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Foodstuffs hosted successful Annual Trade Expo at ASB Showgrounds

Auckland, New Zealand, 2016-Apr-11 — /EPR Retail News/ — Auckland’s ASB Showgrounds was filled with the glorious aromas and mouth-watering sights of the annual Foodstuffs New Zealand Trade Expo. From Wednesday 6 – Thursday 7 April, ASB Showgrounds was home to hundreds of supermarket suppliers showing everything from the latest supermarket equipment through to delicious deli delicacies.

The Foodstuffs Expo at ASB Showgrounds is an impressive event in every metric.  As many as 1,500 supermarket owners, grocery managers and category department staff meet at the event with 290 suppliers over the two days – taking the numbers attending the event to more than 4,100 attendees.

The Gala Dinner on Wednesday night at Sky City Convention Centre caters for 750 attendees and is a great industry networking event where the supplier’s displays throughout Expo are celebrated through the Awards.

This year’s Gala Dinner was hosted by Te Radar who self describes himself as “an award winning satirist, documentary maker, writer, stage and screen director, failed gardener, and amateur historian.” Radar is well known for his TVNZ series, Global Radar, Radar Across the Pacific, Radar’s Patch, Off the Radar, Hidden In The Numbers and Homegrown and his unique style of combining documentary making with comedy has proven to resonate with Kiwis.

“Foodstuffs Expo really is the Field Days of food, but without the tractors,” says Radar. “The event is a wonderful opportunity to meet the guys and gals that muster the stock, grow the spuds and bake the cookies. In the middle of a massive supermarket nfood enterprise Expo basically takes the you right back to meet the individual behind the product. Fantastic.”

Entertainment at the Gala Dinner this year was from Wilson Dixon. Jesse Griffin is a comedian who created the country music alter ego Wilson Dixon. Dixon hails from Colorado and is best known for his songs about life on the range, his unique take on life is one that resonates across the globe and tickled the fancy of the FMCG audience at the Gala Dinner.

The Foodstuffs Supplier Awards were another highlight of the evening with Market Gardens winning the Best Produce Display and taking out the top prize of Overall Best Foodstuffs Expo 2014 Display. Other winners included Bauer Media, Farmlands Foods and United Fisheries.

Foodstuffs New Zealand’s, Head of External Relations, Antoinette Laird was thrilled with the showing from suppliers and response from attendees.  “It was great to bring the show back to Auckland this year, and the ASB Showgrounds is a great venue for an event of this scale. Expo 2016 was a huge success , the facilities were great and feedback from exhibitors and attendees was overwhelmingly positive,” says Laird.

“This year we have teamed up with Kiwi Harvest, an Auckland-based food rescue charity responsible for distributing the equivalent of 20,000 meals each month to those in need across the community. All left over edible food products will be donated to Kiwi Harvest who will distribute the goods to some of the 45 Auckland charities they support,” says Laird.

Any products leftover that are not food-related will be donated to Auckland Women’s Refuge, another great charity that provides invaluable support to women and children.

—- Ends —-

Notes to editors

Foodstuffs Expo 2016 Award winners were:

  • Best Produce Display – Market Gardens
  • Best Seafood Display – United Fisheries
  • Best Deli Display – Food International
  • Best Meat Display – Farmlands Foods
  • Best Bakery Display – NZ Bakels
  • Best Floral and Garden Display – Fresh Direct
  • Best General Grocery Display – Caffe L’affare
  • Best General Merchandise Display – Bauer Media
  • Best Health and Beauty Display – Schwarzkopf
  • Best Liquor Display – Yealands
  • Best Plant and Equipment Display – Wedderburn
  • Overall Best Foodstuffs Expo 2014 Display – Market Gardens
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