Trade Show News

Australian flavours find fans at Saudi Food Show

Over 50 Australian exporters brought a taste of Australia to Saudi Food Show in May– the largest food and beverage sourcing event in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Austrade was proud to join state, territory and industry partners to support Australian exhibitors across meat, dairy, convenience, health foods and beverages. Australia’s clean, green, quality food and beverages consistently stand out in the Middle East, says Bryony Hilless, Austrade General Manager for the Middle East, Africa & Pakistan. ‘As the Middle East’s population grows and consumers demand high-quality and reliable food and beverages, Australia has become a secure and trusted exporter to the region,’ she says. The Middle East is Australia’s fourth largest market for agricultural exports. In 2024, Australia exported A$4.7 billion in agricultural goods to the region –A$600 million to Saudi Arabia. ‘Saudi Food Show offered a golden opportunity for the region’s retailers, wholesalers and food service providers to connect with Australian producers and explore partnerships,’ says Hilless. ‘We are proud to report many quality connections were made between Australian businesses and these buyers.’ Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and a raft of global events are transforming the Kingdom’s food and beverage landscape. There are unparalleled opportunities for Australian exporters to provide the innovative, premium products, explains Austrade’s Trade and Investment Commissioner Todd Miller. ‘Opportunities as part of this transformation span tourism and food service industries, as well as increasing speciality products like organic and health foods and convenience products,’ he adds. Meat on the menu at the Australia Pavilion Austrade partnered with Meat & Livestock Australia to bring a taste of Australia’s premium products to the region. Australian lamb and beef exporters, including Karim and Stanbroke, brought a range of halal-certified, high-quality meats. Australian frozen and chilled meat exports to the region are increasing. Sheep meat exports doubled between 2020 and 2024 to […]

Fine Food Australia, the nation’s largest food trade event returns to Sydney in 2025

Australia’s largest trade event for the foodservice, hospitality, and retail industries is making its much-anticipated return to Sydney this year. Taking place between 8–11 September 2025, the International Convention Centre Sydney will once again host Fine Food Australia—a four-day showcase of innovation, inspiration, and unmatched opportunity for industry professionals ready to grow, connect, and lead. This year, the event is set to reach new heights. With a re-energised program, a stronger focus on connection, and new features designed to drive business outcomes, Fine Food Australia 2025 is a must attend for foodservice and hospitality professionals looking to set their business up for success. “We’re thrilled to be heading back to Sydney with a refreshed vision,” said Sinead Kavanagh, Commercial Product Manager of Fine Food Australia. “This year’s show has been curated to reflect the evolving needs of the industry. We’ve introduced new features, revitalised our educational content, and focused more than ever on creating genuine value for both visitors and exhibitors. It’s about sparking ideas and making real business connections.” One of the standout additions this year is the Artisanal Bakehouse, sponsored by Creative Ingredients. This new space brings together the baking and patisserie community in a purpose-built demonstration kitchen. It’s a hub for pastry chefs and bakers to connect, refine their techniques, and get hands-on with the latest artisanal trends shaping their craft. Meanwhile, the Culinary Kitchen will come alive daily with demonstrations from top chefs, producers, and food innovators, offering a glimpse into what’s next in the world of food. The newly launched Hospitality Hub is a dedicated networking space designed for hospitality professionals, foodservice operators, and industry suppliers to connect away from the show floor to dive into real business conversations. Navigating a show of this scale can be overwhelming, which is why this year brings dedicated Show […]

