Dubai World Trade Centre’s Gulfood and DMG’s Hotel Show have entered into an alliance to jointly create the Middle East and Africa’s largest hospitality and food service event, Catering News has learned.
Taking place from 18 – 20 September 2017 in Dubai, with the working title ‘Dubai International Hospitality Week’, the event is expected to attract 60,000 buyers over 90,000m2.
Dubai International Hospitality Week is aimed at providing a focused and streamlined platform for connecting horeca businesses with the region’s hoteliers, restaurateurs, cafés, bar owners, and food service wholesalers.
The move comes following feedback that Gulfood covers too many segments, meaning visitors have difficulty sourcing the products they require.
A statement from the organisers said: “The demand from hospitality industry stakeholders to access an optimised hospitality streamlined business platform has become increasingly pressing.”
Elias Rachid, regional director, MKN, which supplies kitchen equipment to the foodservice industry commented: “The event is still new for all manufacturers so we have to wait and see what the effect will be on the market with this new experience. Gulfood was our hub in the Middle East and we did want an alternative, so we feel that this is it.”
Gavin Dodd, managing director, A. Ronai LLC, added: “Now that we have become aware of this new event for 2017 we very much look forward to participating. Having a dedicated show for the foodservice industry, as well as other simultaneous events, should encourage a targeted audience of visitors that will only continue to enhance the significant hospitality focus within the UAE.”
The event will be co-located with The Hotel Show and Dubai World Trade Centre’s selection of three specialised niche food shows: Yummex, the international sweets and snacks show with Messe Koln; The Speciality Food Show; and The Middle East Seafood Show.
New event, Future Food Live, will also take place alongside Dubai International Hospitality Week and will feature food start-ups, innovation in nutrition and the latest developments in Halal food and technology.
Gulfood’s existing food service and catering equipment profiles will no longer feature in Gulfood starting from the February 2017 edition.
Instead they will be moved to Dubai International Hospitality Week in September 2017, which from now on will be the only trade platform to connect with the foodservice buying community.
Mohamed Karam, senior business development manager, Emerson Commercial & Residential Solutions, which manufactures Insinkerator food waste disposers, and exhibits at Gulfood every year, told Catering News: “We think it will be a good opportunity to have a specialised event for foodservice equipment and hospitality sectors in this region. For us, it is the right platform to launch and highlight our recent innovations and products.”
The organisers said: “The DWTC-DMG partnership will provide unrivaled expertise and experience to the food service industry to access one of the most profitable marketplaces.
“It will leverage Gulfood and The Hotel Show’s extensive proven network of influential relationships, buyer networks and alliances to deliver the most sought-after hospitality sourcing event in the world.”
The Hotel Show currently serves a global industry predicted to reach $550 billion in 2016, and has seen an increase in revenue of almost US $100 billion in the past five years.
Hospitality and horeca markets in the GCC are expected to register double digit growth over the next decade to reach $25bn by 2018.
Dubai International Hospitality Week is endorsed by Dubai Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) whose vision is to welcome 20 million annual visitors by 2020.
Words: Crystal Chesters
