President Kim Young-jae of Korea Institute for Food Industry Cluster (KIFIC) and other guests attend an opening ceremony of the 2021 Korea National Food Cluster Food Festival in Iksan on Sept. 8.

The 2021 Korea National Food Cluster Food Festival in Iksan wrapped up its two-day run successfully on Sept. 9.

The national food cluster “Foodpolis” in Iksan held the food festival online under the theme “Freshly Tasty World, Create Foods.”

The fair was designed to publicize products of startups and mid-side enterprises in the national food cluster, or Foodpolis, to Korean and foreign buyers.

About 100 SME food companies, 32 related institutions, and buyers participated in the food festival.

As the food exhibition attracted 35,000 visitors and recorded 1.5 million pageviews, it is evaluated to have expanded new horizons in online marketing.

Sales sessions on major online distribution channels, like Coupang and Korea Post’s shopping mall, attracted much attention with the introducing of some promising products. They attracted as many as 8,291 watchers in real time.

Famous chefs such as Song Hoon, Hong Suk-cheon and Hong Sound offered live broadcasting programs.

The food festival also coincided with a food marketing conference and one-on-one export negotiation sessions with Korea and foreign buyers. There were also online exhibition and publicity halls.

The conference was designed to look into the future of the food industry. It was held under the theme “Brace for Post-COVID-19 Era and ESG Food Industry.”

Speakers such as successful startup businessmen took part in the conference, which was streamed live from 2 p.m. on Sept. 9.

The conference served as an opportunity not only to recognize the significance of K-food, but also to analyze and predict changing trends in the post-COVID-19 era.

During the festival, Korea Institute for Food Industry Cluster (KIFIC) and NS Home Shopping have been credited with creating social values by offering patronage worth about 33 million won to kids who skips meals in the Jeonbuk area.

Content of the food festival can be viewed via its website (if-festival.or.kr) until Nov. 30, and exhibitors’ products can be purchased via the Coupang and Korea Post Shopping Malls.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, which has buffed the global economy, the Korean food industry has made a splash on the global stage.

Korea saw agro-fishery food exports approach $10 billion, the most-ever, last year. The feat is owed to rising demand for home meals. “K-food,” coupled with Hallyu, also played a part.

A view of an on-line export consultation booth of the 2021 Korea National Food Cluster Food Festival in Iksan. (Photos: KIFIC)

KIFIC, celebrating the 10th anniversary this year, is contributing to the development of the food industry by not only supporting food’s raw material procurement, production, exploration of and marketing, but also setting up Foodpolis, the national food cluster with the 2.32 million sq. meters area in Iksan.

KIFIC President Kim Young-jae said, “The food festival is an opportunity to make the vision and values of Foodpolis, the mecca of food innovativeness, and promising food makers’ excellent products known to the general public and buyers.”

KIFIC, a partner of Korean food makers, will not spare efforts to support the food industry, he said, ranging from technology to marketing and promotional efforts.