REPRESENTATIVES from The House of Honey (THOH), Hippie Kombucha and Sin Gin Distillery were showcased at one of the leading trade exhibitions in Asia, HOFEX Hong Kong at the end of May.

THOH sales and marketing manager Leigh Taylor said the event was well organised with buyers from across the region in attendance who looked for potential products, services and partners.

“We really enjoyed being able to sample our honeys, tell people about WA honeys and get feedback directly from buyers,” Mrs Taylor said.

She said New Zealand Manuka honey performed well overseas so there was a real opportunity in WA to build the brand awareness of antimicrobial Jarrah honey.

“We have many beautiful honeys to share with the export market, but we do have some work to do.”

She said events like HOFEX were important because it allowed businesses to see first-hand what is happening in their market.

“You can see how people shop, what pack configurations they are shopping for, what the competitors are doing, and where products are positioned, priced and marketed.

“It has been great to continue to build networks with other WA producers, which conversely opened up conversations to collaborate.”

For Sin Gin Distillery’s key account and export manager Jeneya Savage, the event was a real buzz from start to finish.

“It truly felt like a celebration of the best the industry has to offer,” Mrs Savage said.

Similar to Mrs Taylor, Mrs Savage said the event provided the space to build connections.

“It’s not just about direct sales.

“It’s about creating relationships that can lead to future opportunities and long-term success.”

She said the team at Sin Gin had worked tirelessly to become an export-ready business.

“After successfully establishing a strong presence in the Australian market, we felt confident that the time was right to take the next step and explore global opportunities.”

Agriculture and Food Minister Jackie Jarvis said the state government had worked hard to develop the Hong Kong market and to connect WA agribusinesses with potential buyers.

“Hong Kong imports over 90 per cent of its food, making it a major import market in the Asia Pacific region and a place with great potential for WA export growth,” she said.

“Face-to-face trade engagement at events like HOFEX is critical to help convert buyer opportunities into strong supply relationships that build our agrifood and beverage industry, diversify our economy and create jobs.”