Minister of State Mr. Alvin Tan opened FHA-HoReCa 2024 earlier this morning on the 22 October 2024

• The four-day event is graced by Minister of State Mr. Alvin Tan (Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, and Ministry of Trade and Industry).
• This premier event serves as a catalyst for driving advancement and innovation within the food and hospitality industry.
• Features over 800 exhibitors with an expected 40,000 trade visitors.
• FHA-HoReCa 2024 plays host to the Global Chef Challenge Finals – the biggest competition for chefs worldwide.

SINGAPORE, 22 October 2024 – FHA-HoReCa, Asia’s leading foodservice and hospitality event opens to an expected 40,000 international and local trade visitors at the Singapore EXPO this 2024. The four-day event was graced by a host of dignitaries including Minister of State Mr. Alvin Tan (Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, and Ministry of Trade and Industry) and Mr Ian Roberts (Asia Vice President of Informa Market) during the opening ceremony earlier today. 

The opening ceremony sees guest of honour Mr. Alvin Tan, emphasising sustainability as a core theme within the MICE and Hospitality industry, and the importance of moving beyond superficial measures to promote deeper and more impactful change, underlining Singapore’s role in shaping the future of MICE, hospitality and tourism.

Spanning across 50,000 square metres, the four-day premier event will feature 800+ exhibitors from more than 30 countries and regions, including international pavilions from China, France, Germany, Hong Kong SAR, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Portugal, Spain, Singapore and Taiwan Region, and draws over 40,000 trade attendees. 

What Awaits You At FHA-HoReCa 2024

FHA-HoReCa is divided into five core segments – Bakery, Pastry & Gelato, Foodservice & Hospitality Equipment, Hospitality Style, Hospitality Technology, and Speciality Coffee & Tea – plus four days of competitions, seminars, and workshops led by industry experts.

This year’s event will feature a 30% increase in new exhibitors across all five segments as well as a brand-new series of sustainability seminars: Future of Hospitality Seminar. This seminar will feature speakers from Hotel Associations of various countries (Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand), Singapore Institute of Technology, Global Sustainable Tourism Council®, SPORE Gardens, and more, across three themes. 

• Envisioning the Future of Hospitality – Featuring talks addressing the industry’s pertinent challenges, trends as well as technology within the sector.
• Sustainability and Hotel Design with over 15 international thought-leaders discussing the future of green design and net positive hospitality.
• Technology & Innovation – A conversation that shines spotlight on technological innovations in the future of foodservice, hotel and back-of-house operations.

Another area visitors can tune in for more insights is the FSTEC Asia. This launch edition of the famed FSTEC, #1 foodservice technology conference, focuses on merging foodservice and hospitality with cutting-edge tech solutions catered for the Asia market.

Global Innovations Within A Community

A total of 11 international group pavilions will be present, offering a global platform for leading suppliers from diverse nations to present groundbreaking innovations and product launches.

1. The China Pavilion showcases a wide range of innovative products and equipment, including commercial kitchen solutions featuring automated food display systems.
2. Organized by Choose France and Multivalente, the France Pavilion will highlight hospitality equipment and food preservation technology.
3. The Germany Pavilion, presented by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK), will showcase German precision and engineering.
4. The Hong Kong Pavilion showcases one of the most vibrant culinary and hospitality scenes in Asia driven by constant innovation and opportunities for growth and development.
5. Backed by the Indonesian tourism government, the Indonesia Pavilion highlights a range of wellness-driven products alongside Indonesia’s rich cultural heritage.
6. Italy Pavilion will feature Italy’s tradition of culinary excellence with innovative, high-quality machineries.
7. Organised by the Japan Bakery and Confectionery Machinery Manufacturers’ Association (JBCM), the Japan Pavilion will introduce innovations within the bakery and confectionery production.
8. The Portugal Pavilion seeks to shine a light on advanced bakery and foodservice machineries.
9. Singapore Pavilion, presented by Restaurant Association of Singapore, will feature sustainable kitchen equipment.
10. The Spain Pavilion will showcase top-tier cutting-edge commercial kitchen equipment.
11. Finally, the Taiwan Region Pavilion  will highlight food processing technologies.

Celebrating Excellence Through Competition

This year, Singapore takes pride in hosting the Global Chefs Challenge Finals again after 34 years. It features four categories: Global Chefs Challenge, Global Young Chefs Challenge, Global Pastry Chefs Challenge, and the inaugural Global Vegan Challenge.

The finals of the Global Chef Challenge will kick off on Day 1 of FHA-HoReCa, beginning with the Global Pastry Chefs Challenge Finals. Day 2 and 3 will see two groups of Global Chefs Challenge Finals, followed by the Global Vegan Chefs Challenge Finals. Day 4 will conclude with the Global Young Chefs Challenge Finals, the Global Vegan Challenge, and the Global Chefs Challenge Award Ceremony. 

The competition will feature a stellar lineup of 72 chefs from 25 countries, including local rising stars:

• Joe Chong Ming Jie, junior sous chef of one-MICHELIN-starred Speilsalen – participating in Global Young Chefs Challenge;
• Ng Kia Yi, Academy of Pastry and Culinary Arts Singapore – participating in Global Pastry Challenge; and Aloysius Tay Yu Wei, Singapore Chef Association – participating in Global Chefs Challenge.
• FHA-HoReCa is poised to be the pinnacle culinary showcase of 2024, featuring a series of new, high-stakes competitions:
• Debuting in 2024, the FHA Bakery Challenge will spotlight budding bakers with a “Grand Breakfast” theme to redefine breakfast, while
• The FHA Dessert Challenge, co-organised with the prestigious Singapore Pastry Alliance, aims to elevate the artistry of 30 top pastry chefs.
• Catering to the Southeast Asian region’s coffee craze, this year’s FHA-HoReCa also debuts FHA Barista Challenge via four competitions – Barista Speed Challenge, Cafe Menu Challenge, Coffee Brewing Challenge, and Coffee Mixology Challenge – all designed to test baristas’ versatility and creativity.
• Alongside these new competitions, the Asian Gelato Cup and Asian Pastry Cup, where leading chefs from across the continent compete to qualify for the Gelato World Cup in Italy and the World Pastry Cup in Lyon. 
• FHA 2026
• Starting in 2026, FHA-HoReCa and FHA-Food & Beverage will merge into one unified event, FHA, utilising the complete capacity of Singapore EXPO with all 10 halls available. This expanded capacity allows us to create a more comprehensive event that unites the food and hospitality sectors under one roof. The annual gathering will enhance networking opportunities, highlight innovations, and keep industry professionals informed about the latest trends in this ever-evolving landscape.