THE return of the Foodicious Food & Beverage Expo to Sunshine Central for a second consecutive year reflects the growing connection between the event, the local community and businesses in Air Itam, says Air Itam assemblyman Joseph Ng.
Speaking at the opening of Foodicious Food & Beverage Expo 2026, Ng welcomed the event’s return, saying it demonstrated the success of the platform in engaging consumers and supporting entrepreneurs.
“When an event chooses to return to the same place for a second year, it shows that something meaningful has been built here,” he said.
Ng said Penang’s food industry was more than just its culinary reputation, noting that every local food business represented the efforts and aspirations of entrepreneurs, families and young business owners.
He said platforms such as Foodicious played an important role in helping businesses gain visibility, connect with customers, test new products and explore new market opportunities.
“It is not simply an expo where people come to buy food. It creates opportunities for businesses to be seen, meet customers, test new ideas, build networks and discover new markets,” he said.
Ng added that Air Itam, long known for its food heritage and strong community spirit, was also experiencing new commercial growth and developments that could create more opportunities for local traders and entrepreneurs.
“I want Air Itam to be a place where our traditional businesses can continue to grow, while at the same time welcoming new ideas, new brands and new opportunities,” he said.
He expressed hope that Foodicious would continue to grow alongside Air Itam and become a regular annual event that attracts more visitors while providing greater exposure for local businesses.
Ng also highlighted the growing importance of digitalisation, technology and artificial intelligence (AI) in the food and beverage industry, saying smaller businesses should be given opportunities to benefit from these advancements.
“These tools should not only benefit large companies. Our hawkers, family businesses, SMEs and young entrepreneurs should also have the opportunity to understand and use them to become more competitive,” he said.
At the same time, he stressed the importance of preserving Penang’s unique food culture and identity.
“While we embrace technology, we should never lose what makes Penang special — our taste, our culture, our people and the stories behind our food,” he added.
The three-day Foodicious Food & Beverage Expo 2026 is being held at Sunshine Central, featuring exhibitors from across the food and beverage sector.
Foodicious Food & Beverage Expo chief executive officer Alex Quah said the expo’s return to Sunshine Central for a second consecutive year reflected its growing partnership with the local F&B community in Penang.
He said Foodicious was more than just a sales platform, as it provided opportunities for businesses to gain exposure, connect with customers and build valuable industry networks.
Story by Edmund Lee
Pix by Law Suun Ting