Speciality & Fine Food Asia and Restaurant, Pub & Bar Asia Return With a Focus on Innovation – Propelled by Exciting Industry Partnerships

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Expect smart solutions, cutting-edge products and revolutionary concepts during the upcoming edition of Speciality & Fine Food Asia (SFFA) and Restaurant, Pub & Bar Asia (RPB Asia). Both trade shows return for their second year from 17 – 19 July 2018 at Suntec Singapore and are bringing together major F&B, foodservice, hospitality and retail players to discuss the issues facing the industry, how innovation plays a part in ensuring sustainability, and future trends that will impact the way we eat, dine, and live.  

Investor Pitching Series

SFFA has launched a brand-new Investor Pitching Series to provide a practical springboard for companies with exciting, innovative ideas to pitch their concepts and products to a panel of judges comprising F&B owners, retailers, hoteliers and investors, for real-time feedback. The Series is split into two tracks – Innovative F&B Products and Productive Business Solutions for the F&B Industry, the latter designed in collaboration with RAS in order to solicit business and product proposals that will address real-life challenges faced by the F&B industry and enable them to harness new technologies, processes or products to elevate their businesses above the global competition, differentiate their offerings and thrive in the long term. Over 10 finalists will be invited for a boot camp where they can exchange ideas and gain tips from industry experts before delivering their pitches to the judges on 17 & 18 July at SFFA.

e2i’s new ULeap F&B mobile modules

SFFA 2018 will also see the launch of e2i’s new F&B mobile modules on ULeap, a mobile learning app, for quick, bite-sized learning on the F&B industry. “To ensure the growth of Singapore’s F&B industry, e2i is pleased to work closely with SFFA and RPB Asia to provide a dedicated platform for industry players to learn from each other, identify new ways of doing things and create opportunities for working partnerships,” said Mr Gilbert Tan, CEO of e2i.

“In addition, e2i will be launching bite-sized learning modules on our ULeap mobile app dedicated to the F&B sector to facilitate greater learning. We also look forward to forming partnerships with the industry players here today as well to raise their training capabilities via skills upgrading access and opportunities for their workers.”

Fine Food Live

A core component of SFFA, Fine Food Live is the mainstage where chef demos, panel discussions, and more will take place. Chef Isaac Mchale of Michelin-starred The Clove Club – also the highest ranked UK restaurant on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants – will be headlining the show for his first official visit to Singapore. Underscoring the show’s focus on sustainability, Mchale champions the very best of British produce, crafting elegant dishes incorporating inspiration from across the globe. Mchale will present two cooking demos and take part in a panel discussion ‘The Fine Art of (Conscious) Dining’.

Joining Mchale on the panel are local and regional experts such as Chef Julien Royer of two Michelin-starred Odette, also Singapore’s highest ranked restaurant on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants; Ken Loon, Chef-Owner of sustainable seafood restaurant, The Naked Finn; international food journalist Cheryl Tiu and Lennard Yeong – both of whom are World’s 50 Best TasteHunters (digital ambassadors for the 50 Best brand). They will explore the definition of conscious dining and how that fits into the fine dining space.

There will be a total of four panel discussions, thoughtfully designed for solutions-driven discourse among prominent industry thought leaders. Other topics are ‘Global F&B Outlook’, ‘Going Digital’ and ‘From Farm to Kitchen’, that will see representatives from Chope, DHL, Edelman, Ernst & Young, GrabFood, KPMG, Zenith Global and more take the stage.

Always a star attraction are the chef demonstrations that will happen throughout the day. This year, presenting chefs include renowned cookbook author, Christopher Tan, Javad Ahamad from Punjab Grill, and Alexander McKinstry from Viceroy Bali. Chef Neo Jun Hao, the newly-minted winner for Singapore’s Disciples Escoffier Young Talent – the culinary competition for young chefs under the age of 25 – will be conducting his live practice run at the Show before representing the country at the Asia Finals in Hong Kong this September.

Centre Stage

At RPB Asia, Centre Stage will be a flurry of activity as the Show hosts two prestigious industry awards – the inaugural Asia Food Innovation Awards organised by FoodBev Media and theBartender Invitational 2018 organised by The Bar Awards. Both celebrate and recognise excellence and creativity across all aspects of the global food and beverage industry and are testament to the shows’ position and standing as one of the industry’s premier, must-visit events for trade buyers from retail, foodservice, travel, import, wholesale and distribution across Southeast Asia.

