Large-scale sector efforts, regional thought leadership, artificial intelligence uptake, global contests, and professional collaboration come together during the three-day concurrent exhibitions
SINGAPORE, SINGAPORE, July 17, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — The 2026 editions of SIGEP Asia and Restaurant Asia have officially commenced at the Sands Expo & Convention Centre, uniting the region’s food and beverage, foodservice, and hospitality sectors over three days filled with major sector declarations, strategic discussions, technology displays and culinary demonstrations, worldwide contests, commercial networking, and professional development.
Ms Low Yen Ling, Senior Minister of State at the Ministry of Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, attended as Guest-of-Honour at the Official Opening Ceremony. Speeches were also delivered by Dr Ilaria Cicero, CEO of IEG Asia; Mr Fabio Conte, Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Italy in Singapore; Mr Benjamin Boh, President of the Restaurant Association of Singapore; and Mr Victor Mah, President of the Singapore Coffee Association.
The launch of these co-located events represents a major milestone in their transformation from niche trade fairs into a broader regional industry gathering where governments, trade bodies, enterprises, operators, tech suppliers, and overseas collaborators can convene to unveil new programmes, explore common issues, and identify tangible solutions to the forces reshaping the F&B, foodservice, and hospitality landscape.
This function was highlighted during today’s Opening Ceremony through the introduction of the F&B AI and Digital Integration Programme, designed to help F&B businesses obtain advisory support for identifying and implementing AI-driven tools and digital integration offerings.
The announcement underscores the rising significance of SIGEP Asia and Restaurant Asia not merely as venues for product exploration and commercial transactions, but also as platforms for industry-wide programmes aimed at enhancing business capabilities, productivity, and sustained competitiveness.
Throughout the three-day gathering, industry conversations will tackle numerous urgent issues facing operators today, such as labour shortages, escalating operational expenses, increasingly intricate business conditions, technology integration, workforce efficiency, customer interaction, sustainability, supply chain disruptions, and shifting market demands.
A Regional Hub for Industry Leadership
SIGEP Asia 2026 and Restaurant Asia 2026 gather presidents and senior delegates from F&B, foodservice, manufacturing, catering, hospitality, restaurant, and equipment organisations across Singapore and the wider region.
Their attendance gives businesses, media representatives, and industry experts the chance to connect with leaders from throughout Asia regarding emerging market trends, technology implementation, operational hurdles, and opportunities for deeper regional cooperation. Supporting partners encompass:
• Restaurant Association of Singapore;
• Association of Catering Professionals Singapore;
• Hospitality Purchasing Association Singapore;
• International Food & Beverage Association;
• Singapore Food Manufacturers’ Association;
• Singapore Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers & Suppliers;
• Vietnam Food & Beverage Ecosystem;
• Restaurant Association Vietnam; and
• other regional industry organisations.
By assembling this range of leadership under one roof, the event allows sector concerns to be examined from various angles — from the everyday realities confronting individual restaurants and hospitality operators to broader matters involving workforce development, technology, supply chains, manufacturing, equipment, procurement, and cross-border growth.
SIGEP Asia 2026: International Artisanship, Creativity, and Professional Knowledge Sharing
SIGEP Asia 2026 connects the global worlds of gelato, pastry, bakery, pizza, chocolate, coffee, and artisan foodservice with Asia’s growing professional F&B and hospitality marketplace.
Acting as the regional counterpart to SIGEP World in Rimini, Italy, SIGEP Asia offers a dedicated Asian stage for international knowledge transfer, product creativity, artisanal skill, professional training, and commercial partnerships.
Throughout its competition zones, demonstration spaces, exhibition hall, and SIGEP Sessions programme, the event blends international culinary traditions with modern questions around technology, business management, market expansion, and shifting consumer tastes.
