Catering event looks beyond food

zoom

Preparing meals at Emirates Flight Catering, a key outsource provider in the region.

The International Travel Catering Association (ITCA) exhibition 2007 will be held in Dubai from the 11-13 December. This is the region's only specialised travel catering event and it aims to place global players in touch with the key markets of the Middle East, Africa and the Indian Subcontinent.

In recent years, international airlines and cruise liners have begun outsourcing several other services to professional organisations. Outsourced services include elements such as product development, food products waste management, onboard retailing, water-tight compliance and provision of security systems.

This type of outsourcing makes good commercial sense for everyone involved-more business opportunities for the suppliers and better value-added product and service for the buyers and consumers.

The ITCA exhibition aims to bring these two sets of organisations together -those that seek professional outsourced services and those that can readily provide them.

The tremendous increase in travel in the region, and the tremendous investments being made, make Dubai a natural location for the ITCA exhibition and a natural location to focus on outsourcing.

In the UAE, the Dubai aviation sector alone has experienced a 14.4% growth rate in passenger traffic and 10.9% rise in cargo volume. Dubai is expected to accommodate at least 50 cruise ships at its terminal during the winter season running until April 2008.This same season will see the port of Dubai handle 200,000 passenger movements, mostly from Europe and the US.

The event will serve as a forum for suppliers to exhibit credentials and service offerings as diverse as china, silverware, stemware, linen, cabin comfort items, disposable plastics and paper products, on-board catering equipment, entertainment, electronics, communications, hospitality, and facility management.

"The tremendous increase in travel traffic in the Middle East drove a lot of travel caterers to run at maximum output capacity. As a result, outsourcing production and extending capacity off site is becoming more acceptable every day. However, when outsourcing, companies are looking for a hassle free solution", said Jan Bijsterbosch, senior vice president, Emirates Flight Catering Foodpoint and Linencraft, based in Dubai.

"ITCA Dubai has become a forum for the regional and global travel catering professionals, where we can all meet and catch up on the industry's latest innovations. We look forward to introducing ourselves and our services to all local and regional players, and to build partnerships that are based on trust, and in our case, on taste," he adds.

Confirmed exhibitors include Gate Gourmet, Hobart, Gut Springenheide, Servair, Bestpartner World Wide Food Supply, Driessen Aerospace Group, Elro-Werke, Chatsford, Josco In-flight, Creation Food Company, Chef Middle East and City Chef Catering from the UAE and John Horsfall's and Watermark Group from the UK.

Print | Email | Discuss this article |

READERS' COMMENTS

View all comments (0)

Have your say

Click here to post a comment

Add your Comment All posts are sent to the administrator for review and are published only after approval. ArabianBusiness.com reserves the right to remove any comment at any time for any reason. Please keep your responses appropriate and on topic.
Name *
Remember me on this computer
Email *	(Your email address will not be published)
City
Country
Subject *
Comment *
Notify me of further comments
Security Code *
Please click post only once - your comment will not be published immediately.

MORE FROM ARABIANBUSINESS.COM