4th Hotel, Hospitality & Food Asia successfully concludes at SLECC

A large gathering of the hospitality industry and its suppliers were seen at the fourth Hotel, Hospitality & Food Asia 2016 which was held recently at SLECC. The show concluded successfully with a host of new suppliers showcasing some of the latest products in the market. The show was inaugurated by Minister of Tourism Development and Christian Affairs John Amaratunga.

“We were happy to see a focused audience attend the event from all parts of the country. We are also very thankful to all the stakeholders of the show, especially our sponsors and exhibitors. The show had a host of great seminars and workshops which we intend to build on. We have to make a greater effort to make it a show that attracts more international exhibitors and regional visitors. It is in the making to be a show that is sought after by the industry and the region in the coming years. Our team is confidently moving towards this,” said MP Events Lanka Ltd. Director Emile Gunesekera. 

“I am pleased to inaugurate this event once again. I hope that this event grows in scale to be an event that the industry can benefit from in the coming years. The Government of Sri Lanka is committed to the development of the MICE industry in Sri Lanka and we do hope more exhibitors as well as visitors will come through events such as this,” said Minister Amaratunga.

The event was supported by the Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Industry and Commerce, Sri Lanka Convention Bureau, the Board of Investment, National Chamber of Commerce, Green Building Council of Sri Lanka, Bakery Owners Association of Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka Association of Professional Exhibition and Conference Organizers, Association of Small and Medium Enterprises in Tourism, and Regional Hoteliers Associations. It was organised by MP Events Lanka Ltd. and co organised by China Council for Promotion of International Trade, BM Sub Council Beijing while the Platinum Sponsor was UK Enterprise Ltd.

A large number of exhibitors representing various sectors of the hospitality industry showcased their products and services. Some of the sectors included food and beverages, software systems, hotel equipment, furniture and accessories, packaging, FMCG products and construction material.

Hotel, Hospitality & Food Asia was an opening for new suppliers to showcase the latest products while it enabled existing suppliers to find new buyers and create an avenue for international suppliers to enter the market. It also enabled buyers to visit and identify these suppliers who could help purchasing managers and buying decision makers increase their vendor base, while meeting their existing suppliers who have new and innovative products.

One of the highlights of this year’s exhibition were the training programs specially put together to equip the human resource requirement of the ever-expanding hospitality industry in Sri Lanka. Some of the programs on offer were Waste Management Systems for the Hospitality Industry, Organic and Quality Certification conducted by the National Chamber of Exporters, Hotel Maintenance Management conducted by RH Training, Lean Management Tools for the Leisure Industry conducted by the Asian Institute of Excellence, and Elevated Guest Experience with Motorola Intelligent Radios conducted by Motorola.

HHF is an annual showcase of hotel suppliers and the organisers are bracing themselves for a greater platform for the industry in 2017.