KAZAKHSTAN STRENGTHENS ITS POSITION AS A REGIONAL LEADER IN THE FOOD AND PACKAGING INDUSTRY: RESULTS OF FOODEXPO QAZAQSTAN AND QAZPACK 2025

FROM NOVEMBER 12 TO 14, 2025, ALMATY ONCE AGAIN BECAME A KEY PLATFORM FOR FOOD AND PACKAGING INDUSTRY SPECIALISTS IN CENTRAL ASIA.

Two significant industry events took place here — the 27th Central Asian International FoodExpo Qazaqstan and the 22nd Kazakhstan International QazPack exhibition, gathering 9,685 professionals from 51 countries. For over 20 years, these exhibitions have confirmed their status as the leading industry communication platform in the region, bringing together 529 participating companies from 34 countries this year, highlighting Kazakhstan's significant role on the map of international trade and food market innovations.

Participants of FoodExpo Qazaqstan presented the latest developments and products for all segments of the food industry. The exhibition 'Food and Beverages, Ingredients and Equipment for the Food Industry' featured 412 companies, including 151 domestic and 261 international companies. Such high interest from international businesses in the Kazakh market indicates the strategic role of the country in the regional and global supply chain of food products and technologies.

For the first time, 193 companies or 47% of exhibitors successfully debuted at the exhibition, with participants from 34 countries, including Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Belgium, Vietnam, Germany, Egypt, India, Italy, China, Korea, the Netherlands, Norway, Turkey, France, Japan, and others. National stands were presented by Belarus, Poland, and South Korea, while collective expositions were formed by regions of Russia and provinces of China.

The extensive international presence underscores the fact that Kazakhstan remains a strategically important market for the global business community. Among the participants were both large foreign brands and companies actively developing local production. The unification of such a wide range and geography of manufacturers and suppliers not only strengthened business relationships but also allowed for the study of market needs and the outlining of new directions for cooperation. Exhibitors noted the high effectiveness of participation: 'We have participated in the FoodExpo Qazaqstan exhibition annually since 2021. We believe this exhibition helps us acquire new clients, opens up new opportunities, and supports relationships with old partners. After each exhibition, a new case arises for development, new contacts — both with clients and suppliers. This platform is very important for us, it fully justifies itself and supports the company's image, so we will gladly continue to participate,' shared Alexander Kurnosov, General Director of TOO Storm Technology.

An integral part of the exhibition was a rich business program focused on professional development and experience exchange. This year saw a successful collaboration between the industry conference FOOD 3D: QAZAQ and the FoodExpo Qazaqstan exhibition. For the first time, the FOOD 3D conference was held not only in Kazakhstan but also at the exhibition venue. The third day of the conference in a workshop format started at the exhibition and was dedicated to the topic 'Strategy 2026: how to prepare business for new challenges'. The exhibition program also included a panel session 'Course for sustainability: how to combine the packaging business and ecology – from trend to responsibility', as well as a large-scale Food Safety Dialogue dedicated to certification, standards, and sanitary design issues for export-oriented enterprises.

One of the key events of the exhibition traditionally was the Retail Center, where in the format of direct b2b meetings, manufacturers held negotiations with leading retail chains and distributors of Kazakhstan and Central Asia. Within the negotiation platform, 1,156 negotiations took place, where over 3,500 new products entering the shelves of Kazakhstan were presented to retail chains.

Visitors also noted that the exhibition continues to grow and develop: 'We visit this exhibition every year, and this year it impressed even more — larger and more interesting than before. We meet participants, study the presented equipment. Unfortunately, there was little time to attend the business program because there were many meetings within the retail center, but overall the exhibition left only positive impressions. We definitely plan to come next year,' said Irina Kislyakova, TOO Magnum Cash&Carry.

The tradition of expert tastings also continued: this year the 27th Professional Competition 'Best Product of the FoodExpo Qazaqstan 2025' was held. This year, 28 companies from 4 countries were awarded the Gold Medal and Honorary Diploma. The competition emphasizes the prestige of participating in FoodExpo Qazaqstan and motivates manufacturers to develop product lines, improve recipes, and implement new technologies, offering the market high-quality products and raising food industry standards.

This year, the FoodExpo Qazaqstan program was supplemented with events dedicated to the development of the halal segment and its growing role in the food industry. Special presentation-tastings by LLC 'TD Cherkizovo' were held at the venue, where guests were introduced to the history of the halal brand 'Latifa'.

Parallel to FoodExpo Qazaqstan, the QazPack 2025 exhibition was held, dedicated to packaging materials, equipment, and technologies. It featured 117 companies from 12 countries, including Germany, India, Iran, Korea, Poland, Turkey, Uzbekistan, and Switzerland. Exhibitors presented a wide range of solutions in packaging, labeling, and printing, demonstrating growing interest in technological innovations and sustainable solutions in the packaging industry. The high significance of QazPack as a professional platform was also noted by regular participants: 'QazPack for us is the ideal platform where we can meet our clients, showcase new opportunities, and demonstrate our products. The exhibition has established itself as a leading platform where key trends in packaging are discussed and valuable professional communication with colleagues and partners takes place. We participate here annually and plan to continue. We are very grateful for the organization of such an event,' noted Daniyar Mustafin, marketer at KZ Recycling.

FoodExpo Qazaqstan and QazPack 2025 became a platform where trust between markets is strengthened, new projects are launched, and long-term business partnerships are formed, confirming Kazakhstan's growing importance on the international stage.

The exhibitions were officially supported by the Akimat of Almaty, the Kazakh Academy of Nutrition, and the Association of Packers of Kazakhstan.

Exhibition partners included: Taste of Poland - Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Poland – KOWR as the 'Official Exhibition Partner', Paper World - Creative Partner, Dairy News - General Information Partner, FOOD 3D: QAZAQ - Partner Conference.

The exhibitions were organized by the Kazakh company Iteca — a recognized leader in the exhibition industry of Kazakhstan with 32 years of experience in successfully organizing industry events and its international partner — ICA Events Group with a network of over 10 international agency representations.