The Selangor International Expo (SIE) (F&B), which was part of the Selangor International Business Summit 2021 (SIBS), featured a mix of domestic, international and halal food and beverages (F&B) brands.
Food and beverage, meat and poultry, seafood products, canned foods, processed and ready-to-eat products, chocolate and dairy products, biscuits, pastries, and so on were among the range of consumables on display at the expo.
SIE (F&B) showcased booths and exhibitors by Sauce Empire Manufacturing Sdn Bhd, Kikkoman Halal Asian Sauce, and small and medium entrepreneurs (SMEs).
Meanwhile, international exhibitors included nations from Vietnam, Indonesia, India, Taiwan, Tajikistan, and Australia’s True Aussie Beef & Lamb by Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA).
In his opening ceremony speech, Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari said SIBS 2021 presented growth opportunities, particularly in Selangor’s five core clusters, through its various conferences and exhibitions.
“These five core clusters encompass a diverse range of industries, from aerospace to pharmaceuticals, which have the most significant potential to drive economic growth in the short and long term.
“Furthermore, the F&B cluster is one of the fastest-growing industries, particularly
the halal market, which has the potential to boost the State and national economies significantly.”
Selangor’s F&B industry
According to Invest Selangor Berhad, the F&B sector, which is Selangor’s fifth-largest industry, has attracted more than RM12 billion of investment throughout the years and produced over 33,000 job opportunities in the food manufacturing sector. Meanwhile, the beverages sector has attracted about RM 1.3 billion of investment.
Many larger companies in Selangor have been producing food products for decades, successfully catering to domestic and international markets. Furthermore, several SMEs also export their food products to regional markets.
The State’s F&B cluster is growing thanks to a favourable business environment, which includes robust infrastructures, significant local and foreign multinational companies, access to a low to the medium-skilled workforce, an important domestic food market demand, and diverse SMEs.
Culinary Festival
Selangor International Culinary Festival 2021 returned to the annual SIE (F&B) as a parallel programme. Beyond being a mere tradeshow, the SIE (F&B) 2021 also served as a platform that brought the crème de la crème of the rapidly growing and diversifying food and beverage industry together.
Jointly organised with Professional Culinaire Association (PCA), the culinary festival featured the Worldchefs Endorsed Culinary Competition, SICF2021 Culinary Challenge; Gastronomic Master Class, Malaysia Chefs Forum and two new components, Malaysia Chefs Village and SICF TV.
The Culinary Challenge, a Worldchefs Endorsed Culinary Competition, featured a total of eight categories from fruit and vegetable carving, Malay, Peranakan and Nyonya, to Pastry Artistic Showpiece.
Gastronomic Master Class returned with signature dishes from celebrity and award-winning chefs. It included Malay heritage cuisine by Chef Bob Adnin, eclectic cuisine by Chef Johari Edrus, plant-based inspired cuisine by Chef Dave Murugaya, Peranakan Nyonya cuisine by Chef Debbie Teah, contemporary pastry by Chef Patrick Siau and Chef Otto Tay, and modern Malaysian cuisine by Chef Ismail Yusoff.
SIBS 2021
The SIBS, initiated by the Selangor State Government and Invest Selangor Berhad, has been a platform for international businesses to use Selangor as a springboard to tap into the broader ASEAN market, home for over 600 million consumers and over 200 of the world’s largest companies.
“SIBS 2021, a key annual initiative by Selangor, is one of Southeast Asia’s premier business summits, where local and international industry players can convene to explore the great potential of the ASEAN market. The chance to connect business to new opportunities is undoubtedly important amidst a highly challenging economic environment today,” said Amirudin.
The summit featured six main events; the 7th Selangor International Expo (F&B); the 5th Selangor ASEAN Business Conference; the 6th Selangor Smart City and Digital Economy Convention; the 2nd Selangor R&D and Innovation Expo; the 7th Selangor International Expo (Medic); and the 1st Selangor Industrial Park Expo (SPARK).
Other halal centric sectors and exhibitors featured in the summit included Halal International Selangor (HIS), Halal Development Corporation (HDC), and halal pharmaceuticals and cosmetics by International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM).
In a hybrid format, SIBS 2021 was held on Nov 18-21. The physical event was held across 13,339sqm, with 500 physical booths, at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre and over 800 virtual booths at www.selangorbusinesshub.my portal.
The summit was officiated by the Raja Muda of Selangor Tengku Amir Shah Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, who represented the Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah. After officiating, Tengku Amir Shah toured the exhibition halls and interacted with participating exhibitors. 
