More than 60,000 industry professionals are expected to visit a major food and beverage trade show to be held in Dubai next year, according to Trade Arabia.com.
Gulfood 2011, which offers a platform for the food and beverage industry to both showcase and source products and services for the region’s markets, will run from February 27 to March 2, 2011 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.
“Gulfood is a dynamic catalyst for generating global growth, showcasing the broadest range of international food and beverage products, services, ingredients and technologies under one roof to key decision makers and professionals of the region’s fast-growing foodservice and hospitality sectors,” Helal Saeed Almarri, CEO, Dubai World Trade Centre, organiser of Gulfood, was quoted saying.
“There is no question that the show delivers tangible business benefits, and with Dubai’s unrivalled position as the trading and distribution hub for the region, Gulfood remains the most important annual must-attend event for the industry,” Almarri added.
Gulfood 2011 will be the biggest event in the show’s history, taking up over one million square feet of dedicated space and leveraging its regional influence to highlight the latest trends, innovations and developments in the industry.
Restaurant & Café Middle East and Ingredients Middle East run concurrently with the show, creating a 360-degree industry offering for buyers and vendors.
Hamid Badawi, deputy CEO of Al Islami Foods, a long-time participant in Gulfood said the company in 2010 established new working relationships with suppliers and importers from Egypt, India, Brazil, Australia and Argentina.
Akber Ali, director of sales & marketing, Asia Pacific for German equipment giant Convotherm, said: “We definitely made the right decision to come to Gulfood. Our sales were up 27% on last year, and the calibre of visitors to our stand was excellent.”
“Customers are asking more and more questions, and while they are conscious of price, they are increasingly factoring quality into the equation. We look forward to participating in 2011,” he added.
The Middle East and its neighbouring regions remain key growth markets for the industry, with almost 90% of Middle East countries fully dependent on food imports, and the region identified as an emerging market with rapid population growth and the highest per capita incomes in the world. – -- Source: TradeArabia News Service