Following an absence of shows over the last two years, the organisers of Foodservice Australia has announced the event will be returning next year bigger and better than ever before with the delayed Melbourne show running in February and the Sydney show in October.
Event Director Tim Collett says: “After surviving lockdown the food industry is on the crest of a massive rebound. Everyone wants to reconnect and rebuild. A tradeshow is the obvious place to catch up and discover the new food and equipment trends. I have no doubt these two shows will be the biggest and most important we have ever run.”
The Melbourne show will run from 27 February to 1 March at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre. It will have over 450 exhibitors and special events including the National Restaurant Conference, Aged Care Catering Summit, Chef of the Year Competition, Chef Workshops, Café School, Sweet Spot and the famous Bocuse d’Or.
Mr Collett says Foodservice Australia has been in close contact with government throughout the shutdown and can confirm the show will be running at full strength.
“The Melbourne Exhibition Centre has just reopened with no capacity limits. By February everyone will be in full swing. The exhibition space is fully committed and we are expecting a record crowd,” he said.
The Sydney show will run from 23-25 October at the International Convention Centre.
Mr Collett says it is unusual to run two shows in a year however “there is huge pent-up demand. By running these events eight months apart in the two largest cities it means everyone has a chance to get involved. Both will be full sized events and we expect them to sell-out.”
Exhibitors are ready to reconnect. Henry Boekemann from JL Lennard says: “We are excited to get back to live events like Foodservice Australia. They give us a chance to meet new buyers and show our latest catering equipment in operation. That is really hard to do on Zoom.”
Robert Nackoski from True Foods says he is looking forward to meeting buyers face-to-face.
“People need to see, smell and taste food products before they put them on the menu. They also want to ask questions and meet the people behind the brand. The show is absolutely the ideal place to make this happen,” he said.
On the impact of lockdowns, Mr Collett says the event industry had been smashed.
“Nobody could ever have anticipated an 18-month shutdown. We have worked extra hard to keep people engaged through all the delays and cancelations. I am just so grateful our suppliers, presenters and exhibitors stuck with us. It is exciting to see events returning and we are absolutely ready.”
Visitor registration is now open. Entry is free however delegates must be over 16 and work in a food, retail or hospitality business. A small number of stands are still available. For more information on visiting or exhibiting, head to foodserviceaustralia.com.au or call the food team on 03 9999 5460.