including 27 official national pavilions, displayed products for the entire food and hospitality industry. 

A total of almost 40,000 visitors saw dedicated exhibit areas for meat, seafood, wines & spirits, packaging, food safety and technology, as well as products and services for the whole hotel and restaurant sector.

Allworld Exhibitions’ Paul March commented: “We are delighted with the positive response of exhibitors and visitors to the event, and with the buoyant trading atmosphere generated in no small part by the ongoing series of free trade agreements betweenSouth Koreaand the world’s major trading blocs. Business was brisk throughout the entire four days of the show, while the new trade protocols augur very well for future events in the series.” 

There was also an enthusiastic reaction from organisers of many of the official national groups. Kilwon Lee, Royal Norwegian Embassy, said: “The Innovation Norway pavilion exhibited to promote Norwegian products and our companies made many good contacts, especially with potential importers”. 

Exhibitors, many of whom have already booked for the next event (14-17 May 2013) were also full of praise: “Seoul Food & Hotel is the perfect occasion to take advantage of the great business opportunities inKorea. We plan to return in 2013.” commented Paulina Wilamowska of the Polish Information and Foreign Investment Agency. 

This year’s show, co-organised as usual withKorea’s national trade and investment agency KOTRA, was once again held alongside Seoul Food, this year marking its 30th anniversary with the largest event ever in its history.

Seoul Food & Hotel serves a market that imports around 70 per cent of its food needs, with GDP growth approaching 4 per cent a year. The show draws a senior trade-only audience from all sectors of the food and beverage industry: retail, import, distribution, wholesale, manufacture and bakery, as well as the whole of the hospitality segment.