INTERNATIONAL SCALE AND NEW BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES: FOODEXPO QAZAQSTAN, QAZPACK AND HOREX & CLEAN EXPO QAZAQSTAN OPEN IN ALMATY WITH 656 COMPANIES FROM 35 COUNTRIES

Today, 11 November, saw the opening in Almaty of three international industry exhibitions: the 28th Central Asian International Exhibition FoodExpo Qazaqstan, the 23rd Kazakhstan International Exhibition QazPack for "Packaging, Tare, Label and Printing", and the 21st Kazakhstan International Specialised Exhibitions Horex & Clean Expo Qazaqstan, covering Everything for Hotels, Restaurants, Supermarkets and the Cleaning Industry.

The combined exhibition brought together 656 companies from 35 countries: Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, the United Kingdom, Germany, Hong Kong, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Italy, Kazakhstan, China, Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Moldova, the Netherlands, the UAE, Pakistan, Poland, Russia, Singapore, Slovakia, the USA, Thailand, Turkmenistan, Türkiye, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, France, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Sweden, Sri Lanka and Japan.

FoodExpo Qazaqstan occupies a central place in the exhibition programme, presenting 505 companies, including 86 Kazakhstani and 419 international participants. The exhibition's geographical reach covers 30 countries, while 338 companies, or 67% of the total number of exhibitors, are participating for the first time, demonstrating growing international interest in the markets of Kazakhstan and Central Asia. National pavilions from Belarus, Germany, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Poland and South Korea ensure broad representation of foreign manufacturers. Of particular note is the Asian Group joint exhibition, organised for the first time and comprising more than 30 companies from Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia, as well as the Matrade national pavilion, bringing together 14 companies. The international exhibition is complemented by the Made in Kuban collective stand and regional export support centres of Russia, presenting enterprises from the Republic of Adygea, the Republic of Tatarstan, the Udmurt Republic, Ivanovo, Kaliningrad, Omsk, Orenburg, Kaluga, Penza, Rostov and Chelyabinsk regions, Krasnodar Krai and St. Petersburg.

An important part of the exhibition infrastructure is the Retail Centre — a specialised area for direct B2B negotiations between suppliers and representatives of retail chains and distribution companies from Kazakhstan and Central Asia.

The exhibitions officially opened with a ceremonial opening ceremony, the highlight of which was the traditional ribbon-cutting. This was followed by a VIP tour of the exhibition for distinguished guests, including visits to the stands of participating companies. The distinguished guests at the official opening ceremony included: Almas Kalkaev, Director of the Almaty Representative Office of Kazakhstan Export Credit Agency JSC KAZAKHEXPORT; Rumilya Baratova, Head of the International Cooperation Department of the Atameken Regional Chamber of Entrepreneurs of Almaty; Mohd Adli Abdullah, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Malaysia to the Republic of Kazakhstan; Martin Ang, President of the Malaysian Consortium of Mid-Tier Companies (MCMTC); Simone Schiller, Representative of the German Pavilion on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Regional Identity; Jan Szopiński, Deputy Director General of the National Support Centre for Agriculture of Poland (KOWR); Talgat Abdullayev, Chairman of the Board of Directors of “Atakent” KCBC JSC; and Edward Stroone, CEO of ICA Events Group.

In his welcoming speech, Almas Kalkaev noted: “Today, we are witnessing impressive momentum: our country's food industry is demonstrating steady growth, strengthening the position of the Made in Kazakhstan brand. However, any growth today requires not only the production of high-quality products but also bold and secure steps towards exports. This is precisely where the interests of businesses, major industry platforms and development institutions intersect. FoodExpo Qazaqstan is the epicentre of business contacts. This year, the exhibition brings together hundreds of companies from dozens of countries around the world, including strong representation from Asia, retailers and distributors. For Kazakhstani manufacturers, this is a unique opportunity to hold dozens of direct negotiations in just three days — negotiations that would normally take months. Kazakhstan's food industry has enormous export potential. FoodExpo Qazaqstan provides you with a showcase and connections, while the Kazakhstan Export Credit Agency offers financial confidence and security”. 

The 23rd Kazakhstan International Exhibition QazPack for "Packaging, Tare, Label and Printing" formed an independent sector of the unified exhibition venue. This year, it brought together 123 companies, including 28 domestic and 95 international participants from 15 countries: Azerbaijan, Belarus, Germany, Hong Kong, Iran, Italy, Kazakhstan, China, Poland, Russia, Turkmenistan, Türkiye, Uzbekistan, Switzerland and Sweden. The international composition of exhibitors creates a professional platform for showcasing industry solutions, exchanging experience and establishing business contacts between packaging manufacturers, equipment suppliers and representatives of related industrial sectors.

The third area of the joint exhibition was represented by the 21st Kazakhstan International Specialised Exhibitions Horex & Clean Expo Qazaqstan, covering the fields of hotel, restaurant and supermarket equipment, as well as the cleaning industry. The exhibitions feature 53 companies from 11 countries: Austria, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Kazakhstan, China, Moldova, the Netherlands, Russia, the USA and Switzerland. The exhibitors include 26 Kazakhstani and 27 international companies, with 12 participants taking part in the project for the first time this year.

The practical continuation of the exhibition programme was the HOREX BUSINESS FORUM, focused on key management and operational issues in the restaurant and hotel business. The first day featured the opening plenary session “Kazakhstan’s HoReCa Industry 2026: One Market, Shared Challenges”; the practical session “Gastro Cluster: A New Format or a Closed Club? How Can Restaurants Become Part of the Project?”; the strategic session “Kazakhstan’s Hotel Business 2026: Who Manages Your Revenue — You or Aggregators?”; as well as the summit organised by KAGiR “Staff and Equipment: How Hotels Can Save Time and Money”.

The combination of three specialised exhibitions at one venue creates additional opportunities for cross-industry cooperation, expanding business contacts and exchanging professional expertise. The international composition of participants, the diversity of solutions presented, specialised B2B platforms and a comprehensive business programme create favourable conditions for developing partnerships between Kazakhstani and foreign companies, strengthening Almaty's position as one of the key business centres of Central Asia.

Official Support
The FoodExpo Qazaqstan exhibition is held with the official support of the Almaty City Akimat, the Atameken National Chamber of Entrepreneurs of the Republic of Kazakhstan and KAGiR.
QazPack is supported by the Almaty City Akimat, the Kazakh Academy of Nutrition and the Kazakhstan Packaging Association.
The partners of the Horex & Clean Expo Qazaqstan business programme are the Association “Club of Restaurateurs of the Republic of Kazakhstan” and OpenRate. The exhibition is officially supported by the Almaty City Akimat and the Kazakhstan Association of Hotels & Restaurants «KAGiR».

The exhibitions are organised by the Kazakhstan exhibition company Iteca and its international partner, ICA Events Group.
The exhibitions will continue for two more days. We welcome professionals from the food industry, packaging, hospitality and cleaning sectors. Visitors are invited to register in advance on the event websites!

www.foodexpo.kz
www.qazpack.kz
www.horexexpo.kz