Stakeholders for PIFF and PIHEC 2023 at the press conference
For the very first time, the finale of the Penang International Food Festival (PIFF) and the Penang International Halal Expo and Conference (PIHEC) will be held at the Setia SPICE Convention Centre this weekend.
The grand event which will be the largest in the Northern Region, will be officiated by Penang Chief Minister YAB Chow Kon Yeow.
Foreign participation from China, Indonesia, Chile, Spain, the Philippines and Vietnam will make their presence too.
In all, there will be 351 booths while the conference will be attended by 400 delegates. Local representatives will be from Penang, Selangor, Perak, Kedah, Kelantan and Negeri Sembilan.
Present to announce the mega event was Penang State Exco for Tourism and Creative Economy YB Yeoh Soon Hin along with his counterpart YB Datuk Abdul Halim Hussain who is the exco for Domestic & International Trade, Consumer Affairs & Entrepreneurship Development,
Also present was state assemblyman for Pengkalan Kota, YB Daniel Gooi, Chief Minister Incorporated (CMI) general manager Datin S. Barathi, Penang Global Tourism chief executive officer, Ooi Chok Yan, Penang Convention & Exhibition Bureau (PCEB) Ceo, Ashwin Gunasekeran, Malaysian Association of Hotels vice president Dato Khoo Boo Lim, MAH Penang chapter chairman Tony Goh, Tourism Malaysia Northern Region deputy director Siti Hajar among others.
“As part of our effort to reinforce Penang’s position as a top tourist destination, a gastronomic hub and a leading halal hub in the region while drawing visitors to its shores to discover Penang’s diverse and scenic landscapes,” said Yeoh.
Meanwhile Abdul Halim added that ‘PIHEC will be the 12th edition and is expected to be the largest to-date.
“Penang is poised to play a major role in the development of the halal industry, being in the centre of maritime and mainland Southeast Asia. We also have a historical role as the entreport for regional trade,” he added.
PIHEC will also consist of three panel sessions, namely, halal trade & travel, modest fashion and halal tech. There will also be food trucks and entertainment for all to partake.
The mega gathering will take up the whole of the convention centre, arena and also the SPICE Rooftop Garden.
Some 15,000 guests are expected to attend the showcase over three-days. To ease the expected congestion in the area, the organizers have arranged free buses from Komtar to the venue and back.
Note – PIFF is on June 24 and 25 while PIHEC will be from June 23 to 25, 2023.
