Food Expo PRO 2024

Event Overview

Food Expo PRO 2024 is the trade-only segment of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council’s (HKTDC) flagship Food Expo, held annually at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre. From August 15–17, 2024, the PRO hall hosted over 1,200 exhibitors and welcomed more than 25,000 professional visitors—importers, distributors, retail buyers, and hospitality operators—from across Greater China and Southeast Asia. Unlike the public-facing Gourmet Zone, Food Expo PRO focuses exclusively on B2B interactions, offering product showcases, industry seminars, and matchmaking sessions. This year’s themes included clean-label innovation, functional foods, halal certification, and digital traceability.

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AGI Holding’s Participation

AGI Holding secured a prominent 24 m² island booth centrally located in Hall 5BC. Within the booth, AGI presented three core pillars:

• Oyster Mushroom Farm: A walkthrough display illustrating AGI’s fully integrated cultivation system. Visitors saw live mycelium samples in the mini-lab case, compost substrate displays, and fresh/dried oyster mushroom samples.
• Clean-Label Sauces (Allezz): Chef-crafted sauces were showcased—basil-balsamic, roasted hot pepper, and truffle-mushroom seasoning—underscoring AGI’s “no additives, no refined sugars” commitment. A live cooking station allowed chefs to prepare quick tastings.
• Royal B Georgian Honey: AGI highlighted its HACCP- and ISO-certified mountain honey from Kvareli. A video loop demonstrated sustainable beekeeping, and QR codes on honey jars linked buyers to origin and quality data.

AGI’s team registered over 200 buyer leads through QR-based digital forms. They also arranged for halal-certification consultants to be on-site for pre-screening inquiries related to Mushrooms and sauces.

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Key Activities

• Day 1 – Product Launch & Media Briefing:
  • Unveiled two new vegan Allezz sauces: “Spicy Harissa” and “Mushroom & Truffle.”
  • Hosted an invitation-only media tasting attended by 15 food journalists from Asia Food Journal and Hong Kong Business Magazine.
  • Conducted a “2024 Asia Food Trends” seminar featuring AGI’s F&B Director, discussing the rise of clean-label and functional foods in Greater China.
• Day 2 – Buyer Engagement & Chef Demos:
  • Pre-scheduled 30+ one-on-one meetings with major retail chains (ParknShop, Aeon, Wellcome) and distributors from Singapore and Malaysia.
  • Hosted two “Mushroom Magic” chef demonstrations: chefs created quick stir-fries and soups featuring Oyster Mushroom Farm produce, explaining nutritional benefits (high protein, B vitamins, antioxidants).
  • Provided on-the-spot halal-certification guidance for buyers interested in Mushrooms and sauces, partnering with a local certification body for immediate feedback.
• Day 3 – Industry Panel & Networking:
  • AGI’s F&B Director participated in the “Supply Chain Transparency for Gen-Z Consumers” panel, which drew over 200 seated attendees and discussed QR/Blockchain traceability.
  • Held a “reverse pitch” session where buyers gave instant feedback on packaging design, labeling languages, and pricing.
  • Concluded with an invitation-only networking cocktail for 100+ buyers and distributors, enabling deeper relationship-building and informal deal-making.

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Outcomes and Impact

• Distribution Agreements: AGI signed three preliminary pilot contracts:
  1. A Hong Kong-based distributor agreed to trial Allezz sauces (minimum 20 tonnes/year).
  2. A Singaporean health–food distributor committed to a trial order of 10 tonnes of Oyster Mushroom Farm dried mushrooms.
  3. A Kuala Lumpur organic grocery partner expressed interest in stockpiling Royal B honey for Q4 2024.
• Lead Generation: Over 200 qualified leads were captured via digital forms; AGI’s CRM team categorized 40% as high-priority (likely to convert within 60 days).
• Media Recognition:
  • Asia Food Journal featured AGI Holding in its “Top 10 Clean-Label Innovators” article.
  • HKTDC’s official wrap-up guide highlighted AGI Holding as one of the “New Faces to Watch” in 2024.
• Certification Progress: AGI’s engagement with a Malaysian halal authority led to initiation of Halal audits for Oyster Mushroom Farm and Allezz sauce lines, aiming for JAKIM certification by Q4 2024.

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