VIV ASIA 2019, the region’s top international trade show, is expected to attract more than 50,000 visitors from around the world, according to Panadda Kongma of VNU Exhibitions Asia Pacific.

The show to be held from March 13-15 will cover 60,000 sq m and fill up nine halls at BITEC with around 1,250 exhibitors from around the world.

In previous editions of the trade show, farming, feed, and food were the main themes. This year, trends such as ready- to-eat meals, food engineering and further processing will be the new focus as the industry strives to stay ahead of changing consumer preferences.

In 2017, around 60 companies dedicated to processing operations were on hand, and surveys found that 17% of the 45,000 visitors expressed an interest in primary and further processing equipment.

In 2019, more than 100 suppliers will unveil the latest technologies offering basic and advanced processing equipment for poultry, eggs, pork, beef and aquaculture.

Also, pork production and its supply chain, including genetics, animal health,

and equipment and processing will be a major feature. In 2017, some 25% of visitors were from the swine industry and many of those surveyed expressed interest in pork production equipment and related products.

Swine industry representatives from Japan and the Philippines will be in attendance, and VIV staff will facilitate networking and business matching for visitors who are keen to invest in both markets, said Ms Panadda.

Road shows in the Middle East and South Asia earlier in the year are expected to attract more visitors to this edition, she added.

Prior to the show, the Sixth Global Feed and Food Congress will be hosted by the International Feed Industry Federation (IFIF) on March 11-13 under the theme, “The Future of Feed & Food – Are We Ready?” at the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok.

VIV Asia is one of the world’s premier livestock shows, ranked alongside Germany’s Eurotier and the International Production and Processing Expo in the US.

Registering in advance to VIV Asia 2019 saves time on arrival at the show. Visitors who pre-register at www.viv.net can print out a barcode or save it on their smartphone, enabling their entry badge to be generated in less than two minutes when they arrive. Additional merits of pre-registration include being kept fully informed about the forthcoming show’s attractions and having all the logistical information on hand to prepare a fruitful visit.