Two of the region’s leading multi-sensory foodservice events are kicking off next month, bringing the latest innovations to regional visitors from the restaurant and cafés sector.
Located at hall A and B of Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre from August 28-30th 2019, visitors can attend Equip&Dine Asia, a holistic showcase of foodservice solutions, dining wares and industry trends that address the experiential needs of modern-day diners, and SEAsia Café Expo, which shines a spotlight on the region’s thriving café culture through equipment, accessories and quality ingredients used in the preparation of coffee, tea and gelatos.
During these events, visitors can experience two timely conferences and four interactive hospitality and culinary competitions, a contemporary central kitchen set-up for multiple F&B operations, and a state-of-the-art experiential studio for bespoke dining experiences.
Those who love to play host will delight in Equip&Dine Asia’s Most Gracious Host Challenge, which sees passionate home cooks serving an unforgettable experience with a 3-course menu. Be inspired to jazz up your own tables at home, as catering and banquet operations professionals representing major hotel chains in the region work their magic to deliver impeccably set tables at the Table Dressing Challenge.
Dive into the world of gelato at the Singapore Gelato Championship, jointly hosted by SEAsia Café Expo and the Dessert Association Singapore (DAS), to get the scoop on Singapore’s finest gelato chef’s as they whip up flavours unique to Singapore. Be sure to also catch baristas in action at the Barista Redefined Challenge, as they use automated milk texturing technology to create beautiful latte art without the need to manually steam and froth the milk.
Speaking on how customers are no longer willing to wait ten minutes for their coffee at the media preview event of Equip&Dine Asia and SEAsia Café Expo, Keith Loh, Director, Caffeine Solutions and the organiser for Barista Redefined Challenge said: “In the current trend of being artisanal, a lot of new players tend to fall into that pothole where they focus on quality and not speed. And the customer experience also includes being able to get my cup of coffee in time.”
The events also feature a comprehensive mix of end-to-end solutions for front-of-house and back-of-house restaurant and cafe operations. At Equip&Dine Asia, Italian manufacturer Tecnoinox will launch TAP, an automated touchscreen smart oven for greater reliability in food preparation, while hospitality supplier Westlink Marketing Services will carry Churchill’s reputable tabletop products and other brands including Bragard and Victorinox.
Demonstrating how startups can improve the productivity of their kitchen operations with easy-to-use technology solutions from Rice Robots to Maruzen noodle boilers, Frank Quek, Sales & Marketing Director, TY Innovations said: “The problem with setting up a restaurant or food stall in Singapore now is that in order to design, to build, to bring your own concept is so hard. You have to spend so much effort and time to get it going. That’s why you need people like us to help. We help shorten the time it takes for your concept to be fulfilled. So, in that case, convenience is what we want to bring to our customers.”
Likewise, at SEAsia Café Expo, do not miss out on Boncafe’s award-winning Bean Ground & Drunk – organic coffee beans that preserve the natural aromas and essence of unadulterated coffee. Common Man Coffee Roasters will also impress with their new PuqPress, a precision coffee tamper that provides a fast, automated solution for absolute consistency when you tamp.
Drawing inspiration from Italian F&B concepts, ‘The Italian Summer’ by LEVELS Studio, an experiential hospitality design studio, will showcase how restaurant operators can deliver bespoke and multi-sensory experiences across different customer touchpoints. The LEVELS experience will be brought to life alongside industry partners Electrolux, Celli, Hobart, Precision, T&S, Williams, and Qson.
“When talking about dining trends, we look at dining as a whole experience rather than just what goes on the plate. Whether you like it or not, it’s focusing on everything – because that’s what you see on Instagram. Our challenge is to design something and ask, “Will this look good when somebody is taking that photo?” Instagram is always very influential,” said Ben Gregoire, Principal, LEVELS Studio as he shares how dining trends are quickly shaping the experiential demands of today’s consumers.
“The food and dining experience is so intrinsic to Singapore and our ASEAN neighbours that we felt it was important to create an event that both celebrates and advances the foodservice industry in the region. Through this event, attendees can get a first-hand look at the latest F&B concepts and equipment, which will be used to deliver multi-sensory dining experiences. This will be coupled with a lineup of renowned industry players across both events’ conferences and competitions,” said Ms Ting Siew Mui, Project Director, Equip&Dine Asia and SEAsia Café Expo.
Mr Justin Aow, President, Food and Beverage Management Association, added: “We’re extremely honoured to be partnering with Equip&Dine Asia and the SEAsia Café Expo to help bring together professionals in the regional F&B industry to share and discuss the latest advancements in our industry. We are confident that this inaugural event will not only support F&B veterans, but also inspire new players in our fast-moving industry.”
For more information, please visit websites for Equip&Dine Asia and SEAsia Café Expo.
