The 15th Gulfood will be the biggest edition ever, after the shows organiser confirmed the 20% increase in the amount of space available this year had been totally sold out. The Middle East's largest event for food, drink, foodservice and hospitality exhibition will occupy one million square feet of exhibition space at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre (DICEC).
Running from 21 - 24 February 2010, Gulfood is recognised as the year's most influential and powerful networking and sales event for the Middle East food and beverage industry, attracting key buyers and influencers from 81 countries around the world. With the GCC being the biggest importer of food in the world with more than 90% of food items brought into the region, tens of thousands of trade visitors are expected during the four day show, with more than 3,500 companies taking part, showcasing and launching new products into the region.
Gulfood has become the preferred platform to bring new food products, services and technology to the Middle East. This year trade visitors will see a host of new launches from companies including Alokozay, Gourmet Display, Synaco and Villeroy & Boch.
With many economies around the world still looking for signs of recovery, and the Middle East and neighbouring regions earmarked as key growth markets by the global food and beverage industry, attendance and exposure at Gulfood is considered critical by industry players looking to conduct some of their most significant business this year.
According to the most recent estimate by Business Monitor International, food expenditure in the UAE reached $6.78bn in 2009. The BMI research predicts this market will expand by 2.67% in 2010, making the market worth $6.96bn. The UAE Government is also making great strides to increase the number of food-manufacturing plants within the country and has invested $1.4bn since 1994 in this area. There are now around 150 food processing plants operational throughout the UAE.
"Companies large and small from around the world are increasingly taking an interest in the Middle East. Whether they are food distributors looking for the latest products, or manufacturers looking for new markets, Gulfood is indisputably recognised as the number one platform to gain an insight, and a foothold, into one of the world's fastest growing markets,"said Helal Saeed Almarri, CEO Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), the organiser of Gulfood.
A number of countries will be adding new flavour to the truly global offering at Gulfood, with Kuwait, Libya, Lithuania, Sudan, Ukraine and Uganda exhibiting in Dubai for the first time. Gulfood will also welcome new National Pavilions from Kenya, Portugal and Uruguay. In addition to more than 1,350 new exhibitors this year, Gulfood welcomes industry leaders showcasing more products and services than ever before, including Al Ghurair, Al Islami, Nestle Professional, Puratos, Rational AG, Sadia, Tyson and Platinum sponsor Etihad Salehia.
"Gulfood is the most important meeting place for local and regional companies to offer and showcase new services and products to an international FMCG audience," said Hamid Badawi, Deputy CEO, Al Islami Foods. "Al Islami has met with many new customers and potential investors at previous Gulfood exhibitions and we are looking forward to taking the industry to the next level of growth later this month."
In order to meet the demands of new exhibitors targeting this region, DWTC has also expanded the other exhibitions running concurrently with Gulfood. Ingredients Middle East is now three times bigger than last year, with more than 190 companies from 35 countries participating, welcoming Agus, Dohler, Foritech Europe, Symrise and Wild as well as many other companies from as far a field as Indonesia, Ireland, Malaysia and Spain to this year's Ingredients Middle East.
The Processing and Packaging sector has also increased to accommodate the growing interest in the technological advances of this important element of the supply chain, while Restaurant & Café, the dedicated show for beautiful design and perfect interiors, has also attracted a wide range of new exhibitors. With 98 new hotels forecast to open in the Middle East in 2010 and 115 in 2011, according to Lodging Econometrics, there is both development and opportunity in the hospitality sector.
Gulfood will introduce a number of new features this year to facilitate knowledge sharing, recognise excellence in the industry and encourage further business trading.
The first Gulfood Conference will be launched at this year's show, with an all-encompassing focus on 'Global Trends in Food, Beverage and Processing' and the relevance of these for the regional markets. The conference includes presentations from leading international experts and visionaries in the industry, including a keynote address from Saed Al Awadi, CEO of the Dubai Export Development Corporation on the 'Opening of International Markets'.
Other leading speakers include: Djamal Djouhri, Vice President, Al Ghurair Commodities; John Brash, Founder & CEO, Brash FZ LLC; Elizabeth Martins, Head of MENA, Business Monitor International; Rob O'Hanlon, Partner, Deloitte & Touche and Sudhakar Tomar, Chairman, World Pulses Organisation.
In addition to the Gulfood Conference will be the 5th Dubai International Food Safety Conference organised by Dubai Municipality, to highlight health and safety developments and issues in the industry, Gulfood is also launching a number of new features to this year's show including the Gulfood Awards, and the Middle East's first Baking Demonstrations, organised by the newly formed Baking & Pastry Guild Middle East.
"The art of baking is a specialist talent, especially here in the Middle East, and we are delighted to be showcasing some of the best examples at Gulfood 2010," said Abdullah Essa Lootah, Chairman, Global Bakery and Restaurants and Chairman of the Baking & Pastry Guild Middle East. "We hope to gain the respect and support of both the local and international audience at Gulfood for the baking & pastry-making profession."
A regular and much anticipated activity during Gulfood, the Emirates Salon Culinaire competition has attracted a record 1,500 entries from chefs and professionals around the region. Organised by the Emirates Culinary Guild, the competition is judged by a certified team of international judges. This year will also see the launch of the Golden Coffee Pot Junior Challenge, an international competition developed specifically for the junior culinary teams of the world.
Trade visitors will be able to meet with a number of international chefs during the exhibition, including TV Celebrity UK chef, Brian Turner who will be on the Ronai exhibition stand, Andrew Bennett MBE, Executive Chef at the Sheraton Hotel in London, who will be one of the international judges at Salon Culinaire and Chef Osama, one of the most popular chefs in the Arab World who appears on Dubai TV.
Gulfood is strictly a trade-only event and is open to business and trade visitors from within the industry only.
