A Q&A section at a press conference being held in HCM City on March 18 to introduce HCMC FOODEX 2025. — Photo courtesy of ITPC

HCM CITY — The HCM City International Exhibition of Food and Beverage 2025 (HCM City FOODEX 2025) will take place at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre from April 16 to 19, providing opportunities for both local and overseas businesses to enhance connections and explore potential partnerships.

Organised by the Investment and Trade Promotion Centre of HCM City (ITPC) in collaboration with the Food and Foodstuff Association of HCM City, it has attracted over 400 exhibitors from many countries and territories, including South Korea, Japan, China, and Malaysia.

A range of products will be showcased at more than 500 booths, including raw and processed foods, beverages, food ingredients, machinery and equipment, and packaging and preservation technologies.

Speaking at a press conference held to introduce the event in HCM City on March 18, ITPC director Trần Phú Lữ said: “The combination of technology, ingredients and processed products at HCMC FOODEX 2025 will create an innovative exhibition space, offering collaboration opportunities for businesses across the food supply chain.

“ITPC has closely collaborated with partners to optimise buyer access and distribution channels at the exhibition, enabling local businesses to connect directly with partners, importers, and major distribution networks.”

A highlight of this year’s event is the participation of buyers from the horeca sector (hotels – restaurants – catering), providing businesses with greater access to premium distribution systems and elevating Vietnamese products in both domestic and international markets, he added.

Additionally, over 100 domestic and international buyers from 15 countries have confirmed their participation in the exhibition.

During the four-day event, the exhibition will facilitate over 1,000 business-matching meetings, each carefully arranged based on the specific business needs of the participants to ensure relevance and maximise business outcomes.

A series of seminars will be held to help businesses understand market trends, comply with international regulations and optimise development opportunities.

The event will also feature the Master Chef of FOODEX competition in which renowned chefs and expert judges from Việt Nam, India, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and the US will come together.

“With a diverse range of competition categories, this event is not only a platform for showcasing culinary talent but also a celebration of creativity and exceptional cooking skills,” Lữ said.

He said last year’s exhibition was a resounding success, attracting over 380 enterprises and 18,000 visitors from 50 countries and territories, including 10,000 trade visitors, and having over 600 business-matching sessions.

With its significant investment and a wide variety of cultural and culinary showcases, HCMC FOODEX 2025 aims to attract 20,000 visitors, reinforcing its reputation as a leading trade event in Việt Nam’s food processing industry. — VNS