"Featuring a wide array of gourmet, tea, beauty and home-related products from global exhibitors, these events strive to help consumers enjoy a better and healthier lifestyle, making it one of the most attractive summer festivals in town," HKTDC Executive Director Margaret Fong said at a joint opening ceremony of the four events today.

More than 100 buying missions from 27 countries and regions are visiting this year's Food Expo and Tea Fair to source quality products. To help exhibitors capture business opportunities brought about by the Belt and Road Initiative, the Food Expo features a Halal Food Zone, along with a seminar on halal food certification.

Food Expo: Serving Global Delicacies (16-20 Aug)

Welcoming a record count of more than 1,560 exhibitors from 23 countries and regions, including 1,100 from overseas, the Food Expo comprises three dedicated areas: the Trade Hall, Gourmet Zone and Public Hall.

Targeting mainly trade buyers, the Trade Hall gathers 900 exhibitors, including those in 21 group pavilions representing the Chinese mainland's Hunan, Fujian, Hubei and Jilin provinces, as well as Thailand, the Czech Republic, India, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Poland, Kazakhstan and more. The returning Halal Food Zone and Chinese Medicine Zone also come back to facilitate the sourcing of related products. The Trade Hall is open to industry representatives from 16-17 Aug, before welcoming public ticket-holders on 18 Aug. The hall features seminars with industry experts discussing such topics as halal food certification, innovative food technology, as well as food testing and certification, providing trade buyers with the latest market information.

Running from 16-19 Aug, the Gourmet Zone at Hall 3B gathers 75 exhibitors with exquisite flavours under four themes - namely Western Delicacy, Asian Cuisine, Sweet Delight and Green Palate. Featured products include the first Hong Kong-crafted beer with fresh black truffles, ice-drip vintage coffee (a blend of coffee and brandy), plant-based Omnipork, award-winning low-fat cheese from the Netherlands, organic spinach soup with chlorella and Kyoto styled marshmallow.

Running from 16-20 Aug, the Public Hall features more than 600 exhibitors, including five group pavilions from the Chinese mainland, Canada, Japan, Korea and Taiwan, bringing an international gourmet feast to visitors. The highlighted Premium Food Zone features more than 30 international and local brands, including Kee Wah Bakery, Maxim's Group, Nissin Foods, On Kee Dry Seafood, Tai Pan and Nin Jiom. Meanwhile, the Hong Kong Vegetable Marketing Organisation and Fish Marketing Organisation introduce high-quality local products. Other special products available include the new hot-chili-and-plum-flavoured crispy fish skin, soya sauce crab from Korea, sherbet made from fresh fruit and juice, and pork shreds baked and produced with traditional techniques.

Exciting events being held during the expo period include star-chef cooking demonstrations featuring celebrity chefs such as Hui Mei Tak, Executive Chef of Pak Loh Chiu Chow Restaurant; Bong Jun Choi, Executive Chef of Chinese Operations, City of Dreams Manila; Claudio Favero, Chef De Cuisine, Sabatini Ristorante Italiano, Royal Garden Hotel; Catherine Lai, Founder and Executive Chef of Kam Mun Jong; Will Leung, Sous Chef of French cuisine JUNON Restaurant; Atsushi Takahashi, Executive Chef of Kashiwaya Hong Kong; Edward Voon, Executive Chef of Le Pan; and Wong Wing Keung, Executive Chinese Chef of Yee Tung Heen.

In sessions jointly organised by the HKTDC, the Hong Kong Special Adminstrative Region (HKSAR) Government's Food and Health Bureau and the Committee on Reduction of Salt and Sugar in Food, several star chefs demonstrated "less salt, less sugar" recipes today to promote healthy living. A seminar themed "Hong Kong's Action on Salt and Sugar Reduction" was also conducted today to help visitors adopt healthy eating habits. Other events to be held in the coming days include the launch of the 2018-2019 "Wan Chai a La Carte" food and culture map, a seminar on herbal tea and product demonstrations.

Hong Kong International Tea Fair: Brewing Opportunities in Tea Business (16-18 Aug)

The 10th Hong Kong International Tea Fair features more than 250 exhibitors from eight countries and regions, presenting tea products, packaging, equipment and related products. The new Taiwan pavilion features quality products including Oolong Tea. With the premium longan tree charcoal as the baking material and a baking process of over 150 hours, this tea gives a unique gentle aroma and sweet flavour.

