Wine & Spirits Australia will run for the first time this
September in Sydney. It will bring together all the serious
buyers and sellers to meet, talk, taste and do business.

Special features at the show include international speakers
on stage at Liquidtalk, mixing workshops in the Beverage
Bar and luscious meals in the celebrity restaurant.

This new international show will be held from 24-26
September at Wharf 8. This stylish venue is set in the
heart of Sydney at Darling Harbour.

Making the show irresistible for industry buyers is the
co-location with Fine Food, running at the same time
at the nearby convention centre.

This year the Fine Food show returns to Sydney and will be bigger than ever. There will be around 1000 exhibitors with the latest food, drink and equipment.

Foodservice buyers will love the huge range of new food and
equipment ideas. They can literally try out all the new trends. They can also network and learn at the Sydney Culinary Challenge.

Retail buyers will love all the new packaged food and beverage
products. They can also see retail equipment and impulse lines in the special Convenience World section.

Of course the show is well known for its international visitors and exhibitors. This year there will be 12 international groups including new groups from Belgium, Cypress and the USA.

The show runs from 24-27 September at Darling Harbour. A small amount of exhibition space remains. Free visitor registration is now available at www.finefood.com.au.

The latest edition of Australian Food Statistics covering 2005-06 has just been published by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.

It shows Australia’s total consumer spend continued its rising trend. Total food and liquor spending rose by 6.1% to $97.4 billion which represents 46% of total retail turnover.

Spending was split between supermarkets (62%), other retailers (10%), restaurants (12%), takeaway outlets (10%) and liquor retailing (6%).

The value of Australia’s food imports rose by 5% to A$6.8 billion. Exports remained the same as the previous year at $23.8 billion due to reduced meat, grain and oilseed products.

The top restaurants in NSW will be recognised at a gala dinner to be held during the Fine Food exhibition.

The dinner and awards evening will be staged by Restaurant & Catering NSW at 7pm on Monday 24 September at Star City. For info and bookings contact the association, or wait for the next Food Update.

Fine Food Perth has just run for the second time, and has been judged a tremendous success by exhibitors and visitors.

The show ran from 25-27 March at the new convention centre. It featured around 180 exhibitors and 4800 visitors.

Exhibitors commented on the high interest level of buyers.
The only complaint was parking, which is a continuing problem for the venue and indeed the whole city.

The show now alternates with Brisbane, and therefore will return to Perth in March 2009.

Queensland remains one of the fastest growing regions in Australia, and local foodservice and retail buyers are always hungry for new ideas and contacts.

Fine Food Queensland runs in Brisbane every second year to give buyers and sellers a chance to meet and generate new business.

The next show will run from 9-11 March 2008. For the first time it will include a live culinary challenge and a hotel managers forum.

A launch function will be held for potential exhibitors at 5pm on Thursday 24 May at the Riverside Room on South Bank. Brochures will be mailed shortly after.

The retail industry is a highly competitive world, with stores having to constantly reinvent and renew. This year the leading industry show has also had a makeover, with Retail Business Technology and Shopfit merging to become Retail Expo.

Organisers say the show will be bigger, the timing better, the conference more closely linked, the publicity ramped up and a great new layout - with 8 product zones covering technology, security, shopfitting, promotion, advertising, supply chain, services and signage.

Retail Expo runs from 14-16 August 2007 in Melbourne. If you work in the retail sector or want new ideas for your hospitality fit-out then you simply must visit. If you are a supplier to the industry and want to meet the buyers then now is the time to book a stand.

If you are going to visit a show then your first stop should be the website. At Diversified events you can register, check out the exhibitors, print out a floorplan and even book a hotel. Check the websites in the calendar below.

Exhibitors (and visitors) should remember to take their diary to the show. It means that you can make appointments to see people during the event and the weeks that follow. Make sure you have set time aside for this vital follow up.

Companies booked into shows should beware of a scam called
Fairguide which purports to offer free entries in an official show guide. They are not free and they are not connected to the organisers. If you have been caught then the advice is to ignore them.
Click here for more info from the industry association.

Pick up the (official) buyers guide at the show and keep it. It is probably the best annual industry directory you are ever going to find.

The Good Food & Wine Show is a public event that allows interested consumers to simply buy a ticket and meet their food idols. It is an opportunity to ‘get out of the ordinary’ and explore new food, wine and cooking ideas.

This year the show runs in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. A sister event called the WA Wine & Food Festival will also run in Perth. Visit the website for more information on exhibiting or purchasing a visitor ticket.