Trade Show News

Fieldays 2020 postponed

Following Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s announcement yesterday, regarding the cancellation of large gatherings to prohibit the spread of COVID-19, the New Zealand National Fieldays Society will be postponing the Fieldays event scheduled for 10-13 June 2020. “The Society stands by the governments’ decision to cancel events that draw crowds over 500 in order to stall the spread of COVID-19”, says Society CEO Peter Nation. “We value our loyal stakeholders, including the many exhibitors, suppliers, volunteers, visitors, staff and their extended family, immensely. The whole event is about them. Their health and safety is of utmost importance to us and we take the government’s decision seriously.” Fieldays remains a central part of the New Zealand agricultural community and calendar. It’s a chance for friends to catch up, local and global businesses to network, cutting edge innovations are out on show and education is at the heart of the events’ delivery. “The world may be undergoing major challenges in response to COVID-19, but in this changing environment Fieldays will remain, albeit at a later date.”

Setting the sustainability standard high

The New Zealand National Fieldays Society is committed to achieving its long-term sustainability goals through environmentally responsible business. “Environmental concerns are increasingly at the forefront of our visitors’ and exhibitors’ minds. Across all sectors of our organisation, from events to everyday practices, the Society aims to be a leader through sustainable practices,” says CEO Peter Nation. Fieldays 2019 saw the highest landfill diversion rate in the history of the event with 41 percent of waste diverted, or 10,285 fewer kilograms sent to landfill. The total waste fell 16 percent from 2018 and landfill waste by 19 percent. The target for composting was achieved, with 1,500 kilograms sent for composting. Fieldays continues to implement the Event Sustainability Management System ISO 20121 to ensure the event is delivered in accordance with this internationally recognised ISO standard. “This process continually challenges us to improve our event planning, processes and delivery whilst addressing major impact areas such as environmental management and carbon emission generation from the event,” says Nation. For the last eight years the Society has partnered with Instep, who have supported the design and implementation of the Fieldays sustainability programme and report. Instep director Peter Birkett believes it is these initiatives, along with actions to minimise energy consumption and specific waste management programmes, that positions Fieldays as a well-recognised leader in best practice and sustainability leadership. “As the largest agricultural event in the Southern Hemisphere, it is crucial the event is delivered in a way that supports industry and exhibitors to satisfy the market-place demand for product and technology transparency. Products and services are increasingly scrutinised in real-time by an environmentally driven global market. “Excellent support from all areas of food vendors, exhibitors and general stakeholders allows the short-term target of moving away from traditional problematic packaging and plastic material to gain […]

Fieldays significant economic contribution

Fieldays continues to contribute significantly to the regional and national economy, according to the recent Economic Impact Report conducted by Dr Warren Hughes of the New Zealand Institute for Business Research at the University of Waikato. An impressive $549M in sales revenue for New Zealand firms was generated by the event with $183M going into the Waikato region alone. This national sales revenue figure is an increase of over $50M from last year’s figures. Based on the official event attendance figures for 2019 of 128,747, it shows that each person though the gate contributes around $4,200 to the economy. New Zealand National Fieldays Society General Manager of Commercial Nick Dromgool speaks of the fantastic results shown in this year’s Economic Impact Report. “It’s really encouraging to see such great numbers in terms of economic contribution, employment and GDP from this year’s Economic Impact Report of Fieldays. We heard from several of our bigger exhibitors that this was a good year for them so it’s great to have this backed up by the numbers,” says Dromgool. The report states that over 2,000 full-year jobs have been sustained in the New Zealand economy from the 2019 event with almost 900 jobs sustained specifically in the Waikato region. Another impressive figure from the report was that $247M of additional GDP was generated for the New Zealand economy which is an increase of $21M from 2018. $80M was also added to Waikato’s GDP. The event also proved hugely beneficial to the Waikato region with it estimated that every gate entry resulted in $312 in direct spending in the Waikato hospitality sectors including accommodation, restaurants, bars and retail trade. The estimated brand value of Fieldays continues to rise with it being estimated conservatively at $610M following the 2019 event. This is a promising increase of […]