Elite International Contests
1. Gelato World Cup – Asia Selection
The Asia Selection for the Gelato World Cup takes place at SIGEP Asia from 15 to 17 July 2026. Eight squads from Australia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Qatar, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, and Sri Lanka are vying for the chance to represent Asia at the Gelato World Cup in January 2028 during SIGEP World in Rimini, Italy. Singapore enters as the defending world champion, lending extra importance to the Asia Selection being hosted in the country.
The championship evaluates teams on technical skill, product excellence, presentation, creative flair, and their capacity to manage multiple facets of professional gelato production.
The judging panel comprises senior figures from the international gelato community, including Sergio Colalucci, President of the Gelato World Cup; Sergio Dondoli, Vice President of the Gelato World Cup; Giancarlo Timballo, Honorary President of the Gelato World Cup; and Chef Kenny Kong, Chairman of the Jury, together with the managers of the competing teams.
2. Bakery World Cup Asia Selection 2026 – BREAD IN THE CITY
SIGEP Asia and Restaurant Asia are also hosting the inaugural Bakery World Cup Asia Selection 2026 – BREAD IN THE CITY, organised by SBCTA in partnership with IEG Asia.
Teams from Chinese Taipei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Australia, Singapore, and the Republic of Korea will go head-to-head in bread-making, viennoiserie, pizza, laminated pastry, and artistic showpieces.
This competition runs alongside the International Union of Bakers and Confectioners Congress 2026, held in Singapore from 13 to 15 July, reinforcing the nation’s position as a global meeting point for the bakery and pastry sector. The judging panel includes Chef Matteo Cunsolo, Chef Elisabete Ferreira, Chef Günther Koerffer, Chef Han Sang Baek, Chef Peng Fu Dong, and Chef Tomohiro Nogami.
3. Singapore National Coffee Championships 2026
The Singapore National Coffee Championships return for their third iteration, co-organised with the Singapore Coffee Association.
Singapore’s top coffee professionals are competing across the Barista, Brewers Cup, Latte Art, and Cup Tasters championships for the opportunity to represent the nation internationally. The contest brings together technical expertise, sensory assessment, presentation abilities, and the ongoing evolution of Singapore’s specialty coffee scene.
SIGEP Sessions: Business Knowledge Meets Culinary Skill
The SIGEP Sessions on 16 and 17 July bring together chefs, restaurateurs, hospitality experts, F&B business leaders, and industry bodies through seminars, roundtables, masterclasses, tastings, and live cooking demonstrations*.
*Note: Please refer to the Photos & Information Downloads Dropbox link below for the full programme of the SIGEP Sessions on 16 and 17 July 2026
International Ambassadors and Live Professional Interaction
Throughout SIGEP Asia, visitors can interact with international and Singapore-based professionals through guided tastings, masterclasses, demonstrations, and discussions. The show’s Excellence in Foodservice Ambassadors represent key sectors within the artisan foodservice economy:
• Chef Janice Wong, Chocolate and Pastry Event Ambassador;
• Chef Antonio Brancato, Pizza Brand Ambassador;
• Chef Matteo Pertoldi, Bakery Brand Ambassador;
• Chef Natasha Chiam, Gelato Brand Ambassador;
• Chef Justin Foo, Technology Brand Ambassador;
• Emi Fukahori, Coffee Brand Ambassador and World Brewers Cup Champion 2018; and
• Chef Lee Yum Hwa, Pasta Brand Ambassador.
Chef Janice Wong’s Chocolate Wall installation also returns as one of the event’s immersive artisan displays.
Restaurant Asia 2026: Translating AI Discussions into Tangible Steps
A highlight of the opening day is the RAS Leadership Symposium 2026: The Intelligent Restaurant, organised by the Restaurant Association of Singapore. The Symposium addresses the pressing need for F&B operators to grasp how artificial intelligence can be used in practical ways across restaurant operations, marketing, workforce planning, revenue generation, and decision-making.
