Invest Selangor will focus on the food and beverage (F&B) industry for the Selangor International Expo this year, encompassing food sciences, technology and services as well as the halal segment.
Back for its fourth edition, the Selangor International Expo 2018 is an F&B trade specific expo that will feature industry players within the F&B industry in ASEAN.
“F&B is Selangor’s and the country’s strength. For instance, the most sellable Malaysian products in China are of the F&Bs,” said Selangor state government senior executive councillor, Dato’ Teng Chang Khim, who was also present at the ceremony.
The official launch of the Selangor International Business Summit (SIBS) 2018 was followed by an exhibition tour to Selangor International Expo 2018 and was graced by His Royal Highness Tengku Amir Shah ibni Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Al-Haj, The Raja Muda of Selangor who had paid a visit to the exhibition booths at Selangor International Expo 2018.
The expo features unique offerings such as the business matching programme and hosted buyers programme to connect with top F&B brands across the region.
The F&B focused expo had also featured a host of exciting side events organised by supporting partners of SIBS 2018 for members of the public.
The side events include the ‘Selangor Latte Art Throwdown of the Year 2018’ organised Malaysia Specialty Coffee Association and Barista Guild Asia, ‘Piala TTAM (Battle of Teh Tarik) 2018’ organised by Teh Tarik Association of Malaysia, and ‘Live Gastronomic Experience’ organised by Professional Culinaire Association.
As it is, F&B is one of the investment pillars in Selangor, together with life sciences, machinery and equipment, electrical and electronics and transport equipment sectors.
Dato’ Teng added that the summit allowed for local and foreign multinational corporations, small and medium enterprises and entrepreneurs operating in the F&B industry to showcase their products and services, and act as a strategic avenue for marketing, collaborations and partnerships, while providing exposure and information on the latest technological developments globally.
“The SIBS 2018 is a big summit who has successfully rounded up a lot of exhibitors, mainly hailing from the F&B industry. If SIBS 2019 were to have an expo that focuses on food and the F&B line, then we will without a doubt be joining it for a second time,” says Aw Wai Kheong, Managing Director of IB Com Inc., a full-service designer, planner and fabricator of commercial kitchen company in the Philippines that focuses on kitchen equipment and small wares.
At the moment, IB Com Inc, one of the many exhibitors to join the Selangor International Expo 2018, has been made as a platform to bring in Malaysian food into the Philippines market. “Selangor houses a lot of business opportunity between local and foreign companies, so I feel that it is time for us to build up a bridge from the Philippines to Malaysia by bringing in their products into the Malaysian food market as well,” he said.
IB Com is set to bring in investors from the Philippines to Malaysia, particularly the state of Selangor, for this project. “Hence, it will be a dual-purpose business venture between companies from these two countries,” said Wai Kheong.
“We joined SIBS 2018 to have a better exposure into the Malaysian market and to find suitable distributors,” said Jean P. Lacuban, Marketing officer of Central Seafood Inc, a corporate entity in the Philippines that was established in 1999 as a processor and exporter of fresh frozen marine products.
“Our main export is in the US but one percent of it goes into Asian countries such as Hong Kong, Korea, Vietnam. Now we’re starting to penetrate the Malaysia market and would like to start with the state of Selangor given its economy that is on the rise,” she said.
SIBS 2018 features business matching and international buyers’ programmes, in collaboration with 20 commerce as well as industry organisations.
The summit has received an endorsement from the Malaysia External Trade Development Corp, together with Malaysia Airlines Bhd as the official airline partner.
Selangor, dubbed as the golden state of Malaysia, remained the main contributor to the national economy in 2016, with a 22.7% share, ahead of Kuala Lumpur (15.3%), Sarawak (9.8%), Johor (9.4%), Pulau Pinang (6.7%) and Sabah (6.7%).