New organisations boosting Kiwi ag-innovators

Entrants in the Fieldays Innovation Awards will be boosted by a team of knowledgeable, passionate and well-connected organisations with three new sponsors being added to the already impressive group. Amazon Web Services (AWS), Gait International and James & Wells join Vodafone NZ, Callaghan Innovations and Massey University to form the strong team of sponsors fostering New Zealand agricultural innovations in the Fieldays Innovation Awards. The awards provide an ideal platform for innovators to conduct market research, gather information, receive advice, make connections and launch their ideas nationally and internationally. Fieldays Innovations event manager Gail Hendricks speaks of the benefits of having such fantastic sponsors on board, “We are really lucky to have a group of amazing sponsors supporting the Fieldays Innovation Awards for 2019. The support, advice and connections that each of our partners have for entrants will do wonders in advancing their ideas, propelling them onto the national and world stage with such reputable knowledge behind them. “AWS has supported many successful New Zealand start-ups and enterprises in their technology journeys, and with AgTech being such a common theme amongst innovation entries, we see them being a hugely beneficial part of the Fieldays Innovation Awards’ team of sponsors, says Hendricks. Founded by Kiwi entrepreneur Daniel Given, Gait International is a design for manufacture and value engineering company with specialist supply chain management solutions that helps global companies to deliver world class engineered products. Daniel Given, Gait International CEO speaks of the new partnership with Fieldays, “We were very keen to get involved in Fieldays Innovation, as it has been key to enabling Kiwi Agri-business innovators. Building successful businesses is hard, we are excited to be able to share some of our experiences and provide mentor ship to the agri-businesses of the future.” James & Wells is the number one […]

Sustainable Foods Summit successful in Singapore

The Asia-Pacific edition of the Sustainable Foods Summit drew to a successful close a few weeks ago in Singapore. About 200 executives attended the Asia-Pacific and European (hosted earlier in Amsterdam) editions. Eight of the key outcomes of these two executive summits were. Proteins crisis in Asia In his opening keynote, David Yeung (Founder of Green Common in Hong Kong and the Green Monday movement) said the Asian food industry is facing a sustainability crisis. The growing population and changes in food consumption were putting a strain on protein production systems. Livestock products generate about 15% of all greenhouse gases and take up two-thirds of agricultural land. There are 1.5 billion cows on the planet, generating 5.5 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide; this is more carbon emissions of the UK, Canada, Brazil, Australia, Germany, Italy, France, Spain, Japan and South Korea combined. Pork is the most widely eaten meat in the world, especially in Asia. China houses almost half the global pig population, with roughly 723 million pigs reared for meat consumption. Intensive pork production brings environmental and health repercussions. Ben McCarron presented latest research from Asia Research and Engagement, showing that meat & seafood consumption in Asia is projected to rise by 78% between 2018 and 2050. The increase will require an additional 7.1 million km2 land area, 1 billion m3 water per annum, 39,000 tonnes of antibiotics per annum, and generate an additional 5.4 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide per annum. Potential of clean meat Shir Friedman, Co-Founder of the Israeli company Supermeat, believes the future is with clean meat: cellular meat grown in refineries. She said clean meat overcomes ethical issues concerning rearing and slaughtering animals, whilst providing consumers identical meat products. After commercialisation, her company is looking to license its cultured meat technology to conventional meat […]

Blockchain to Build a Sustainable Food Industry?

