IFEX Philippines

General Overview

IFEX Philippines is the Philippines' biggest international trade exhibition and one of the premier source for Asia's ethnic and specialty food, tropical fruits, vegetables, seafood, beverages, bakery and confectionery products, meat and poultry, Halal-certified products, as well as natural, organic, and healthy food products.

Since its inception originally as the Asian Ethnic Food Festival from 1999 to 2003, IFEX Philippines has provided a business-to-business platform for local and international food companies to discover new markets, launch new products, and transact with the world’s biggest buyers. It is the only business-to-business and export-oriented food show in the Philippines designed for local and international food companies to meet and transact with the world’s top buyers.

“IFEX Philippines spotlights on the continuous and impressive growth of the Philippine food and beverage industry that is stimulated by the international recognition of the healthy, safe, nourishing and high-quality food and ingredients produced by our local companies and manufacturers,” according to the current DTI-CITEM executive director Rosvi C. Gaetos in a statement.

In its 9th edition in 2013, IFEX Philippines was a huge success, generating more than 13,000 trade buyers and visitors from all over the world with over 600 local and international exhibitors.

In its 10th edition held on May 21–24, 2015 at the SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia Complex, IFEX Philippines had a total of 700 international and local food exhibitors. Across four days, the event was attended by over 9,500 attendees, which includes local and foreign trade buyers, visitors and media.

As it prepares for IFEX Philippines' 11th edition, DTI-CITEM promises a bigger and more exciting all-inclusive trade event food fair with the theme 'Taste ASEAN' as it plan to hold its event on May 19–21, 2017 for the first time at the World Trade Center Metro Manila (WTCMM) and at the Philippine Trade Training Center (PTTC) in Pasay City.

Exhibitors

For more than a decade now, the Department of Trade and Industry has been showcasing some of the Philippines' best offerings in the past editions of IFEX Philippines through its network of over 18,000 trade buyer and visitors worldwide. Exhibitors in the trade fair consist of food manufacturers, distributors, traders, retailers, importers, institutional suppliers, and members of different government agencies and non-government organizations.

IFEX Philippines Product Selections:

In its event on 2015, IFEX Philippines brought a wide-range of food products and ingredients from some of the leading exports of 18 APEC economies. The world's best food companies from Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Portugal, Russia, Singapore, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, USA and Vietnam are eager to visit and establish new business alliances with the country's food producers and exporters.

Also among its highlights on its 10th edition are the special exhibits which include the International Hall, Manila Gusto Gallery: Food for the Soul, Grocer’s Exchange Mart 28, Red Box, and the One Town, One Product Marketplace.

Visitors

IFEX Philippines provides companies the chance to meet with a higher number of quality buyers in one or two days than one would typically be able to meet with through other forms of marketing strategies in a similar time frame. Local and foreign visitors of IFEX Philippines are importers, retailers, wholesalers, distributors, consolidators, trading firms, retail chains, hoteliers and restaurateurs, airlines, ship chandlers, commissaries, caterers, service providers, and health and fitness specialists/consultants.

Leading global companies that have visited the show over the years include Walmart (United States), FBC Worldwide (United States), Mon Chong Loong (United States), Hirasho Shoten Health Co. (Japan), Heuschen Schrouff (Germany), Manning Impex (United Kingdom), Wilby Commercial (Canada), Choithram (Middle East), EMKE Group/Lulu Hypermarkets (Middle East), the Americana Group of Companies (Middle East), the AL MAYA Group of Companies (Middle East), Shankar (Middle East), and NTUC Fairprice (Singapore).

Major international brands sourcing at IFEX Philippines include among many others Americana Quality, Carrefour, Emke Group, E-Mart, Lulu, Met, Foodmarkets, Sysco, Takashimaya, and Woolworth, while Philippine brands are 7 Eleven, Duty Free Philippines, Hyatt Hotel, Metro Gaisano, New City Commercial Corp. Supermarket, Philippine Airlines, Puregold, Robinsons Supermarket, Rustan’s, Shopwise, SM and Walter Mart.

Organizers

IFEX Philippines is organized by the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM), an export promotions agency of the Philippine Department of Trade and Industry. The show is also done in partnership with the Department of Agriculture - Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Service (DA-AMAS), the Export Marketing Bureau, the Regional Operations and Development Group (RODG) and the Foreign Trade Service Corps (FTSC).

Through CITEM, IFEX has also participated in various international food fairs like Gulfood, Foodex Japan, THAIFEX, the ASEAN Food and Beverage Expo, SIAL Paris Nord, and Anuga.