MIFB 2007

As usual, beside book exhibitions and some cultural events, only food can entice us to crowded exhibition halls ..... :-)

We went to the 8th Malaysia International Food & Beverage Trade Fair at the MATRADE Exhibition & Convention Centre (MECC) on Saturday 14th of July 2007, the last day of a three day trade fair. This is the first time I have been there and the first impression was that the halls were too small for even this medium-sized trade fair, let alone the huge international fairs!

The exhibition was spread over two halls on two sides of the road. I had expected the main hall to be a large open plan space but was deeply disappointed. The trade fair was rendered rather discontinuous by narrow connecting doors with escalators/walls/pillars that blocked the overall view of the trade fair and impaired the smooth flow of the visitors through the exhibition!

That's bad, bad, bad!!!

Why? When visiting a trade fair like this, it is important to be able to move systematically and linearly through the displays to have a good overall view first and then to return to specific booths/sections of special interests. Here one have to sort of meander around and that is a real waste of time :-)

Back to the fair .....

Where else but at such trade fairs can one find hundred of sexy young men in office attire serving luscious pieces of juicy fresh/preserved fruits, cups of drinks and bite-sized morsels of pastries/meat/etc and telling you to try, try, try!!! It was near impossible to keep down and hidden the urges to lick the fingers holding out the food and then ask for more ... maybe, even the contact numbers or e-mails .... :-) Or maybe even ask if they can place the offerings on or near even more tantalising body parts and let us nibble on them :-)

One see hunky and twinky chefs or chefs-wannabes and think how wonderful if one can drag one home and be served, in more than one ways :-)

Unfortunately, I have to make do with some more sedate and tame images .... like these sweet and really juicy pears from Taiwan ...


or this pile of fruits and vegetables ...


However as far as trade shows for food goes, this MIFB is a minion compared to the premier Food and Hotel Malaysia 2007 to be held at the KLCC Convention Centre from 22-25 August 2007. Unfortunately, not much information is available on the website yet for this show, which is a biennial event.

This is THE food show to go to. Not only you get lots of local beef but the place will be packed full with foreign beef as well :-) You will truly salivate at the variety of food available to eat or try and the eye candies to ogle at!!! :-)