Australian food and beverage exporters unlock opportunities at Gulfood

Australian exporters are ready to meet the demand for high-quality food and beverages in the Middle East. Over 100 Australian food and beverage exporters showcased clean, green, quality products at Gulfood in Dubai — one of the world’s biggest food industry trade events. This year’s Australian delegation was one of the largest ever. A diverse range of products from premium meats, vegetables and dairy to innovative health foods and non-alcoholic wines were featured across Australian government and industry exhibition stands. Austrade Trade and Investment Commissioner Todd Miller says Australia is known worldwide for high-quality food and beverage produced in sustainable and ethical ways. ‘Gulfood provided our food exporters the opportunity to connect with importers, distributors and buyers from across the Middle East, Africa, Europe and South Asia. Gulfood is a hub for major buyers across the region,’ says Miller. Australian exhibitors made connections and explored opportunities during the trade show that ran from 17–21 February. Morlife, an Australian-based manufacturer and provider of wellness and dietary supplements, signed an agreement at Gulfood with a reputable local partner in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The local partner will handle the import, storage and supply of Morlife products across various market channels in the UAE. The arrangement ensures faster delivery times to retail outlets to meet growing demand. Austrade hosted the Australia Lounge where Australian producers and international buyers engaged and explored partnerships. The Lounge hosted 8 producers from classic functional foods like Manuka honey and eggs, to innovative probiotic drinks and non-alcoholic wines. These included: Ausgrape (Australian Vintage) Australia’s Manuka Australian Tea Masters Nature One Dairy PERKii Sunny Queen Australia The Ethical Drinks Co x I Love Zero Cocktail. All states were represented at the Australian Pavilion, including Tasmania for the first time. Among the stands were companies like Frosty Boy, The […]

Climate change to be discussed at Apiculture Conference

Rotorua will be abuzz with beekeepers and honey producers this June, as the apiculture industry gathers for the annual Apiculture New Zealand Conference and Trade Exhibition. Held from 24-26 June at the Rotorua Energy Events Centre, the theme of Conference 2021 is ‘Healthy Bees, Healthy Industry, Healthy Future’. Apiculture New Zealand chief executive Karin Kos says Conference is a great chance for the apiculture industry to tackle some of the big issues facing the sector. “We have a packed schedule with presentations, panel discussions and practical seminars covering some of the important challenges facing our industry. These include the effect of climate change on pollinators, new research around managing pests like varroa, and the state of the global honey market.” The annual Apiculture New Zealand Conference is highly anticipated by beekeepers, bee scientists, apicultural suppliers and wider industry says Karin. “As always, there will be plenty to learn and share, and lots of opportunities to catch up with beekeepers from across the country. We are particularly aware this year of the importance of the social side of Conference, after COVID-19 meant last year’s event had to cancelled. People are really keen to get together.” As uncertainties around COVID-19 remain, the organising committee are also preparing ‘Plan Bee’, a fully online digital conference, should this be necessary. “We are committed to having Conference this year one way or another,” says Karin. “Our preference, of course, would be the fully on-site face-to-face event, but we know that online events can work really well and allow for lots of interaction between attendees and presenters if this is what needs to happen.” A highlight of Conference is always the National Honey Competition, where honey producers from across the country vie for medals across a range of categories. Karin says beekeepers are already preparing […]

High capacity, easy palletising with Fuji robotics

Fuji Ace have been developing, supplying and improving palletising technology for nearly 40 years. In 1982 Fuji recognised the changing market and met the demands of the palletising industry by developing the first Robotic Palletiser. They have since perfected the mechanical and electrical aspects of robotic operation to match the needs of virtually every palletising application currently available, with over 10000 installations in operation. Aurora is excited to announce the addition of the Fuji range of Robotic Palletising systems to its extensive range of process equipment on offer. Aurora have for many years provided superior machinery for the Bulk Materials Handling industry and as solution providers we are able to combine modular type equipment for materials handling plants large and small. The addition of the Fuji range of Robotic Palletisers means Aurora offers its clients the choice of a high capacity, economical solution to handling bags and boxes on their packaging lines. As a specifically designed palletising robot the Fuji-Ace system provides many benefits over conventional robotic arm alternatives. The Fuji-Ace Palletiser reduces space and power requirements, provides the highest capacity cycle available, and is easily programmed and adjusted from the specific palletising controller, removing the previously time consuming task of programming the robot. Up to 30 stacking patterns can be programmed into the robots memory. Fuji also utilises a point to point control system that further reduces and simplifies programming time, with only the pick and drop points needing to be programmed for the first two layers. Aurora provides full automation and pallet transfer systems, specified to suit whatever application within all production environments. At Aurora we stand close behind our product and our industry leading brands are backed by expert advice, premium product, installation and scheduled servicing, that is second to none. All this is ultimately designed to […]