  

The Asia Food Innovation Awards is the Asian edition of the UK-based Innovation Awards, which have been running for more than 10 years and are recognised as the most credible and respected awards schemes to influence the international food and beverage industry. For the first time, the inaugural Asia Food Innovation Awards was launched in March 2018, with the winners to be unveiled at Centre Stage on 18 July.

The Bartender Invitational is an intense 3-day competition that will see four Bartender of the Year award winners from four cities battle it out with a series of tough challenges for the ultimate title ofBartender of the Year 2018. Country representatives are Jay Khan (COA, Hong Kong), Kho Chee Kheong “CK” (Coley, Kuala Lumpur), Nikita Matveev (Vida Rica, Mandarin Oriental Macau) andVijay Mudaliar (Native, Singapore). The winner will be announced on 19 July.

A series of bar talks, curated together with The Bar Awards team, will take place alongside masterclasses by experts across speciality spirits, sake, tea and wine, including leading gourmet brands like Kangaroo Island Spirits, Monsoon Tea, and Niigata Prefecture Sake.

SFFA and RPB Asia 2018 will see over 145 exhibitors from Asia, Australia, Europe and North America showcasing thousands of products across categories such as health & functional foods(including organic, free-from products, etc), meat, bar food & snacks, seafood & fish, sauces & condiments, jams & preserves and many more.* A new technology category will also showcase the latest in innovative solutions for the industry.

For the latest updates, please visit the official show websites – Speciality-Asia.com and RPB-Asia.com, and follow the shows on social media. Trade visitors can register here for their free entrance badges.

Philippines Hosts Exhibition of Contemporary Art in Southeast Asia

Wazzup Pilipinas!

As the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) concludes the commemoration of its 50^th anniversary, the Philippines marks the historic occasion by hosting a contemporary art exhibition featuring ten artists who will represent each ASEAN member state.

The exhibit titled Ties of History: Art in Southeast Asia is curated by noted art historian, scholar, and curator Patrick D. Flores.

It will be held simultaneously in three major art institutions in the Philippines: the Metropolitan Museum of Manila (MET Manila), the University of the Philippines Vargas Museum, and the Yuchengco Museum.

The exhibition’s artists from the region will gather in Manila to open the exhibition on August 8 (MET Manila), 9 (Yuchengco Museum), and 10 (Vargas Museum) with a series of programs for each venue. The opening reception of each venue starts at 5pm. The exhibition will be on view from August 10 to October 6, 2018.

The project is presented by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) through the Dalubhasaan Para sa Edukasyon sa Sining at Kultura (DESK) with the support of the Office of Senator Loren Legarda.

“Ties of history” is a phrase taken from a document signed by ASEAN’s founding members on August 8, 1967. The document describes “a region already bound together by ties of history and culture.” A region that is “conscious that in an increasingly interdependent world, the cherished ideals of peace, freedom, social justice, and economic well-being are best attained by fostering good understanding, good neighbourliness and meaningful cooperation among the countries of the region.” The document gave birth to the regional organization, which taken as a collective is the world’s 5^th largest economy. 

Ties of History: Art in Southeast Asia is a survey of contemporary art, on the one hand. On the other, it is a diligent study of a particular practice. The project selects three works of each artist from the ASEAN countries to be exhibited in three institutions. This enables the exhibition to present a more in-depth look into the interests of the artist and allows the audience from different parts of the city to view the exhibition.

As Flores, who was recently appointed as Artistic Director of Singapore Biennale 2019, explains, “this undertaking…draws attention to the thoughtful and sensitive process of artistic transformation and maturity and tries to avoid the tendency of survey exhibitions to merely select the most popular or the most accessible.”

“It also reminds us that artistic practice is not fully formed but rather gleaned in the condition of constant forming. It is this constant forming that the project endeavors to curate,” he adds.

NCCA Chairman Virgilio S. Almario agrees that “[t]here is much to gain in gathering the talents of the region in order to view not only their works but to also reflect on the realities each of them respond to.” He further emphasizes that “it is a proud moment that the Philippines initiates this celebration of ASEAN artists.”

Almario also remarks on the importance of the ASEAN in the current climate. For him, “[the] ASEAN is a unique regional organization because it aims to be known to the world as one community despite its diversity in religion, race and culture. In a world troubled by differences in belief, finding peace may be meditated through art that lets us see the threads that string us together.”

