Check out the stars of food
Thousands of professionals from the food and hospitality industries will be coming to Brisbane next month for Fine Food Queensland.

This important industry event runs every two years and offers professionals the opportunity to see the latest food, drink and equipment ideas under one roof.

This year the show will run along with Hospitality Queensland from 9-11 March at the Brisbane Convention Centre. It will be bigger than ever.

Exhibition Manager Minnie Constan says “it is no surprise this is one of the biggest trade events in Queensland. The hospitality market is booming up here and consumers are more demanding than ever”.

Online visitor registration is open, and a small amount of exhibition space is still available.
For details visit the website or call 03 9261 4500.

Restaurant of Champions
Three exclusive restaurants will be opening in Brisbane next month, but you had better be quick to book.

The Restaurant of Champions is a new competition event organised by the Australian Culinary Federation (Qld) with the support of Fonterra and Meat & Livestock Australia.

Three restaurants will be built on the floor of the Fine Food Queensland exhibition from 9-11 March. Nine teams from local establishments will compete for prizes including $5000 cash.

A limited number of seats are available. The cost is only $35 but you must work in the food industry. For lunch bookings and entry forms contact Zohra on 0447 600 456.

Exports boost food prices
Global prices for Australian farm exports have hit their highest levels in almost a quarter of a century, with experts warning of flow on price hikes at the supermarket checkout.

According to the Westpac NFF Commodity Index the global prices for wheat, beef, sugar, dairy, canola and barley ended on highs last month. They averaged gains of 19.5% for the year.

Rising incomes and purchasing power - in Asia in particular - has seen demand for protein products such as beef and dairy skyrocket.

Melbourne launch
The huge Fine Food & Hotel Australia exhibition will run in Melbourne from 22-25 September 2008.

Organisers confirm that the show will fill the entire venue, with around 1000 exhibitors from around the world.

This year the wine and spirits section will come back under the same roof. Also the competition areas will be revamped to make them more engaging and entertaining.

The exhibitor brochure and a new website were released this week. However space sales are already well advanced.
Companies looking for a stand need to act quickly.

Visitor information will be mailed out closer to the event.

Exhibitor tips
This quarter we talk about what happens after the show:

One of the most valuable items you will take away from the show is sales leads. But they need to be followed up quickly to produce a result.

The trick is to prepare your strategy before the show.
Have your letters and brochures ready to go as soon as you get back to the office.

If you are too busy then organise a temp or external provider to do the initial calls or mailing. Set them up with a template and give them the database as soon as the show is over.

When you are at the show make the collection of quality leads a high priority. Collecting cards is not good enough.
You need to qualify each buyer and record brief notes on their requirements.

Make salespeople accountable for their leads. Set some timelines and measure the results. Has everyone been contacted within ten days of the show?

Don’t hold back. One of the biggest complaints from visitors is that exhibitors do not follow them up.
They want to hear from you!

Keeping it safe
In the last few years food safety has become far more regulated in Australia. The most significant change has been the requirement for food safety plans and qualified supervisors.

Melbourne has had these rules for a few years and they have caused issues for some companies serving food at exhibitions. However they are still very manageable with forward planning.

Similar requirements will become law in Queensland from 22 February 2008. However while Brisbane exhibitors should follow the guidelines they should not panic. They will not be enforced until 1 July 2008.

The message is that these regulations are here to stay, and food companies need to respond. Food plans can be quickly put together using templates and the training for supervisors is not onerous.

Diversified are currently rewriting their exhibitor manuals to help exhibitors sampling at the shows. In the meantime there are some excellent websites which include templates.

Portable handwashing
If you prepare high risk foods on your stand then you need to consider hand washing. If there is no plumbing on your stand then there is a new alternative called the Cambro Camtainer.

This portable unit holds hot water in an insulated tank and drains into a second unit. The cost is of purchase is similar to sink rental. For more info contact fellow exhibitor Margo Perkins at Comcater on 03 8369 4600.

Be a part of your industry
Joining an association can be a great way to build your industry contacts and knowledge. Some also offer buying group advantages and other direct benefits.

The Foodservice Industry Association represents manufacturers and distributors. The Sydney group run regional tradeshows and a fabulous annual boat cruise. The Melbourne group run regular breakfast forums and a prestigious annual awards dinner.

As their name suggests Restaurant & Catering Australia represent the interests of restaurateurs and caterers. Legal advice, training, reduced merchant fees and an awards program are some of their more popular offerings. There are branches in every State.

The Australian Culinary Federation is a group of professional chefs, cooks and apprentices. Their charter is to maintain and improve culinary standards. They also organise chef competitions and run some extraordinary social functions.