Hottest new dairy technology designed here

Technology designed to bring the power of intelligent communication and unprecedented future proofing to dairy farmers’ milking systems. The product is a newly designed product known as the Bail Marshal. The New Zealand owned company’s Chief Executive Dean Bell says the innovative product has been designed to enable all technology devices on a milking system to work together seamlessly and continually communicate with each other. “I believe the Bail Marshal will be the hottest new dairy technology device farmers will find they absolutely have to have,” Mr Bell says. Waikato Milking Systems is the largest 100% New Zealand owned dairy technology designer and manufacturer. The company exports to more than 30 countries around the world and has dealers nationwide. The company’s high performing milking system designs, including rotary and herringbone, save farmers time, money and labour in the dairy. The Bail Marshal helps improve the efficiency of dairy farming businesses. The Bail Marshal is an intelligent communication device that brings an unbeatable level of integration, simplicity and future proofing to milking systems. With one at every milking point, the Bail Marshal manages connectivity and communication between all bail devices easily and effectively.

First Fieldays Online a virtual success

The Fieldays Online concept and digital platform was created in just under 108 days. As New Zealand went into the national lockdown the New Zealand National Fieldays Society (NZNFS) began building an online event following the cancellation of the physical Fieldays; effectively transforming the largest agricultural show in the Southern Hemisphere into a completely virtual experience. The success of the event, which was held from the 13th – 26th July, was measured in several ways, from visitor numbers to global reach. Total digital visitors hit 90,455, with attendees from over 75 countries accessing nearly 300 exhibitors and over 24 hours of Fieldays TV content. Digital adoption in higher age groups exceeded expectations with 40 per cent of registered users in the 50+ age group. “The analytics show great viewership and engagement with the explosion of international visitors and, locally, a much higher regional spread beyond the traditional Fieldays. The success of this years’ event was a testament to the strong collaboration with our exhibitors and our relationships with industry leaders that got behind it despite not having a benchmark,” said Peter Nation, CEO NZNFS. The timing of the event was positioned to allow time for exhibitors to return to business post lockdown and leverage the event to the fullest; whilst this fell during the beginning of calving, registered users in the dairy industry ranked third in industry type. “It’s great to see Fieldays increasingly showcasing how we take our agricultural innovation global. Supporting growth and uptake of agritech will help future-proof the industry, increase high-value exports while improving sustainability and efficiency,” remarked Simon Yarrow, Agritech Group Manager at Callaghan Innovation. International supporters, Enterprise Ireland, who attended Fieldays for the 14th year, found that moving to an online event widened engagement with clients and colleagues overseas. “Despite the cancellation of the […]

Napier-based artist wins $5,000 Fieldays No.8 Wire National Art Award

Napier-based artist Asaki Kajima has won the $5,000 Fieldays No.8 Wire National Art Award for 2020 with a Dali-inspired sculptural artwork entitled Space Cow. In announcing the award at Hamilton’s ArtsPost, judge James Wright, said, “I’m very much a hands-on person and in this piece you see the hand of the maker. It’s raw and simplistic, but it’s heartfelt and that comes through. It’s how a farmer sees the animal when it’s hung, but it’s also an artwork you see on three levels with the shadows it throws.” The work was selected by a blind-judging process from 28 finalists, all of which are now on display at ArtsPost in Hamilton until 3 August. Mr Wright said the exhibition provided a wonderful vehicle for a genuinely New Zealand No.8 wire creative mentality. “The ability within our artistic community to turn an agricultural supply material into a compelling creative work is impressive. Everyone who can should take the opportunity to visit this uniquely Kiwi art exhibition.” He said he chose pieces that resonated with him, and spoke to his head and heart, but they were difficult decisions because the quality of all the artworks was very high. Managed by Waikato Museum Te Whare Taonga o Waikato, the annual award challenges artists to create sculptures using No.8 wire and other agricultural materials. Waikato Museum Director Cherie Meecham said, “This award has become a focal point for artists around the country interested in taking up a special challenge to reflect part of our national ethos.“ In presenting the awards, NZ National Fieldays Society President James Allen said, “Despite the challenges of the past few months the Award highlights the resilience and innovation of the rural community in artform. The works are a real credit to the creativity of Kiwi’s even in uncertain times. It’s […]