Blockchain is taking off, with a growing number of food companies and retailers experimenting with this new technology. Ecovia Intelligence (formerly Organic Monitor) sees blockchain bringing many sustainability benefits to the food industry. A few weeks ago, Carrefour became the first European retailer to introduce blockchain for food products. Initially launched for free-range Carrefour Quality line Auvergne chickens, the technology is being expanded to eggs, cheese, milk, ground beef steak, salmon, oranges and tomatoes. A key part of its 2022 transformation plan, Carrefour believes blockchain technology will revolutionise its supply chains. Its new strategy focuses on food quality and transparency, with it setting an ambitious target to generate EUR 5 billion sales from organic foods by 2022. As will be presented at the Sustainable Foods Summit (http://www.sustainablefoodssummit.com), blockchain has many advantages. It provides transparency and openness to food companies, retailers, and consumers. Described as an ‘open ledger’ for transactions, blockchain gives a secure way to track and transfer assets through supply chains. It has the potential to transform the often opaque and diffuse supply networks for food products. Blockchain helps mitigate risks of food fraud and safety. It is estimated that one in ten food products are adulterated or mislabelled. Tampered products can be easily identified and isolated, preventing expensive product recalls. By pinpointing contaminated batches, safe products can be kept on store shelves and not sent to landfill. The amount of food waste can therefore be reduced. Walmart is working with Nestle, Dole Food, Unilever and Tyson Foods on blockchain pilot projects. The retailer says a 1 percent reduction in food-borne illnesses in the US could generate an additional US $700 million in increased productivity. Walmart believes blockchain will do for transparency what the internet has done for communication. In one of its blockchain projects, it took 2.2 seconds […]

Mood buoyant at co-located Foodtech Packtech and MHL Expo

A record attendance of more than 4000 (mainly) food manufacturers descended upon the biennial Foodtech Packtech and MHL Expo trade show last week in Auckland, with organisers claiming it a huge success. More than 240 exhibitors were on display across 4 halls of the ASB showgrounds in Auckland – the largest contingent of exhibitors in more than a decade with the show collocating with their recently acquired Materials Handling and Logistics Expo. More than 80 of the 240 exhibitors were displaying materials handling related product – so it really fulfilled the brief for trade attendees – helping complete the “Pasture (or seabed) to plate” story for Food Manufacturers visiting the show. “Exhibitors have been completing post-show surveys saying the quality of visitor was spot on,” says Brent Spillane MD of the show. “We’ve had feedback that the sector was very buoyant with many outlaying large CapEx to buy plant, packaging, machinery, equipment and technology for their factories,” says Spillane. The event attracted a strong contingent of international visitors too – with large groups of Chinese and Australian delegates. “We’re excited about the growing internationalisation of the event with ongoing dialogue with industry stakeholders around creating an international food week and conference attached to the show in years to come. When you get this many industry professionals attending the show – there’s a natural progression to create ancillary conferences.” The event hosted three full days of seminars hosted by the NZ Institute of Food Science and Technology, The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport and other relevant sector bodies. “We had a very high calibre of speakers covering issues ranging from Risk Management in Exports through to a new $15m MBIE funded Food Research fund – across the three days.” Rebooking for FTPT and the MHL Expo have already been strong […]

Fine foods fuel industry growth

As a country with a reputation for top quality foods and beverages, New Zealand made products and foodservices are in demand – both nationally and from the rest of the world. It’s no wonder, then, that Fine Food New Zealand – the premier trade event for the foodservice, hospitality and retail industries – is already 60% sold out for its 2016 event. On top of a significant number of returning businesses, there are 35 new companies already on board to attend the event – many which will be hoping to capitalise on the significant growth predicted for the food and beverage industry in coming years. In fact, exports are expected to double in value in the next 15 years – following an increase of 11% per annum for the last decade.* To support current topics of interest to the industry, Fine Food NZ 2016 has launched two new zones: the “Gluten Free and Allergen Friendly Zone” with Nutritious Foods, Angel Food, Venerdi and more; and the “Artisan Alley”, to showcase artisan New Zealand goods, including products from Wangapaka Family Dairy, Creative Food Edge Co and Bees Blessing. The show is home to many key industry association events, and will again support competitions run by the Baking Industry Association of New Zealand and NZ Chefs Association, as well as hosting the show’s own Best New Product Awards – celebrating the latest innovations and developments across the food and hospitality industries. Visitors will also be treated to a high dose of caffeine-injected showmanship with the return of the Restaurant Association’s Barista Smack Down, a knock-out style coffee making competition. Brand new to Fine Food NZ is Top Shelf, a boutique drinks festival dedicated to wine, beer, premium spirits, and craft drinks. It will combine fun, education, mixology, sampling and an unrivalled line-up […]

