Restaurant Asia & SIGEP Asia 2025 Wrap Up: Record of more than 13K Visitors backed by Strong Industry Support & Momentum

Closing Day Graced by Italian Ambassador to Singapore’s Visit to the Grand Finale of the Panettone World Cup Asian Selection

SINGAPORE, SINGAPORE, July 24, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Restaurant Asia 2025 and SIGEP Asia 2025, Southeast Asia’s most prominent foodservice and hospitality trade event, drew to a close today at Marina Bay Sands, capping off three days of lively exhibitions, high-level networking, and cross-border collaborations. With a record-breaking of more than 13,000 visitors in attendance, and participation by 449 exhibitors and brands from 41 countries, the 2025 edition reinforced Singapore’s central role as a convening hub for culinary innovation, digital transformation, and international industry exchange.

The two co-located trade shows opened on a high note on 16 July with Ms Low Yen Ling, Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry and Culture, Community and Youth, gracing the opening ceremony. The significant presence of key F&B players, industry leaders, and conference delegates on the opening day underscored the strategic importance of the F&B sector in national and regional development. Also delivering remarks on the opening day were Dr Ilaria Cicero, CEO of IEG Asia, Mr Dante Brandi, Ambassador of Italy to Singapore and Brunei, and Mr Benjamin Boh, President of the Restaurant Association of Singapore (RAS), who set the tone for three days of purposeful dialogue and experiential programming and live on-stage activities.

Culinary Excellence and International Camaraderie Mark Closing Day
The final day was headlined by the hotly anticipated grand finale of the Panettone World Cup Asian Selection – an Asia-wide baking contest celebrating one of Italy’s most iconic artisanal products. Gracing the event was His Excellency Mr Dante Brandi, who returned to the show to witness the crowning of Asia’s best panettone artisans. Finalists from Singapore, China, India, Malaysia, the Philippines, and across ASEAN competed live on stage, demonstrating their mastery of traditional sourdough techniques for a chance to represent the region at the World Finals in Milan in 2026.

Organised under the patronage of Maestro Giuseppe Piffaretti, the event drew large crowds and offered moments filled with emotions, applause, and celebration - a perfect finale to a show that brought together the best of culinary excellence and friendly competition. The proud winners of the Panettone World Cup Asian Selection were:

Tradizionale (Traditional) Category
First place - Bo Ling Ang from Malaysia
Second place - Goh Chee Siong Jimmy from Singapore

Cioccolato (Chocolate) Category
First place - Karen Ng from Singapore
Second place - Sukaton Suwannachot from Thailand

Industry Highlights
Over the three-day event, 449 exhibiting brands from 41 countries transformed Marina Bay Sands’ Halls A, B and C into a vibrant hub of culinary ideas, product launches, and collaborations, and active engagements. Themed pavilions, live kitchens, and interactive demonstrations ensured that each day offered something new for both trade professionals and attending conference delegates. Key highlights included:

• An immersive 9-metre Janice Wong Chocolate Wall, featuring hundreds of hand-painted bonbons that offered edible art crafted with Valrhona single-origin chocolate.
• The Southeast Asian debut of MrBeast Burger, which drew long queues and viral attention across the show’s run.
• Final sessions across curated zones, including the Nightlife & Entertainment Pavilion, Bakery/Pizza/Pastry/Gelato/Chocolate/Coffee & Tea Pavilion, Technology Innovation Pavilion, and others; where exhibitors from around the world presented diverse taste and culinary excellence.

Symposiums and Regional Dialogues to Enrich Knowledge Exchange
A cornerstone of this year’s opening day was the RAS Symposium 2025: Smart F&B in a New Era, which convened global thought leaders and technology pioneers to explore how data, AI, and automation are reshaping the foodservice landscape. Themed “The Future of Smart F&B Ecosystems,” the symposium drew a full house with its lineup of heavyweight speakers:

• Xie Pengwei, Deputy CTO of Haidilao, delivered a forward-looking keynote on automation, robotics, and China’s rapidly evolving smart restaurant model.
• A power panel discussion featuring executives from Tencent, Visa, Lark, The Soup Spoon, and A Hot Hideout unpacked how hyper-personalisation and predictive analytics are redefining customer engagement and backend efficiencies.
• In a rare public appearance, Andrew Chen, the visionary behind China’s number one F&B app, delivered a masterclass on AI integration, customer lifecycle management, and loyalty ecosystems – offering a deep dive into digital consumerism and future-ready operations.

Adding to the event’s international scope, the IFBA Asia-Pacific & China Forum 2025 gathered high-level public and private sector leaders from across China, ASEAN, and the broader region for a dialogue on Belt-and-Road hospitality strategies, ethnic tourism development, and cross-border brand expansion. Speakers included:

• Wu HongHua, Director, Culture & Tourism Committee, China National Ethnic Trade Promotion Association
• Hua Lei, Secretary-General, Henan Provincial Tourism Association
• Zhang HuiFa, Executive President, Hainan Provincial Tourism Hotel Association

The forum provided timely insights into China’s growing influence in Southeast Asia’s hospitality ecosystem, with discussions centred on tourism diplomacy, sustainable development, and cross-cultural brand positioning.

Returning in 2026
The next edition – Restaurant Asia 2026 and SIGEP Asia 2026 – will return to Marina Bay Sands from 15 to 17 July 2026, with expanded showcases, deeper regional engagement, and more global debuts. https://sigepasia.com.sg/; https://restaurantasia.com.sg/

- END -

Photo Downloads:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/l9zf5kfbjh2l4dd8w2slf/AISJV0XLvHhkxo4xQXT27Dk?rlkey=35zzkpww99aqhpsihfktlu2vx&st=c90o4sy5&dl=0
Photo Credit: RAS and IEG Asia

About SIGEP Asia & Restaurant Asia
SIGEP Asia & Restaurant Asia is Southeast Asia’s premier tradeshow dedicated to the foodservice, hospitality, and F&B industries. As a highly curated, industry-focused event, the show goes beyond traditional exhibitions with a proactive approach that promotes exhibitors to the industry, providing targeted visibility, tailored support, and enhanced opportunities to connect with relevant buyers, media, and key decision-makers.

The event’s niche focus and intimate setting allow for deeper engagement and stronger connections with industry professionals, ensuring that products and services stand out amidst competition.

For more information, please contact The Rainmaker Marketing Group Pte Ltd:

Nalini Naidu, Principal Publicist & Founder
Mobile: +65 9633 3198
nalini.naidu@therainmaker.com.sg

Dean Johari, Senior Publicist and Account Director
Mobile: +65 9697 4464
deanjohari@therainmaker.com.sg

Diana Loh, Publicist and Associate Director
Mobile: +65 8228 5941
dianaloh@therainmaker.com.sg

Anusha Chong, Publicist and Senior Account Manager
Mobile: +65 9030 9946
anushachong@therainmaker.com.sg

Released by Official Show Publicist for SIGEP Asia & Restaurant Asia 2025: The Rainmaker Marketing Group Pte Ltd on behalf of the Restaurant Association of Singapore (RAS) and IEG Asia.

Nalini Naidu
The Rainmaker Marketing Group Pte Ltd
email us here

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.