On the weekend of 16th and 17th of March the first VeggieWorld on the Asian continent came to a successful end. In Hong Kong, 50 exhibitors and over 20 speakers met over engaged 1,500 visitors.
With exhibitors from Hong Kong, China, Korea, Germany and The Netherlands, VeggieWorld has started very internationally. With more than 25% trade visitors from 4 countries and an extensive and positive press feedback, organizer Wellfairs is very satisfied.
Managing Director Hendrik Schellkes was on-site and draws a very positive conclusion: "We didn't know what to expect and are more than satisfied with the result. Both exhibitors and visitors gave very good feedback, it was sold on site and there were very concrete discussions between exhibitors and trade visitors. Now we know that the VeggieWorld series also succeed in Asia."
Dr. Mudar Mannah from Happy Cheeze in Germany was also very satisfied: "I was very satisfied with our appearance at VeggieWorld in Hong Kong. Trade visitors as well as consumers were very interested in our product and there were some promising discussions with potential distributors and partners. We will also be exhibiting at VeggieWorld in China."
The second exhibitor from Netherlands was a producer of organic soups, the "Smallestsoupfactory". Owner Michel Jansen expressed himself very positively: "Nice to meet vegan and really interested customers, being interested in our organic soups It was a cheerful veggie trade fair in HK!
Local exhibitors were also able to establish new business relationships and generate good sales locally. Ms. Elīna Strelita-Strēle of Mayse Artisan Bakery was thrilled about the buying power of consumers at VeggieWorld : "Fantastic customers, two days filled with laughs and stories. As a vendor, I can say that it was very successful for us. Can’t wait for the next year!"
In addition to the approximately 50 exhibitors, the high-class speaker program was one of the highlights of VeggieWorld Hong Kong. Many visitors stated to aniticipate next edition of VeggieWorld as well as more sustainable and vegan brands into the market.
Local opinion leaders of the plant-based movement like Annabelle Baker, Director of Lush Asia; David Yeung, Founder of Green Monday; Bobsy Gaia, Ecopreneur and founder of Mana! Group, award-winning filmmaker Rebecca Cappelli and not-for-profits organizations such as ProVeg International and The Good Food Institute were on the Veggie Stage, which was well attended at all times.
Keynote speaker was Damien Mander, founder of the International Anti-Poaching Foundation, gave talk on The Vegan Women Protecting the World’s Second Largest Elephant Population, the Royal Australian Navy who advocated the conservation of wildlife in Zimbabuwe and the end of exploitation of other species of animals.
VeggieWorld is a rapidly growing fair for trade buyers and consumers. The exhibitors showcase 100% vegan-friendly, animal-free products in food, beverage, fashion and cosmetics. Since its launch in Germany in 2011, VeggieWorld has grown to 19 cities in ten countries on two continents. The organizer, the German company Wellfairs, recognized the trend early. Together with food-awareness NGO ProVeg International and other partners the “all plant-based” fair has gained worldwide recognition.
Event sponsors this year were emmanuel F eco luxury hair salon and Lush Asia Limited.
The following VeggieWorld in Asia will take place from 17th to 19th of may 2019 in Hangzhoug, China.
For more information:
Hendrik Schellkes
VeggieWorld
Email: Schellkes@wellfairs.de