The fair opens exclusively to trade buyers on the first two days, before welcoming public ticket-holders on the last day. Highlighted products include a perfectly preserved 1950s Red Label Tea Cake and Japanese organic green tea created with the traditional production and cultivation method, where only the top six centimetres of a fresh sprout is harvested. To promote tea culture, the fair features a series of collectors' teaware including a Chinese bowl with cover made in 1890 during the Qing Dynasty.

The International KamCha Competition 2018 Hong Kong Style Milk Tea - 10th Anniversary Special, organised by the Association of Coffee and Tea of Hong Kong, will hold its International Final at the Tea Fair on 18 Aug. Representatives from Hong Kong, the Chinese mainland and other regions will compete for the KamCha title. Combining technology and traditional skills, an artificial-intelligence (AI) robotic arm will give brewing demonstrations on the spot. The International Yuan Yang Final will be staged as well, with local participants competing for the winning title.

Exhibitors competed for various awards at Hong Kong International Tea Competition 2018, including "The Best Aroma Award" and "The Best Taste Award" in each of seven tea categories. Visitors will be able to taste the award-winning teas free of charge on 18 Aug when the fair opens to public ticket-holders. Other upcoming activities include a series of tea forums delivered by industry experts on such topics as antique teaware, cooking with tea, as well as "Tea and Zen" (featuring renowned tea expert Chang Lin). Events organised for trade buyers include tea tasting sessions, tea-art performances, a seminar on "Capturing the Tea Business from the 'Y' and 'Z' Generation", as well as a buyer forum.

Beauty & Wellness Expo: Debut "K-Beauty Expo Hong Kong" Pavilion (16-20 Aug)

In its third edition, the Beauty & Wellness Expo brings together more than 100 exhibitors, featuring a wide selection of skincare, haircare, spa massage and nail-care products. This year, the HKTDC teams up with the Korea International Exhibition Center (KINTEX) for the first time to launch a brand-new "K-Beauty Expo Hong Kong" pavilion under the theme of "Stylish K-Beauty". The pavilion features a wide variety of products from 45 Korean brands, such as hair treatment oil that suppresses the ageing of hair, a series of men's skincare products, USB rechargeable eyelash curlers and a range of organic products for sensitive skin. The Federation of Beauty Industry (H.K.) has brought eight companies offering their latest beauty products, while the Hong Kong Hair & Beauty Merchants Association presents seven companies showcasing a variety of hair and beauty products.

Events being held during the expo period include product demonstrations and sharing sessions by beauty experts on make-up tips for summer parties and the latest hair-styling tips. Furthermore, Yoko Tsang, a dietary therapist and beauty expert, will conduct a cooking demonstration of fish maw, while beauty key opinion leader Snowwhitewhite will share knowledge on skincare and make-up.

Home Delights Expo: Presenting Lifestyle Brands (16-20 Aug)

The fifth edition of the Home Delights Expo features 180 exhibitors, presenting a range of quality electrical appliances, kitchen equipment and household products. The Avenue of Delights gathers 45 leading lifestyle brands including STAUB, CLP, Dyson, Kenwood, German Pool, OTO, Tiger, Philips and Towngas.

The HKTDC and the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups jointly host the "Home" for Youth Start-ups: Exhibition Experience Taster and present a Start-up Square at the expo, providing a platform for 16 selected start-ups to promote their products and services.

Visitors can bid for their favourite household appliances and products at the popular Smart Bidding event. Orange Tam, founder of Juppuk, a company providing a home tidy-up service, will share tips on reducing unnecessary household items and storage.

ICMCM: Exchanging Views on Ben Cao (16-17 Aug)

Organised by the HKTDC and the Modernized Chinese Medicine International Association Ltd (MCMIA), the International Conference of the Modernization of Chinese Medicine & Health Products (ICMCM) takes place from 16-17 Aug to keep practitioners abreast of the latest trends and developments. In commemoration of the 500th Anniversary of the birth of Li Shizhen, author of Compendium of Materia Medica, the conference shares the development of Ben Cao (a pharmacopoeia of Chinese herbal medicine) and its potential expansion. The conference features 17 distinguished speakers from renowned institutions in Hong Kong, the Chinese mainland, India, Japan, Korea, Russia, and the United States, including Hong Kong Baptist University, the American Society of Pharmacognosy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, St Petersburg State University and Seoul National University.

