Many food processors are giving the upcoming China International Import Exhibition 2019 the cold shoulder after smarting from the alleged “booth fiasco” in 2018.
Members of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry who are into food processing were discouraged by how the event operators handled exhibitors, especially the delegation from the Philippines.
“Last time, everybody were so eager and excited. We had the momentum then, but this year only a few were convinced to participate due to the confusion on booth assignments and even in hotel accommodations,” said PCCI chairman emeritus Francis Chua.
While booth booking increased by another $1,000 per booth to $3,000, Chua said the amount is not a deterrent.
“The problem is the unwillingness of our food manufacturers to join the event. Last year, some even brought frozen fruits since there was no restrictions to that. But when the fruits arrived, those were held at the ports and were released a week after the event. This kind of inconsistencies added to our members lack of interest to join CIIE,” Chua said.