3 reasons why you must attend FBIF 2017

Where will you be 19-21 April?

If you are a global innovator and/or brand owner targeting Chinese & other Asian consumers, you must attend the Food & Beverage Innovation Forum 2017 (FBIF): Global Innovation, Powering the Future (FBIF2017食品饮料创新论坛：全球力量，领变未来) in Shanghai.

Keeping the food & drink market growing in 2017 and beyond will require new & deeper partnerships

In Asia, China and India have created a huge new consumption market with the buying power of the two leading "E7 emerging economies" set to exceed that of any G7 economy by the next decade. Yet, both food & drink markets are dissimilar in logistical and demographic terms to a typical G7 market which, coupled with faster adoption of technology particularly in China, demand a very different approach to growth in most food & drink categories. The ways global behemoths like Coca-Cola and Nestle penetrated developing markets in the past simply do not work anymore. Collaboration with local partners and a much deeper understanding of the target marketplace are crucial to avoid missteps. Local players too need to improve what they do in the face of more demanding consumers and fast-adapting global brands. Forums like FBIF 2017 are more valuable than ever to encourage new partnerships and/or to deepen relationships and market knowledge.

Gain insights into what has driven the success of major food & drink brands in China

China offered food & drink companies some of the world’s greatest growth opportunities for the past three decades. A host of market leaders from around the globe will present on how leading food & drink brands in China built their respective categories through trial and adoption initiatives and what they are doing to remain relevant to today's consumer. They include folks from Alibaba, Mondelez China, Nongfu Spring, Tencent, Yili Group, Walmart, PepsiCo, Uni-President, Mars, Coca-Cola, Anheuser-Busch InBev, Nestle, and Campbell Soup Company.

It is a rare occurrence indeed to get all of these experts in the same place at once but the unique forum layout (designed by Simba Events co-founded by enterprising & unstoppable millennials Isabella Hsu and Mote Chan) enables considerable group and one-on-one ideas exchange.

Get ideas on how to tap the increasing consumer need for healthier food & drink

Increasing affluence and higher spend on (Western) processed foods have resulted in a huge upswing in health issues among Chinese and other Asian consumers. Childhood obesity has reached epidemic levels in China with 48.5 million kids projected to be overweight by 2025. Over 110 million (almost 12% of adults) have diabetes which already puts a huge strain on healthcare services. At the same time, health & wellness spending by consumers has seen huge growth over the last decade – the Chinese market alone is expected to hit $67 billion by 2020 – the effect of both increasing wealth and surging demand for healthier food & drink.

FBIF 2017 will feature a number of talks on these topics including one by Nathan Gray, Senior Editor at NutraIngredients, on how big trends and global health issues play into functional food developments. I will also present on the emerging trend of using ancient Asian traditional wellness in beverage development in the West and how Chinese companies can improve the nutritional and functional profiles of everyday drinks marketed with strength, stamina and stress relief benefits in both China and elsewhere. (The Tg green tea traditional Chinese wellness "platform" I co-founded with Chinese-born research physician Dr Hua He will be on display at the event also.)

FBIF 2017 will feature a hands-on new beverage development session run by Bin Zhang for creative university students and also showcase some of the best food & drink packaging designs targeting Asian consumers. I look forward to the many discussions on how we can together shape in a positive way future food & drink innovations in this region. For more info on the event, see the FBIF website.

2017食品饮料创新论坛（FBIF2017）将于2017年4月19日-21日在上海举行。作为全球最具行业影响力的食品行业盛会之一，FBIF致力于通过引入全球范围内最成功的商业案例及最具创新价值的理念帮助食品饮料行业决策者洞察未来趋势并推动整个食品饮料行业的健康发展。