On 18 Aug, public visitors can attend Chinese Medicine Health Public Forum sessions, where professional practitioners will discuss Chinese-medicine dietary therapy for skin problems, anaemia and blood pressure control, diabetes and gastroenteritis, as well as respiratory care and seasonal healthcare diets.

Going Green

To promote environmental awareness and waste reduction, a pilot on-site food container lending service has been launched at the Food Expo this year to reduce the use of disposable plastic utensils. Visitors can borrow a reusable food container with wooden utensils at a deposit of HK$20 in cash (at the entrance of Hall 1E), and return the used food container and reclaim the deposit when leaving the fairground (at Hall 1A and 3E Concourses). Available while stocks last, the service is run jointly by the HKTDC, NWS Holdings Limited and social enterprise BottLess, with the wooden utensils sponsored by Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (Management) Limited.

To encourage visitors and exhibitors to reduce waste, the HKTDC continues to cooperate with Food For Good and Food Angel to collect and recycle packaged edible food and food waste at the fairground, and invite exhibitors to donate food to needy communities after the fair. The HKTDC also encourages exhibitors and visitors to follow green tips such as sorting recyclable waste into recycle bins placed at the fairground. Visitors are encouraged to bring their own utensils, food boxes, water bottles and shopping bags.

Fair WebsitesFood Expo: http://hkfoodexpo.hktdc.comHome Delights Expo: http://homedelights.hktdc.comBeauty & Wellness Expo: http://hkbeautyexpo.hktdc.comTea Fair: http://hkteafair.hktdc.comInternational Conference of the Modernization of Chinese Medicine & Health Products: http://icmcm.hktdc.comPhoto Download: https://bit.ly/2PaWAZY^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

This media release was distributed by Strategic Public Relations Group (SPRG) on behalf of the HKTDC. For further media enquiries, please contact:

Strategic Public Relations Group (SPRG)Andico TsuiTel: +852 2114 4346 / +852 6902 3831Fax: +852 2114 0880Email: [email protected]^[7]

Sonya LaiTel: +852 2114 4984 / +852 6671 3008Fax: +852 2114 0880Email: [email protected]^[8]

HKTDC's Communication & Public Affairs DepartmentKatherine Chan Tel: +852 2584 4537Email: [email protected]^[9]

About HKTDC

The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is the dedicated to creating opportunities for Hong Kong's businesses. With more than 40 offices globally, including 13 on the Chinese mainland, HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a platform for doing business with China, Asia and the world. HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to provide companies, particularly SMEs, with business opportunities on the mainland and in international markets, while providing business insights and information via trade publications, research reports and digital channels including the media room. Please visit www.hktdc.com/aboutus^[10] or follow us on Google+, [email protected]^[11], LinkedIn. Source: HKTDC^[12] Topic: Trade Show or ConferenceSectors: Trade Shows, Food/Beverage, Local^[13][14][15] http://www.acnnewswire.com From the Asia Corporate News Network

Copyright © 2018 ACN Newswire. All rights reserved. A division of Asia Corporate News Network.

References

1. ^{^} http://hkfoodexpo.hktdc.com (hkfoodexpo.hktdc.com)
2. ^{^} http://homedelights.hktdc.com (homedelights.hktdc.com)
3. ^{^} http://hkbeautyexpo.hktdc.com (hkbeautyexpo.hktdc.com)
4. ^{^} http://hkteafair.hktdc.com (hkteafair.hktdc.com)
5. ^{^} http://icmcm.hktdc.com (icmcm.hktdc.com)
6. ^{^} https://bit.ly/2PaWAZY (bit.ly)
7. ^{^} [email protected] (www.acnnewswire.com)
8. ^{^} [email protected] (www.acnnewswire.com)
9. ^{^} [email protected] (www.acnnewswire.com)
10. ^{^} www.hktdc.com/aboutus (www.hktdc.com)
11. ^{^} [email protected] (www.acnnewswire.com)
12. ^{^} HKTDC (www.hktdc.com)
13. ^{^} Trade Shows (www.acnnewswire.com)
14. ^{^} Food/Beverage (www.acnnewswire.com)
15. ^{^} Local (www.acnnewswire.com)