Food glorious food! Global food producers flock to dwtcs trio of sectorised food sourcing events
The 2015 editions of the Speciality Food Festival, Sweets & Snacks Middle East and SEAFEX open at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) today (Tuesday 27 October), with more than 600 local, regional and international food suppliers from over 60 countries showcasing thousands of specialist food products to an anticipated crowd of more than 15,000 influential buyers from around the world.
In addition to attracting their largest exhibitor pool to date, DWTCs annual trio of niche food shows - which run until Thursday 29 October will welcome an unprecedented C-Level contingent of influential buyers from leading regional hospitality and retail brands.
Senior delegations from Jumeirah Group, Dubai Duty Free, Emirates Flight Catering, Spinneys, Carrefour and Saudi Arabias Manuel Supermarket chain will attend the three-day events on multi-million dollar product sourcing excursions.
Our three sectorised food platforms have grown more than 20 per cent year-on-year in terms of floor-space and total exhibitor participation, said Trixie LohMirmand, Senior Vice-President, Events & Exhibitions Department, DWTC. This growth highlights the strategic significance the international food producing community now places on Dubai as both a direct sales market and as a key trading hub to buoyant markets across the Middle East and beyond.
With more than 200 exhibitors from over 50 countries, the Speciality Food Festival will feature a raft of new national pavilions and a significant contingent of Europe's finest food companies from Italy, France, the UK, Spain and Portugal.
Another key Speciality Food Festival 2015 attraction is the UAEs first-ever, Speciality Coffee Association of Europe (SCAE) accredited National Ibrik Championship, where an independent panel of judges will use criteria including taste, beverage presentation and technique to crown the countrys best maker of Turkish coffee or Ibrik - the centuries-old art of brewing coffee in a small, long-handled pot. The winner will represent the UAE when the World Ibrik Championships take place at Gulfood in February 2016.
Coffee is much more than just a beverage in the Middle East, said Khalid Al Fahim, Show Director of the three sectorised food events. For centuries, coffee has been an intrinsic part of life, not just in the UAE but all over the world. The dedicated National Ibrik Championship will shine the coffee-making spotlight on traditional methods of preparation in what is now one of the worlds fastest-growing coffee markets.
Elsewhere at the Speciality Food Festival 2015, seven of Italys finest culinary talents amassed from restaurants holding eight Michelin Stars will conduct a series of live cooking demonstrations and judge a series of Italian-themed pizza, risotto, pasta and espresso making competitions at the 7th Italian Cuisine World Summit.
With more than 300 specialised exhibitors, the ninth Sweets & Snacks Middle East 2015 is the shows largest-ever edition - up 25 per cent on the 2014 show and features mega national pavilions for Turkey, Germany and Egypt, which is operating its largest stand since the shows inception in 2007.
Finally, SEAFEX 2015 will feature more than 110 exhibitors from over 26 countries the dedicated platforms largest collection of sector-specific suppliers to date.
Open 10am-6pm from 27- 28 October and from 10am 5pm on 29 October 2015, DWTCs three niche food shows are for trade and business professionals only. General public and persons under the age of 21 will not be permitted entry. Registration is available at the show upon proof of trade status.
