IT’S BACK! About 500 exhibitors will participate in the Ifex food trade show on May 26 to May 28. —Contributed photo
Good news: the International Food Exhibition or Ifex is back!
After having digital versions during the pandemic, Ifex is back with vengeance, with the 16th edition to be held from May 26 to May 28 at the World Trade Center in Pasay.
This is the Philippines’ biggest international food trade show, organized by the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (Citem), the export promotions arm of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
Together with its digital platform IFEXConnect.com, Ifex Philippines serves as a one-stop business-to-business (B2B) platform aiming to optimize the sourcing experience of buyers from anywhere in the world.
For 2023, Ifex Philippines is expected to bring together more than 500 exhibitors who will showcase a wide and diverse range of products including beverages, fine food and specialties, fruits and vegetables, biscuits and confectioneries, snacks and crispy savory food products, meat and poultry, dairy products, cereals, grains and starch, seafood and marine products, organic and natural products, raw materials and food ingredients, and equipment and services.
According to the organizers, this year’s exhibition will have the highest regional food small and medium enterprises representation, as local governments and DTI regional and provincial offices give their all-out support to top food exporters through subsidized participation.
To give life to the B2B aspect of the exhibitions, Ifex Philippines will also hold business matching activities, on top of seminars and talks, cooking demonstrations, product presentations, and other special events, in order to provide even more opportunities for networking and discussions about the latest trends and developments in the food export industry.
Former Ambassador Edward Ferreira, now Citem executive director, emphasizes this year’s theme, “Ifex Philippines 2023 will highlight the idea of sharing, which is at the core of Filipino food culture. Last year’s edition was all about rediscovering Filipino flavors, and we want to take it to the next level by helping Philippine exporters grow their network of buyers and expand their markets overseas.”
He added, “now in its 16th year, Ifex Philippines aims to further cement the country’s reputation as a reliable source of premium-quality food and ingredients. We want to position the Philippines as a sourcing destination that is not only capable of meeting global demands but also offers some of the most distinct and innovative products on the market.”
The physical trade show will be complemented by IFEXConnect, a digital sourcing platform for premium quality and unique Philippine and global food and ingredients, where exhibitors are provided digital storefronts and product catalogs.
And to promote innovation, there is also the Katha Awards, which will recognize companies that demonstrate creativity and innovation. In fact, among the exhibitors this year are the Katha awardees of 2022, including Sol’s Italian Food, Miguelito’s International Corp., Fisher Farms Inc., Gulf Pacific Integrated Exports, Innovative Packaging Industry Corp., Theo and Philo and Pasciolco Agri Ventures.
I had the pleasure of personally talking to executive director Ferreira last week and he is really determined to uplift Filipino brands to the world stage. With your support, Citem will achieve that.
Let’s support Filipino businesses and visit Ifex this May 26 to May 28!
(For more information, visit IFEX Philippines on Facebook.)