An initiative of Pacific Islands Trade and Invest, (PT&I) Sydney office in conjunction with European Union funded SPC – IACT (Increasing Agricultural Commodity Trade) programme hosted Pacific Island exporters from around the region.

For the fifth year running, a Pacific Islands branded stand with eleven Pacific Island company exhibitors has been a worthwhile opportunity to meet potential Australian and international buyers under one roof over four days. It provided an ideal forum for Pacific Island food products at such a high profile show.

PT&I (Australia) Acting Trade Commissioner, Jeremy Grennell, said, “Niche, premium products with great packaging were a hit with all visitors to our stand. There was a high interest in learning more about the Pacific products on display in terms of how they are made and could be utilised. We will host another eleven Pacific Island Exporters in Melbourne, September 2016 following the success of the Sydney show.”

“Numerous distribution deals have been struck over this time, both for Australia and International markets. One product has made it onto the shelves of 150 retail supermarket stores in Australia after meeting the supplier at the 2012 Fine Foods Show in Melbourne.

“Businesses are looking for a point of difference which Pacific Island product can provide if they are branded and packaged well,” he said.

For many participants the show is one of the biggest platforms on which to showcase their products.

Sashi Kiran from Friend Fiji said, “The show is a great networking opportunity to connect with the food industry. It has given us a greater understanding of the Australian Food market. The show has been amazing and we have distributor meetings lined up as a result.”

Women in Business Development’s Kalais Taumuina of Samoa said attending the show allowed them to measure where their products were in relation to other similar products. “We have been able to see an array of high end food products, allowing us to understand better where we fit within the spectrum. We have received much positive feedback on the quality of our products, packaging and branding.”

This year, two large supermarket chains that visited the stand were interested to talk to several exhibitors. Local companies were also looking for ingredients for their own products. One such company was Koko Samoa, who attracted a lot of interest, along with lemon grass tea from Fiji, tuna from the Solomon Islands, coconut cream and the variety of coconut oil that was on offer.

Fijiana Cacao’s chocolate bar samples also proved a real hit with visitors.

Speaking on Pacific food exporters participation in the show over the past five years, Grennell said, “A track record of having a strong presence for five years straight via our Pacific Islands branded stand at FFA has allowed awareness and results grow for our exhibitors. Numerous distribution deals have been struck over this time, both for Australia and International markets. One product has made it on to the shelves of 150 retail supermarket stores in Australia for example. Businesses are looking for a point of difference which Pacific Island product can provide if they are branded and packaged well.”

Another highlight of this year’s show was SBS television filming several Pacific Island exhibitors’ products and interviewing Paula Bjelanovic, PT&I Finance & Events Manager that was subsequently screened on SBS national news that night, giving great exposure to the exhibitors. To view the clip, visit: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=82FaLmJEobA.

The Pacific Islands stand also stood out from others with traditional Samoan dance performances by Tayla-Jone Thompson.