Rather than treating AI as an abstract or far-off concept, the programme explores how restaurant businesses can start leveraging it within their current operational settings. The Symposium opens with “Building Lean, Building Bold”, a keynote by Joshua Chan of Ergotune, examining how businesses can maximise human potential, function with leaner teams, and rethink organisational structures in the AI era.
This is followed by “Your Restaurant AI Needs Awareness”, presented by Shawn Liam of Atlas, which addresses the operational foundations necessary for AI to function effectively within a restaurant, including how disconnected tools and systems can be unified into a more cohesive operational framework.
In “When Everyone Can Execute, What Matters?”, Alwyn Cheong of Oddle explores how AI reshapes organisational bottlenecks and how restaurant operators can strengthen decision-making, marketing systems, and revenue growth.
Gao Rifeng of The Lo & Behold Group offers an operator’s viewpoint in “An Operator’s Honest View”, sharing candid reflections on the organisation’s AI journey — what worked, what did not, and what lies ahead.
The regional and international perspective is covered by Whey-Han Tan of OpenTable in “From AI Adoption to Real Results”, providing a global overview of how AI is being implemented across F&B businesses, what is succeeding at scale, and what is beginning to surface.
The Symposium concludes with a hands-on workshop, “Design and Build Your First AI Agent”, facilitated by the speakers together with Kai Yi, Co-Founder of StaffAny; Sung, CEO of Grain; and Alan, Co-Founder of Oddle.
Participants will work in groups to design an AI agent for restaurant operations by mapping its triggers, inputs, steps, human checkpoints, and intended output, leaving with a completed agent canvas and a starting framework that can be further developed within their own businesses.
Technology, Food Innovation, and Future-Ready Foodservice
The Technology Innovation Pavilion demonstrates how AI, robotics, automation, integrated systems, and digital engagement tools are being deployed within foodservice and hospitality environments.
Among the solutions on show are robotics for hospitality and cleaning operations, food-waste management technologies, AI-powered business tools, membership applications, digital rewards, e-commerce capabilities, and marketing functionalities.
The Pavilion gives operators a chance to consider technologies not as isolated products, but in connection with productivity, sustainability, customer engagement, and the daily realities of managing a foodservice enterprise.
International Pavilions and Specialised Displays
The exhibition floor features a growing international presence through dedicated country pavilions, including the Italian Pavilion presented by the Italian Trade Agency, together with the Japan Pavilion and Korea Pavilion, alongside specialist showcases such as the Pizza Corner organised by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana, the expanded Vietnam Food & Beverage Ecosystem Pavilion, the WorldChefs Lounge, the Specialty Coffee Association Lounge, and the Nightlife & Entertainment Pavilion.
Additionally, the Food Tech & Pack Asia Pavilion brings together companies specialising in food technology and packaging solutions, showcasing innovations that support food production, processing, packaging efficiency, operational excellence, and supply chain capabilities across the foodservice ecosystem.
Another new addition is the Hotpot @ Halal Zone Pavilion, which showcases Halal-certified products, ingredients, and services for one of Asia’s fastest-growing dining segments. Bringing together international and regional F&B brands, suppliers, and service providers, the Pavilion creates fresh opportunities for trade buyers, distributors, and foodservice operators aiming to serve the expanding Halal dining market.
Complementing the exhibition is the Fruit & Vegetable Asia Pavilion, a dedicated sourcing platform connecting fresh produce buyers, processors, importers, cold-chain specialists, technology providers, and sustainability leaders, further strengthening the show’s role as a comprehensive marketplace covering the entire foodservice value chain.
Business Matching, Procurement, and Regional Connections
Beyond its competitions and educational offerings, SIGEP Asia and Restaurant Asia function as a commercial meeting ground for exhibitors, buyers, distributors, operators, procurement professionals, and decision-makers.
The Xcelerate Programme arranges targeted meetings between exhibitors and qualified buyers, while quick-fire networking sessions link exhibiting companies with delegations from the Airline Catering Association and the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurant Association.
