Before the booths, the banners, and the buzz, there was just cold air—and a man who refused to quit. WOFEX at 25 didn’t rise from a trend. It rose from sheer will.
The World Food Expo 2025 marks more than just a milestone. It stands as the country’s most influential food and hospitality trade event—not simply for what it showcases, but for the quiet strength and enduring values that built it.
What Makes WOFEX 2025 the World Food Expo to Watch
It didn’t begin in an exhibition hall. It began in the guts of a freezer.
WOFEX at 25—short for World Food Expo—is an annual showcase of food trends, culinary competitions, equipment innovations, and business networking. It has become the country’s largest and most influential expo for the food and hospitality industry.
Before WOFEX (World Food Expo) became the Philippines’ biggest food and hospitality trade event, its founder Joel Pascual was immersed in the family’s industrial refrigeration business. A mechanical engineering graduate from De La Salle University with an MBA, Joel oversaw cold storage systems and ice plant construction under Barron Engineering.
Even then, Joel was thinking beyond the cold chain. While still in college, he dabbled in food carts, tomato farming, octopus export, and ice trading. He walked expo floors not as an exhibitor, but as a wide-eyed dreamer.
“I remember always wishing I would someday have something similar,” he recalls.
In 2001, Joel and his partners—Boydee Dizon and Randy Manaloto—lost a bid to run a major industry event. But instead of walking away, they created one from scratch. They initially booked just one hall at the World Trade Center, but within five months, it was fully occupied. Then, with only months left before opening, they took a leap—booking a second hall before it was filled. That kind of courage was unheard of in the industry. The result? WOFEX. And it launched to a packed venue from day one.
“We were mad, frustrated—but fired up. That was our first big ‘No.’ No to giving up.”
From Sideline to Industry Standard
What began as a side venture quickly became a flagship event. WOFEX grew because it delivered—simple as that. Exhibitors returned. Word spread.
Soon, the event outgrew its original venue at World Trade Center. It expanded to SMX, launched WOFEX University and—perhaps most significantly—took the platform beyond Metro Manila.
Today, WOFEX Cebu and WOFEX Davao continue to grow steadily, while new regional editions like WOFEX Iloilo and WOFEX Zamboanga are also being developed as future regular sites. The goal: to bring the same world-class expo experience to the Visayas and Mindanao. Held in venues such as the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel & Casino and the Iloilo Convention Center, these provincial events uplift local food businesses, spotlight regional cuisines, and connect underserved markets to national buyers and industry leaders.
But even with the scale, Joel never lost sight of something more intimate: learning. Not just for attendees—but for everyone involved. That’s how WOFEX University came to life. It wasn’t a sideshow. It was the heart. A natural extension of Joel’s belief that an expo should leave people better than it found them.
“You can’t put a price on creating spaces where chefs, hoteliers, and buyers meet and grow.”
He’s never been one to grab the mic for long speeches. But in the quiet corners of training halls, he’s there—moderating panels, asking questions, nudging conversations forward. Long before “food entrepreneurship” became a buzzword, he was helping people understand the business beneath the craft.
Not every move was profitable from the start. Education takes time. Competitions are expensive. But Joel insisted they stay.
His vision paid off. This year, the Philippine Culinary Cup marks its 15th anniversary, drawing competitors from all over the world. And as WOFEX at 25 is celebrated in 2025, it stands as not just the country’s largest food and hospitality trade show—but as a platform built on consistency, care, and community.
Anchored in Intention
Joel leads with clarity, not charisma. He calls himself a realist. He doesn’t rally with slogans or stir a crowd. Instead, he works the floor. Calm. Observant. Quietly consistent. It’s not performative—it’s patterned. Probably the engineer in him.
But there’s something softer underneath: a teacher’s heart.
In another universe, Joel might’ve been a professor at Hogwarts—or a Jedi Master. He’s a self-confessed nerd who can’t decide which universe he loves more: Star Wars or Harry Potter. But in this galaxy, he built his own kind of training ground—where young chefs, food entrepreneurs, and big brands all learn to navigate the force of the market.
When the pandemic shattered expos and drained momentum from the industry, Joel didn’t step back—he stepped in. WOFEX University shifted online. He hosted the webinars himself. The topics weren’t glamorous—sanitation protocols, logistics fixes, restaurant triage—but they mattered. It was never about being seen; it was about being useful.
“Success is when you effect positive change on others.”
And that’s how he’s built WOFEX—not as an empire, but as an ecosystem. A place where people come to trade, to learn, to grow.
At WOFEX Cebu, when a sudden blackout left the hall sweltering, Joel didn’t panic. He walked through the crowd, offering presence over panic. “People will remember the deals they made, not the heat,” he said.
He learned, over time, that leading didn’t mean doing everything—it meant building people who could. And so, he did. His mantra: DALPO—Do All Possible.
He even jokes that when his team cries during an event, it’s a good sign. “It means they care that much.”
The Room He Built
To those who know him well, WOFEX feels a bit like the Room of Requirement—a space that appears when the industry needs it most. Each year, it shifts to meet new needs: training chefs, connecting farmers, empowering small businesses. Joel doesn’t call it magic. He calls it purpose. But in practice, it’s often the same thing.
But the reality is: live events are never perfect. No matter how airtight the plans, things will go wrong. A power outage. A misprinted booth layout. A supplier no-show. There was even a year when, just hours before opening, one of the loading bays flooded—soaked cartons, blocked access, and caused delays across the floor. Joel walked in, saw the chaos, and didn’t panic. “We can’t afford to melt down. Everyone else is already stressed,” he said. “They need to see solutions—not fear.”
That’s the kind of leadership people trust—not because it’s loud, but because it’s consistent. Over 25 years, Joel Pascual hasn’t just built platforms or trade shows. He’s built credibility.
He doesn’t rely on press releases or soundbites to earn respect. His integrity shows up in quiet decisions, clean execution, and a track record that outlasts trends.
“In this business,” one long-time team member says, “you only last if people know you’ll show up when it gets hard. Joel always does.”
After all this time, he’s still on the floor. Still solving problems. Still checking on small details others might miss. And in an industry where anything can fall apart in real time, that kind of presence isn’t just rare—it’s everything.
Scaling Storms and Going Global
When the pandemic hit, WOFEX pivoted fast. They built digital formats. They waited—and prepared—for the moment when in-person events would return. That flexibility didn’t go unnoticed.
In 2017, the Tarsus Group of London bought into the business. In 2023, Informa Markets—the world’s largest exhibition organizer—acquired Tarsus, bringing WOFEX into a global portfolio of high-impact expos.
“We kept our DNA. Global standards, local impact.”
Still, growth came with personal sacrifice. Joel remembers long hours, missed moments, even moving his office close to home to try and stay connected. But time passed. “You don’t get those years back,” he says. “I don’t regret it, but I remember it.”
And yet, the spark remains. He collects toys. Rides roller coasters. Laughs like a kid. “I choose happiness—even when things get hard.”
Why WOFEX Still Matters
Today, WOFEX at 25 is more than a trade show. It’s a catalyst—for small businesses, farmers, chefs, suppliers, and dreamers. It bridges gaps, creates opportunities, and keeps evolving with the industry it serves.
Joel once thought about retiring. But new expo centers are being built. Bigger possibilities are opening. And he’s excited again.
“Maybe I’ll hang my hat a few more years down the line. There’s still work to be done.”
In a world where events come and go, WOFEX remains. Because its founder isn’t just a showrunner.
He’s a builder. A steady hand. And at his core, a teacher who never stopped believing in the value of showing up, listening closely, and making space for others to shine—in a room built on possibility.
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