FHA-HORECA Singapore's leading hospitality trade show
HoReCa Trade Exposition, Singapore Expo, Singapore
LOCATION
Singapore, Singapore
EVENT Venue
Singapore Expo Convention and Exhibition Centre
TREND
MAPPING
Events, Hospitality, Event Operations, Sustainability
HoReCa (Hotel Restaurant and Catering) is an annual event held at Singapore Expo in Singapore. This event brings together industry suppliers under one roof to showcase their products and new innovations. It is an ideal opportunity to connect with hospitality suppliers face to face and talk about their products and update teacher currency at the same time.
Entry is free but restricted to trade only. The event brings together an impressive combination of leading foodservice and hospitality suppliers highlighting 5 specialised sectors – Bakery, Pastry & Gelato; Foodservice & Hospitality Equipment; Hospitality Style; Hospitality Technology and Speciality Coffee & Tea.
34533
Attendees from
70 countries / regions
800
Exhibitors from
30 countries / regions
50000sqm
Exhibition Space
EXHIBITION ZONES
When I attend these events; I am in awe of the scale and I can imagine the logistics that have been organised to make the event happen.
The exhibition covered a massive 50000sqm footprint utilising 6 of the 10 available halls at the Singapore Expo site.
LAY OUT - HALL 6
Each exhibition hall had a similar layout and followed a standard format for exhibitions. Display booths were lined in a grid formation that created corridors that criss-crossed each 10000sqm hall. The corridors were wide and created easy two-way traffic flow for visitors to pass through.
As each hospitality sector had different
requirements; layouts also included staging,
data projection and culinary competitions.
DISPLAYS
The variety of exhibitors
was extensive with everything from; cutlery, crockery, coffee, furniture, gelato, pastry, technological advances, such as robotics and
loads of FOH, and BOH equipment.
Food and beverage
Suppliers shared their vision for the future and presented many new products that varied from a new take on the croissant to different styles of ice cubes. There also appeared to be a trend towards automated coffee machines. The range was phenomenal, but I've tried the coffee in a couple of hotels in Singapore, and it's just not the same as a barista made coffee.
Culinary competitions
A culinary challenge was held at the exhibition with a range of competitions, including chocolate sculpture and vegetable sculpture. Teams were also participating in the ASEAN Barista Championship, and vying to win the the Asian Pastry Cup and the Asian Gelato Cup competitions.
Technology and Robotics
Robotics took centre stage in Hall 2. This is where I could see the impact that robots will have on the hospitality industry into the future. They will definitely make things easier, but at the same time change the employment structure. This info graphic outlined the areas where robots can contribute now in hospitality, beginning from heavy lifting to drone surveillance of a hotels exterior. For a little more context see my robot experience at the Jen Hotel.
Sustainability
There was no carpet laid in this event, rather exposed concrete was evident across all event halls. Large promotional stickers were stuck to the floor to self-promote their sustainability credentials.
I did some some further research on this and found an article by Anum Yoon, a contributor for triplepundit.com who states that “carpets placed in landfills pose significant environmental hazards. If the carpet is made from synthetic materials, it degrades in landfills slowly and takes up space. Degrading carpets can also contribute to methane emissions.” To learn more from triple pundit see teacher resources below.
Stephen's Take
This hospitality event was extensive! It offered something for everyone and touched on every aspect of the hospitality industry. It was an ideal opportunity to get in touch with new technology and innovations and it really helped me reflect on what our industry does now, and challenged my mindset for what's in the future. Attending these types of events are a must for checking out new trends and updating your hospitality teacher currency.
Unit of Competency Mapping
Content in this article relates to the following units of competency
Source and use information on the events industry
Source and use information on the hospitality industry
Manage event production components
Participate in sustainable work practices
Please note; the purpose of this article is to introduce current hospitality trends. The content broadly applies to the units of competency listed. It is not intended that all content in this article maps directly to all performance evidence and knowledge evidence in the unit of competency.
Teacher Resources
Bring your teacher currency to the classroom! Try the following documents and website links!
Article and all photos original by Stephen Duncan