Senator Loren Legarda, one of the Philippines leading cultural advocates, expresses her pride with the recent developments in Philippine contemporary art: “Support for Philippine contemporary art is at its peak with our participation at the Venice Biennale for four consecutive years after a 51-year absence, with Dr. Flores as the first curator since our re-entry. This collaborative endeavor further puts the country at the center of contemporary art globally, not just in Asia. I invite our ASEAN neighbors to continue this art project annually or in the form of a biennial in the same manner by which we host political and economic affairs in ASEAN.”

Featured Artists

Ties of History: Art in Southeast Asia aims to identify artists from across generations who have demonstrated both responsiveness and range in relation to the concerns of aesthetic material and socio-historical contexts.

A contemporary artist based in Singapore known for her collaborative and multidisciplinary approach to art, Amanda Heng (b. 1951) explores social issues in the context of Singapore’s inter-cultural social milieu.

Roberto Feleo (b. 1954) is a seminal Philippine artist whose works are sharp sociohistorical commentaries on Philippine myth and history and creative investigations into local materials and techniques.

Known for his practice that includes the use of natural materials and traditional tools used in Indonesian craft, Anusapati (b. 1957) has inspired a younger generation of artists disposed to respond to craft, modernism, and the environment.

Do Hoang Tuong (b. 1960) of Vietnam belongs to an influential generation of abstract painters in the South of Vietnam in the 1990s. From an academic perspective and within the narrative space of his paintings, he expresses the desire of a founding condition of a new subjectivity.

Savanhdary Vongpoothorn (b. 1971) was born in Laos and came to Australia in 1979. Her practice implicates Lao cultural references interwoven with Australian and other cultural mediations in a productive space of resettlement.

Working with photography and the moving image, Chris Chong Chan Fui (b. 1972) from Malaysia questions and redirects how humans work within such intersecting fields as economics and ecology.

Jedsada Tangtrakulwong (b. 1972) lives and works in Thailand. His practice is informed by Thai cultural sign systems and reflects on the delicacy of daily existence.

Min Thein Sung (b. 1978), born and based in Myanmar, works with and on motifs, media, and processes inspired by the everyday and his childhood.

Artist and curator Vuth Lyno (b. 1982) from Cambodia is the Co-founding Artistic Director of Sa Sa Art Projects, an artist-run space initiated by the Stiev Selapak collective in Phnom Penh. His artistic and curatorial practice is primarily participatory in nature, exploring collective learning and experimentation.

Working with organic materials, Yasmin Jaidin (b. 1987), a contemporary artist from Brunei, interrogates how these elements are often overlooked in the context of contemporary life.

Selection Process

A network of practitioners in contemporary art in the region was consulted in the selection of artists for the exhibition. These advisors include Ahmad Mashadi, Head of the National University of Singapore Museum; Khim Ong, Deputy Director, Curatorial Programmes at Nanyang Technological University Centre for Contemporary Art Singapore (NTU CCA Singapore); Loredana Pazzini-Paracciani, independent curator, writer, and lecturer of Southeast Asian contemporary art; and independent curator and scholar Grace Samboh.

Public Program

The public is invited to join an artist talk and roundtable discussion with the advisors from the region as they discuss contemporary art in Southeast Asia on August 11 at the MET Museum of Manila. There will also be a public and education program to feature talks and lectures by scholars of and practitioners in the region in the duration of the exhibition’s run.

For details relating to the exhibition’s education programs, please check our social media pages @tiesofhistory or email us at info@tiesofhistory.org to be added to our mailing list.

L-R, clockwise- Ties of History: Art in Southeast Asia featured artists— Amanda Heng (Singapore), Roberto Feleo (Philippines), Anusapati (Indonesia), Do Hoang Tuong (Vietnam), Chris Chong Chan Fui (Malaysia), Yasmin Jaidin (Brunei), Min Thein Sung (Myanmar), Vuth Lyno (Cambodia), Jedsada Tangtrakulwong (Thailand), Savanhdary Vongpoothorn (Laos)

Philippines Hosts Exhibition of Contemporary Art in Southeast Asia

Exhibition:                            Ties of History: Art in Southeast Asia

Venue:                                    Metropolitan Museum of Manila

University of the Philippines Vargas Museum

Yuchengco Museum

Dates:                                     August 8 to October 6, 2018

Social Media:                        @tiesofhistory

Opening Reception:             5pm – 9pm

August 8 at the Metropolitan Museum of Manila

                                                August 9 at the Yuchengco Museum

            August 10 at the Vargas Museum

Tips and Hints On How You Can Eat Right At Work

Wazzup Pilipinas!