Fieldays Online

The first ever digital Fieldays was opened by The Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern Prime Minister of New Zealand, followed by an address by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. The Prime Minister opened the virtual gates to Fieldays Online with a nod to the efforts of the primary sector, who kept the country moving during the national lockdown. Ardern acknowledged the event is part of the fabric of the rural community and its significance in the local and national economy. The Prince, who is an avid supporter of sustainable agriculture, last visited Fieldays in 1970 when the event was in only its second year. In his message for Fieldays Online, His Royal Highness commended the Society for their decades of hard work and importance to the nation. “The idea behind Fieldays, to which I was first introduced all those years ago, has certainly flourished over these past five decades. All those who have nurtured it and helped it to grow can feel rightly proud of the way in which Fieldays has established its place in New Zealand life. It has come to be an indispensable opportunity to exchange ideas and knowledge, to connect different parts of the community, and to celebrate our shared relationships to the land.” New Zealand National Fieldays Society CEO Peter Nation was delighted to receive the royal reinforcement. “We don’t do things by halves here and we knew having an online event was a huge undertaking. But given the current circumstances we knew we had to do something, and we’ve worked really hard to bring the event to life in an utterly new and unique way. “Having the Prime Minister and The Prince offer their support is wonderful. We’re really proud of what’s on offer for the community both here in New Zealand and […]

Sustainable Foods Summit Asia-Pacific Key Topics

Hosted in Singapore on 07-08 September, the Sustainable Foods Summit (https://sustainablefoodssummit.com/asia) will feature ethical sourcing, sustainable ingredients, and marketing developments. Asia is suffering a major biodiversity decline caused by deforestation & habitat loss, climate change, and intensive farming. South-East Asia, a biodiversity hotspot, has lost about 15% of its forests in 15 years according to researchers. By highlighting success stories, this 3rd Asia-Pacific summit aims to encourage ethical sourcing and sustainable food production. Some of the key topics to be covered include. 1. Sustainable foods and biodiversity. Various studies show that organic and sustainable cultivation methods encourage biodiversity in ecosystems. The IBIS rice project is one such example. Launched by the Wildlife Conservation Society in 2017, the project involves the production of organic jasmine rice in northern Cambodia. Over 1,000 rice farmer families are benefiting whilst protecting 500,000 hectares of forest and wetlands that are home to 50 endangered wildlife, including the IBIS bird. Nick Spencer, CEO of IBIS Rice, will give an update on the project. He will explain how his enterprise is marketing the organic rice as a premium product to export markets. IBIS rice is currently exported to Germany, Singapore, and Hong Kong, with plans to launch in the UK and Canada. 2. Ethical sourcing of ingredients. A growing number of food and ingredient firms are undertaking ethical sourcing projects in Asia. Some involve environment & biodiversity protection, whilst others focus on social impacts. Givaudan, the world’s largest flavours and fragrances firm, will share its experiences in setting up such projects. Puifung Leung from Fairtrade Hong Kong will highlight the positive impact ethical sourcing can have on producers. 3. Sustainability of seafood. Asian consumers are some of the highest consumers of seafood in the world. However, there are growing concerns about sustainability […]

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