These initiatives are designed to foster more focused conversations around procurement needs, distribution opportunities, business partnerships, and regional expansion — catering to the requirements of suppliers and solution providers covering ingredients, foodservice equipment, restaurant technology, coffee, bakery, gelato, hospitality operations, and professional services from the region.
Industry Leadership — A Unified Vision for the Region’s F&B Future
Dr Ilaria Cicero, CEO of IEG Asia and Global Exhibition Director of the SIGEP Network, said, “SIGEP Asia has evolved into far more than an international trade exhibition. Today, it is a regional platform where artisan excellence, innovation, technology and business come together, connecting global expertise with the immense opportunities and dynamism of Asia’s foodservice and hospitality industries.”
She added, “This year’s edition reflects that evolution through its world-class competitions, international pavilions, professional masterclasses and thought leadership sessions, while bringing together industry leaders, associations, buyers, exhibitors and innovators from across the region. Together, they reinforce Singapore’s position as a trusted gateway where ideas are exchanged, partnerships are forged, and the future of foodservice in Asia is shaped.”
According to Benjamin Boh, President of the Restaurant Association of Singapore, “Restaurant Asia has become an important platform for the industry to come together – not only to discover new products and technologies, but also to have meaningful conversations about the challenges facing F&B businesses and the practical solutions needed to address them. The important industry announcement of the F&B AI and Digital Integration Programme at today’s opening reflects the growing role of the show as a platform for initiatives that support business transformation and long-term competitiveness.”
He added, “The RAS Leadership Symposium builds on that purpose by bringing operators, technology providers and industry experts together to explore how AI can be applied in practical ways across restaurant operations. By combining strategic dialogue with real-world business insights, Restaurant Asia continues to strengthen its role as a catalyst for innovation, collaboration and sustainable growth within Singapore’s F&B industry.”
-END-
Photo & Information Downloads:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/r4mvian9uy5o2h72deap3/AHYVQqAXCkFp2gOz4zY6IeI?rlkey=e0s3i2v8aaxln1uvnk0l3mplo&st=ogs5upgg&dl=0
Photo Credit: IEG Asia
About SIGEP Asia
SIGEP Asia is Southeast Asia’s leading trade event dedicated to artisan Foodservice excellence, bringing together global brands, artisan producers, Chefs, cafés, bakeries, gelaterias, pizza operators and hospitality professionals across sectors including gelato, pastry, bakery, pizza, chocolate, coffee and tea.
As the regional extension of SIGEP World in Rimini, Italy, the event showcases the latest trends, craftsmanship, ingredients, equipment and innovations shaping the future of artisan F&B and premium Foodservice across Asia.
About Restaurant Asia
Restaurant Asia is a focused trade platform for the broader Foodservice and hospitality industry, connecting operators, distributors, procurement professionals and solution providers across restaurant operations, kitchen equipment, technology, automation, sustainability, hospitality solutions and nightlife concepts.
The event serves as a platform for practical business growth, operational innovation and industry networking for Southeast Asia’s evolving Ho.Re.Ca. and Foodservice sectors.
About IEG Asia
IEG Asia is the Singapore-based subsidiary of Italian Exhibition Group (IEG), one of Europe’s leading exhibition organisers. The company develops trade platforms across Southeast Asia focused on Foodservice, hospitality, lifestyle and specialty industries.
For more information, please contact The Rainmaker Marketing Group Pte Ltd:
Nalini Naidu
Principal Publicist and Founder
Mobile: +65 9633 3198
nalini.naidu@therainmaker.com.sg
Dean Johari
Senior Publicist
Mobile: +65 9697 4464
deanjohari@therainmaker.com.sg
Diana Loh
Publicist
Mobile: +65 8228 5941
dianaloh@therainmaker.com.sg
Ong Wei Ling
Publicist
Mobile: +65 9185 4726
ongweiling@therainmaker.com.sg
Emily Chee
Publicist
Mobile: +65 8393 7175
emilychee@therainmaker.com.sg
