Local Seafood Firms Take Center Stage at IFEX Philippines 2018, May 25-27

Local seafood companies are urged to step up their export promotions with global buyers, importers, and retailers through product exhibit, exclusive business matching program, and marketing activities in the 12th edition of IFEX Philippines on 25-27 May 2018.

Previously held every two years, IFEX Philippines 2018 repositions as an annual event staging a special edition that focuses on the fast-growing seafood industry in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) community, with the theme “The Best of the Seas,” at the World Trade Center Metro Manila (WTCMM).

Organized by the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM), IFEX Philippines is the country’s biggest and most respected food show for Asian heritage food and ingredients. It is the premier export event for emerging micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), as well as esteemed large companies.

Seafood is the top-grossing product in the 11th edition of IFEX Philippines.

“We are now accepting applications for those who want to join the special seafood edition of IFEX Philippines,” said CITEM Executive Director Clayton Tugonon. “We choose to focus on seafood and marine products on our next edition since our local products have strong potential to tap its ever-increasing global demand.”

In the IFEX 2017 edition, DTI-CITEM surpassed its targets with $184.69 million (roughly P 9.23 billion) worth of export sales from 674 international and local exhibiting companies.

Among 12 product sectors in the event, seafood and marine products emerged as the top-earner, netting one-third or 33 percent of the total earnings with $61.79 million (roughly Php3.08 billion) export sales.

The three-day event was attended by nearly 11,000 international and local visitors, including 2,057 high-profile trade buyers from top global retail giants and supermarkets. These buyers came from different regions across the globe, such as Europe, China and SARs, Middle East, East Asia, America and Southeast Asia.

Local and foreign visitors of IFEX Philippines are comprised of importers, retailers, wholesalers, distributors, consolidators, trading firms, retail chains, hoteliers and restaurateurs, airlines, ship chandlers, commissaries, caterers, service providers, and health and fitness specialists/consultants.

Major international brands sourcing at IFEX Philippines include among many others Americana Quality, Carrefour, Emke Group, E-Mart, Lulu, Met, Foodmarkets, Sysco, Takashimaya, and Woolworth, while Philippine brands are 7-Eleven, Duty Free Philippines, Hyatt Hotel, Metro Gaisano, New City Commercial Corporation (NCCC) Supermarket, Philippine Airlines, Puregold, Robinsons Supermarket, Rustan’s, Shopwise, SM, and Walter Mart.

Developing MSMEs into globally competitive industry players

“IFEX Philippines offers more than just an exhibition and a business event. Through its different trade show features and programs such as food industry seminars, IFEX Philippines is also where entrepreneurs and enthusiasts feel the pulse of the food industry and see the direction it is heading, what is currently good or bad in the venture, and the other options they can consider to grow their business,” said Tugonon.

In its previous edition, IFEX Philippines hosted seminars on food certifications and regulations, trends and innovations with renowned experts, researchers and lecturers from the Culinary Institute of America, US Food and Drug Administration, Department of Trade and Industry-Export Marketing Bureau, Department of Agriculture, Management Association of the Philippines – Agri-Business and Countryside Development Foundation, Inc., and the Organic Coconut Association of the Philippines.

As a platform for innovation, visitors in the event also witnessed the rich array of innovative food product prototypes developed from indigenous raw materials by the Food Innovation Centers (FICs) of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) using DOST-developed and locally fabricated food process equipment.

DTI-CITEM also gathered in an exclusive business matching environment called the Grocer’s Exchange Mart or G-MART the leading Philippine food export companies equipped for private labeling to meet with top level buyers from global retail chain operators. It assisted both the exhibitors and trade buyers in finding the right exporter and distributor for their business.

Meanwhile, the Department of Agriculture (DA), co-organizer of CITEM in IFEX Philippines, staged the Food Artisans Village to spotlight on the terroir products and artisanal delicacies from the different regions of the Philippines.

It features the export-ready products from the province of Negros Occidental and some provinces in Mindanao. The pavilion also showcases the country’s high-demand export commodities, such as seafood, coconut, coffee, cacao, and processed fruits and nuts.

“IFEX Philippines gives a chance every business across the country to present their products to interested representatives of major supermarkets and retail chains,” said Tugonon.

IFEX Philippines is the springboard for trade exhibitions abroad

Participating at IFEX Philippines not only lets MSMEs meet potential buyers, but also are given the opportunities to be part of the Philippines’ delegation in overseas exhibitions and trade missions.

A prime mover in export marketing, driving numerous official Philippine participation in overseas trade exhibitions and notable promotional endeavors for food and beverage products, DTI-CITEM takes companies with trade fair experience in IFEX Philippines to international food exhibitions such as Winter Fancy Food Show in USA, Gulfood in UAE, FOODEX in Japan, Food Taipei in Taiwan, Sial in France, and Anuga in Germany.