Vitafoods Asia Conference 2015: Translating Science into Good Business

New Expanded Content Programme & Exclusive Content from Frost & Sullivan Singapore, 20 Jun 2015 – Vitafoods Asia, the only event dedicated to the nutraceutical, functional food and beverages, and dietary supplement industries in Asia, today announces the programme for its second edition of the Vitafoods Asia Conference. Running alongside the exhibition from 2 – 3 September at AsiaWorld-Expo in Hong Kong, the conference boasts a brand new format and an increase in content offering. Delegates can expect to hear from well-respected industry experts across segments and job functions during the two-day event. Speakers include professionals from A*STAR, Agence Tesla, ASEAN Food & Beverage Alliance, BrandHive, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Chung Shan Medical University, Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, EAS Strategies, Euromonitor International, Food Industry Asia, Frost & Sullivan, HealthBrandBuilders, The HealthyMarketingTeam Ltd, Herbalife Taiwan Inc., Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Innova Market Insights, International Society for Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods, Kaohsiung Medical University, National Yang-Ming University, and NSF International. Mr Chris Lee, Portfolio Director, Vitafoods Events, shared, “Building upon the success of our European event in May, the Vitafoods Asia Conference will bear a similar programme structure. We continue to highlight best practice, with market research and development in areas such as weight management and healthy ageing. The Conference also focuses more on regulatory aspects this year, in response to industry demand. Through this platform, we aim to facilitate dialogue, knowledge-sharing, and innovation within the industry, so as to facilitate the development of better and safer end-products for the consumer.” Two Streams: Connecting Science with Business With sessions that cover both commercial and science aspects of business, delegates are presented with a full picture of the production cycle from idea to retail shelves. Content is divided into two distinct, parallel streams: Your Business focuses on how […]

Vitafoods Asia 2015: Asia’s Definitive Nutraceutical Event

Fifth Edition to be Held from 2 – 3 September 2015 in Hong Kong Singapore – The fifth edition of Vitafoods Asia, the only event dedicated to the nutraceutical, functional food and beverages, and dietary supplement industries in Asia, returns to Hong Kong from 2 – 3 September 2015 at the AsiaWorld-Expo. Pre-registration is now open at www.vitafoodsasia.com/register, and entrance is free for industry professionals. The global nutraceutical market has to-date enjoyed steady growth for more than a decade, and factors widely recognised as drivers include an increasing consumer interest and awareness in diet-disease relationships, rising healthcare costs, and a growing ageing population. According to Euromonitor International, the retail value of fortified (or functional) food and beverages across Asia Pacific is expected to grow by 50.0% from 2014 – 2019, amounting to US$153.7 billion by the end of that period. Within the region, the top five performing markets are China, Japan, Indonesia, South Korea, and Hong Kong respectively, with China accounting for nearly 60% of the territory’s total sales.VFA PIC Catering to the varied needs of manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, scientists, R&D personnel, and marketing professionals, Vitafoods Asia features over 170 international exhibiting companies, who will present their latest ingredients and raw materials to upwards of 3,000 visitors from across Asia. Mr Chris Lee, Portfolio Director, Vitafoods Events, said, “Building upon the success of our last event, the team is working to enhance some of the best-loved visitor attractions of the show, as well as introduce fresh elements that will improve the experience for exhibitors and visitors alike. Ultimately, we aim to create a platform that promotes knowledge-sharing and networking, both of which facilitate business deals for the industry.” A Showcase of the Finest & Hottest Innovations Since its inception, Vitafoods Asia has been lauded by industry experts as a professional […]

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