You can learn how to optimize your fitness routine with a few simple tips. Taking care of our bodies is one of the most important things that we can learn how to do. Your body will be with you for whatever remains of your life, utilize these tips to treat it right.

On the off chance that somebody is searching for another approach to enhance their strength and fitness, taking a martial art class can be energizing, intriguing, testing, and furthermore fun. The additional movement and activities that are related with the martial arts fighting class are new to the body and will serve to enhance your fitness level.

To get quick outcomes from your exercise schedule, have a go at doing aerobics. This system includes a progression of quick moves between various activities with no rest break in the middle. You may go from squats to pushups to bouncing jacks. High-intensity aerobics gives you a chance to consume fat while reinforcing your muscles, so you get quicker outcomes.

A standout amongst the most widely recognized and preventable reasons for muscle strain and damage amid exercises, is practicing while at the same time wearing old, exhausted shoes that are never again ready to pad and bolster the foot. Think about your exercise shoes as some other transient thing and dole out a "lapse date". For even the most noteworthy quality shoes, five hundred miles is the normal life expectancy.

If you have a lifeless tree on your property and are considering having an administration expel it for you, you must think again about it. If you cut up the tree yourself with an axe or even a chainsaw, and then chop the logs to firewood with an axe, you will give yourself many great workouts and save on your fuel bill too!

A great fitness tip is to start doing lunges. Lunges are a great exercise to help build up your quadriceps and your hamstrings. You can also perform weighted lunges by holding a dumbbell in each hand. Lunges are certainly an workout where you'll feel a deep burn.

To avoid straining your neck when you are doing crunches or other abdominal exercises, try putting your tongue against the roof of your mouth. This will help you keep your head properly line up while you exercise, which will ease the stress on your neck. If your neck starts to upset, stop right away.

To maintain the benefits of your workout, drink a few supplements after you are finished. Your muscles will be desire protein, so gulp a pint of a protein shake to refill their supply. Studies have shown that doing this increases the ability of your muscles to maintain the gain from the workout.

One approach to build strength rapidly is to complete a high volume of severances with light weights at a quick pace. This technique has a similar effect in terms of strength building as lifting a heavier weight more slowly. Begin with a weight level that is about 50% of what you would usually lift.

Strengthen your grip by using a towel. Cover it around any loads or blocks that you use to add extra width. Your hands will have to work harder to hold on to the thicker material, and your grip will grow stronger. You can use this for weights, chin-ups, squats, or any other bar that you use in your routine.

If you are an avid runner, a great tip is to try to run faster over shorter distances. The reason for this is because it will help to improve your running form. This will not only help you perform better, but also, you will not be as likely to injure yourself.

Footwear is a necessary part towards feeling as good as possible when you are at the fitness tip center. Go to the store and buy comfortable sports shoes in your preferred brand, which can help decrease bruises and rankles at the workout place. Genuine sports shoes can enhance your wellness regimen.

Have a physical checkup with your doctor before starting a fitness program. This is especially important if you have high blood pressure, smoke, have diabetes or are overweight. The doctor will be able to tell you if there are any kinds of activities that you should avoid in the beginning.

It is possible to work out in the comfort of your own home without any workout equipment at all. There are numbers of fitness schedules that do not require someone to use anything than their own body weight. You can do squats, sit-ups and push-ups without using even anything and see great results within a few days.

Trying to be fit - find a partner to workout with! To make sure you are getting the most out of your time while working out and completing fitness activities, it helps to have a workout partner to push you to your limits. When you work out by yourself, you are much more likely to give up earlier than you would if you had a work out partner.

Set personal goals for yourself. Whether you are following a fitness program or have designed your own, goals is a very important part of your success. Without aims, there is no mark of success, and you could consequently lose sight of what you are working for and what you wish to complete in your fitness routine. At the same time, you could lose motivation and lose out on the benefits of fitness.

You should remember that the total effect of your workout routine comes from both its intensity and its duration. If you need better results but cannot change one of these factors, increase the other one to compensate. No extra time? Work out harder. No room in your program for working harder? Work out longer.

Joining some of these tips into your every day schedules will go a long way towards making an improved and happier you. The most important thing is that you just get started. Don't wait and tell yourself you will do it another day. Get healthy and fit today and you will see the effects for the rest of your life.