Largest trade promotion organisation in China partners in 4th Hotel Hospitality & Food Asia Exhibiti

Embassy of Sri Lanka Commercial Manager Chami, CCPITBM Beijing representative David Jones, CCPIT Deputy Director Zhang Beijing, World Hotel Association Chairman Wu , CCPITBM Beijing, Vice President Zhou , Embassy of Sri Lanka Beijing 2nd Secretary Lashinka Dammullage, MP Events Lanka Ltd Director Emile Gunesekera and CCPITBM Beijing Director Jane Fu

The Embassy of Sri Lanka in Beijing, together with MP Events Lanka Ltd and the China Council for Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), Building Materials sub council Beijing launched Hotel, Hospitality & Food Asia2016 Exhibition (HHF)amidst a large gathering of Chinese media and other supporting Organisations in Beijing, China.

CCPIT is the largest state organisation, committed to promoting international trade in China and this will mark the first major exhibition partnership between a Sri Lankan company and a major state organisation in China, who have entered in to a long term cooperation to promote the trade show business in Sri Lanka. The first project they will embark on is the 4th Hotel, Hospitality & Food Asia 2016 Exhibition. With this partnership, the two organisations plan to create a show that will not only cater to the local industry in Sri Lanka but also draw visitors from regional countries and make Sri Lanka a hospitality supply hub in the coming years. The exhibition element is a very important component to take MICE business in Sri Lanka forward. This partnership could largely benefit the show as well as the larger exhibition industry in the country.

HHF was created to open doors for quality foreign suppliers to come in and create partnerships with existing suppliers in the market and to uplift the offer they make to the hospitality industry. It will also be an opportunity to extend the offering to other regional markets. This partnership will enable the industry to benefit by way of varied and quality supplies.

China is one of the largest suppliers to the world and Sri Lanka can immensely benefit by having good Chinese companies coming in and bringing the latest products that are on offer globally to the local market. This was the objective of the partnership and the show will be extensively promoted across mainland China to secure these suppliers. 

The press conference saw some of the high profile figures of the hospitality industry in China and they have extended their fullest cooperation towards making HHF a show that will be recognised in the region. 

Speaking at the press Conference, Vice President of CCPITBM Zhizhou Zhou said, “We are glad to partner with MP Events Lanka Ltd, in presenting the 4th Hotel, Hospitality & Food Asia 2016 Exhibition. We hope together we can create an avenue for Chinese exhibitors to enter into this exciting and growing market to provide their best offerings to the Sri Lankan Hospitality Industry. We are also pleased to see the interest shown by Chinese tourists in visiting this beautiful Island nation. As our relations go a long way, we will make every effort to cultivate it and further strengthen our ties through this show and shows in the future”.

Among the other speakers at the event was the Founding Chairman & Director of the World Hotel Association Wu Junlin who said “China and Sri Lanka have a long history and we are very happy to support the efforts of the two organisations in presenting the 4th Hotel, Hospitality & Food Asia 2016 Exhibition. We are also very happy with this initiative and partnership which will further enhance the relationship between our two nations. I am sure China has much to offer Sri Lanka and the South Asian region and this show will no doubt be the ideal platform.” 

Second Secretary of the Embassy of Sri Lanka Lashinka Dammullage highlighted the growth in Tourism in Sri Lanka and emphasised on the significant increase in the arrivals in Chinese tourists to Sri Lanka, She said, “We are very happy to note that CCPITBM has partnered with MP Events Lanka Ltd, to present the Hotel, Hospitality & Food Asia 2016. It is the first time and we are very pleased to see a large state organisation partner with a local company to promote trade especially bring in the latest hospitality supplies to Sri Lanka”.

The growth prospects of Sri Lanka and the confidence shown by the large hotel chains, and the need for quality supplies and the opportunity for foreign suppliers and the future of HHF was highlighted in the presentation made by Emile Gunesekera, Director of MP Events Lanka Ltd. He also said, “Sri Lanka is an opportunity for quality suppliers. It’s a growing market and the need is great. The greater opportunity is that Sri Lanka could be an exhibition hub for the region and looking ahead, suppliers who establish themselves early can extend their offering to the entire South Asian region making Sri Lanka a central point. This is the future that we aspire for the industry and together with CCPITBM and Hotel, Hospitality & Food Asia exhibition we will make this happen in the not too distant future. We want our local suppliers as well as the foreign participants to benefit from a larger market that is beyond Sri Lanka and the Maldives”.

The Hotel, Hospitality & Food Asia Exhibition is scheduled to take place from 30 September – 2 October at the Sri Lanka Exhibition & Convention Centre, Colombo and it is a must-participate show for all local suppliers as well as a must-visit show for hoteliers and those involved in operating, managing, maintaining, and building hotels. It will be the ideal meeting place for the industry. The show will also be packed with a host of seminars and workshops that the industry can largely benefit from.

The show is supported by the Ministry of Tourism& Christian Affairs, Ministry of Industry and Commerce, The Bakery Owners Association of Sri Lanka, the Green Building Council of Sri Lanka, The Colombo City Hoteliers Association, The Hotels Association of Sri Lanka, National Chamber of Exporters, Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry in Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka Convention Bureau, Association for Small & Medium Enterprises in Tourism, Board of Investments and Sri Lanka Association of Professional Conference & Exhibition Organisers.