If you're in the business of food, then Gulfood is the place to do business this week.
When the inaugural Gulfood exhibition was held in 1987, the organisers recorded nearly 1,600 visitors and 65 exhibitors. Following its steady growth year-on-year Mark Napier, Exhibition Director, Food Cluster, Dubai World Trade Centre, says the event now attracts more than 45,000 visitors from across 150 countries and is the number one show in the Middle East and in the top five in the world.
"The growth has been truly meteoric," says Napier. "Not only has the show developed in terms of the true 360 degree offering it now provides — from food and beverages, through to ingredients, processing and packaging — but the number of exhibitors attracted to Gulfood and the number of visitors attending have resulted in the exhibition space growing by more than 50 times in the past decade."
Gulfood 2010 will be the biggest of the 15 editions, taking up one million square feet of dedicated space and leveraging its regional influence to highlight the latest trends, innovations and developments in the industry, according to Napier. The event expects to host 3,300 companies from more than 150 countries. New entries at this year's Gulfood include Kuwait, Libya, Peru, Portugal, Sudan and others.
Key trade event
"Gulfood is where the industry meets, so if you're in the business of food, you're going to be at Gulfood," says Napier. "This is where the Middle East, North Africa and the Indian subcontinent converge so you can do business with the whole world. More than 61 per cent of our visitors travel to Gulfood from outside the UAE. Gulfood attracts key trade visitors from a broad spectrum of the industry including brands like Carrefour, Choithram, Emirates, Etihad Airways, Hilton Group, Jumeirah International, Kraft, Nestle, PepsiCo and Waitrose."
This year's Gulfood, which is being held from today until Wednesday at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre, boasts many new features.
"Gulfood will help to celebrate excellence through the inaugural Gulfood Awards and enrich the learning and educational experience through the first Gulfood Conference. This four-day conference has been conceived to bring together international experts to discuss future trends and critical issues in the food and beverage industry and the relevance of these for the regional markets," says Napier.
With the show growing exponentially, it appears that this is indicative of the food industry in general. "This growth is reflected in the Middle East food industry," says Napier. "Dubai is increasingly exporting food products from across the world with around Dh3.5 billion traded in 2008 according to recent figures from Dubai Export Development Corporation.
"Dubai also re-exported Dh4.1 billion worth of food products in 2008. Sugar and confectionery ranked at the top of the list of food exports, making up 37 per cent of the export value of all food products."
Halal market
But it isn't only sugar and confectionery that are faring well; halal food is also a growing industry. "With Al Islami spearheading the halal concept here, the past five years have witnessed a robust growth to the extent that halal has statured itself as a part of the mainstream economy," says Nasir Iqbal, Manager, PR and Media for Al Islami Foods.
"The latest growth figure is $600 billion (Dh2,203 billion) per year as compared to $500 billion five years ago. Major industry players such as Nestlé, McDonald's, Americana are increasing the investments in halal to take a bite of the halal hot cake. On an annual basis, the pace of halal market growth is 20 per cent, which is phenomenal," says Iqbal.
With the success of the halal food industry, new companies are arriving in the region to enjoy a share of the market. "A result of the development in the food industry has been Midamar's decision to open a branch office in Dubai in 2009. The multicultural make up of the region is a great factor when looking at the types of products to develop," says Jalel Aossey, Director of US-based Midamar Corporation.
Mix of cultures
Indeed it is this diverse mix of cultures that drives the food industry. "Widespread urbanisation, coupled with globalisation, has not only changed the demographics of Gulf countries but also their food consumption habits," says Napier.
"Cultural diversification has introduced new types of foods and cuisines to traditional diets, bringing with it vast opportunities for original producers, importers and exporters of foodstuff," he adds.
One such opportunity is for the organic food industry. Although it has seen a downturn since the economic crisis, the future remains bright for Nils El Accad, owner of Organic Foods and Café. "In every slowdown there is an opportunity to make money," says Accad. "Any change is an opportunity; you have to be creative and grow your market share."
And where else could there be more opportunities to grow your market share than at Gulfood? n
Event info: When and where
Gulfood 2010 is being held at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre from today,February 21, until Wednesday, February 24. It isopen from 11am until 7pm on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, and from 11am until 5pm on Wednesday.
The event is open to trade and business professionals related to the industry only.
A one-day pass costs Dh60 and a four-day pass can be procured for Dh120. Admission to the Gulfood Conference is Dh300 per session on the day.
Don't Miss!
The Emirates International Salon Culinaire
The Emirates InternationalSalon Culinaire is a hugely popular event at Gulfood, giving chefs from around the region the opportunity to showcase their culinary skills and knowledge. More than 1,500 chefs will compete for top honours at Gulfood ina number of internationally recognised categories.
New this year is the Gulfood Majlis Club, a commercial networking platform for senior industry professionals to develop new business opportunities.
Organised in conjunction with FoodBev Media, the Gulfood Awards 2010 are an exclusive show feature for exhibitors. Designed to celebrate and reward excellence across the entire food and drink industry, they will be judged by an independent panel of industry experts.
Categories include best new halal food, best food service product innovation, best environmental initiative, best store promotion and more.
Winners will be announced at a special awards ceremony tomorrow.
