Horeca trade show, Hospitality Qatar 2016, took place at Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre (DECC) from 18-20 October.
Organised by IFP Qatar and licensed by the Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA), the event provided a platform for local, regional and international horeca suppliers to meet with hospitality professionals from the region.
Commenting on the success of the event, George Ayache, general manager, IFP Qatar LLC, said: “Hospitality Qatar 2016 attracted this year a huge number of professionals and decision makers from around the world, eager to network and explore the most state-of-art technologies in the hospitality industry. The event has established itself this year as the leading hospitality platform by providing exhibitors and visitors with the latest insights and trends of the industry.”
Thousands of visitors, including official VIP delegations from 10 participating countries, were in attendance.
An interactive business-to-business matchmaking platform was provided by the organisers to facilitate meetings and generate business opportunities.
Event features for the 2016 edition included the Mocktail Competition, sponsored by Lamborghini Luxury Energy Drink; Salon Culinaire, organised by the country’s F&B professionals to showcase trends and innovation in food and beverage; and a series of workshops covering pertinent industry topics.
Explaining FITCO Holding’s attendance, Khaled M. Al-Buainain, owner and president said: “We are participating at this exhibition to showcase a large number of products and services which FITCO for cleaning products provide. The exhibition is amazing, and we have noticed a regional and international participation. This is an ideal opportunity to meet with some institutions, network with agents and explore new products.”
Another participant, Iyad G. Sabbarini, GM of Nespresso, Qatar commented: “We consider our participation at Hospitality Qatar highly effective. We are participating for the second year in a row, and we have noticed many companies interested in participating at this exhibition and we are interested in strengthening our position in the Qatari market.”
The hospitality industry has been recognised as a key sector for achieving the Qatar National Vision 2030.
With the implementation of The Qatar National Tourism Sector Strategy 2030, Qatar has adopted a comprehensive approach to creating a sustainable hospitality sector.
In addition, the country has allocated an estimated US $200 billion on infrastructure projects ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and expects to see a steady increase in tourist numbers in the run up to the event.