Travel Catering Expo (TCE) to reflect solid business growth in GCC

Business

Travel Catering Expo (TCE) to reflect solid business growth in GCC

The second edition of Travel Catering Expo (TCE), which will be held from 10th to 12th May, 2015 at Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre (DICEC), is designed to reflect the strong growth opportunities for the travel catering industry in the Middle East and the crucial role it plays in enabling airports, airlines, hotels and restaurants to differentiate themselves against competition and increase their customers loyalty.
Reed Exhibitions Middle East, organizers of TCE, a collocated event of the 15th edition of Airport Show, said: Building on the success of the inaugural edition last year, TCE 2015 is expected to attract 65 exhibitors compared with last years 43 exhibitors, a whopping 51 per cent increase.
Bringing the latest services, products and technologies related to travel catering under one roof, the niche trade shows visitors are set to increase by more than 100 per cent, from 1000 last year to more than 2000 in 2015.
TCE will allow exhibitors and visitors to gauge the pulse of the market, learn about the latest market trends and challenges, explore new business opportunities and get first-hand insights into the sector that mirrors the huge growth in the regional aviation industry.

His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Dubai Airports and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group, at the opening of the debut edition last year, praised TCE, saying that such specialized exhibitions help airlines and airports to improve their services offered to the rising volume of passengers.
Daniyal Qureshi, Group Exhibition Director at Reed Exhibitions Middle East, said: The huge growth in the regional aviation industry has opened the doors wide open for further commercial opportunities in the travel catering industry.

The Expo not only demonstrates our commitment to bring the latest technology and expertise to the region, but also provide airports and airlines with an ideal platform to explore the latest services, products and technologies that will enable them to meet passengers expectations and arm them with an excellent tool to differentiate their brands with others in the face of fierce competition, he added.

An enlarged Hosted Buyers programme is one of the main developments for this years Expo. More than 45 buyers are expected to benefit from the programme compared with 27 buyers last year, representing a 67 per cent increase.

The GCC has carved the biggest chunk of the global travel catering market, estimated at US$15 billion, with an annual growth rate of five per cent, due to the rapid increase in passenger volumes, expansion of GCC airline fleets and the high priority given to the tourism sector by the regions governments.

According to IATA, the Middle Easts airlines are expected to carry 400 million passengers on their scheduled services by 2020 compared with 144 million passengers in 2012. In 2015, Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi airports alone will have a combined annual capacity of 190 million passengers.
Airbus predicts the Middle East fleet will treble in size by 2028, while Boeing forecasts Middle Eastern airlines requirement of 2,340 aircraft by 2029. By 2020, Emirates Airlines, Qatar Airways, and Etihad will have the capacity to carry nearly 200 million passengers, four times their current capacity.

TCE will be showcasing Travel Catering, Beverage, Food Warming and Refrigeration Equipment, Trolleys, Commercial Catering, Cleaning and Dishwashing Equipment, Food Packaging, Processing, Preparation and Preservation Equipment, Industrial Laundry Equipment Logistics and Transportation Services. Other segments include Tableware, Chinaware, Disposable Crockery, Cutlery, Trays, Food and Beverage, Accessories, Linens, Toiletries and Travel Amenities.

TCEs visitors will include chefs, consultants, food and beverage managers, health and safety managers, in-flight service managers, operations managers, procurement managers, production managers and purchasing managers from airports, hospitality, airlines, charter and business jet operators, cruise operators, flight catering and large scale catering companies.