This year’s Gulfood is set to be the biggest Gulfood to date. With more than 1000 companies already signed up to showcase their products at the event, show organisers – Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) – has had to increase floor space by 15,000m² to accommodate the bulging number of exhibitors.
Held from February 19 to 22, the 12
th
edition of the food and equipment show will also see a number of new countries being represented at the show, including Bangladesh, Colombia, Ethiopia, Georgia and Latvia.
Moving to an annual show instead of biannual since 2006, DWTC will also be organising a food safety conference, in order to tackle and discuss the current issues surrounding hygiene in the Middle East.
The show also plays host to the Salon Culinaire, which is arranged by the Emirates Culinary Guild. Showcasing the talents of young chefs from the UAE, the Salon Culinaire has a number of competitions, including live cooking demonstrations, cooking competitions, ice carving, buffet and banqueting showpieces, pastry and sugar set pieces.
However, with more floor space, more competitions and more conferences, will the show become a victim of its own success?
The problem with large exhibitions is that some exhibitors can become ‘lost’, and not attract as much traffic as they wish. Shows like Gulfood are a key time for companies to showcase their products, meet old customers, and ultimately generate new leads, but inevitably some exhibitors will lose out to others.
Visitors to the show likewise can become ‘lost’, and with so many stands and not enough time, visiting each stand can seem like a daunting task, as you meander through aisles of food packaging companies, equipment companies, food suppliers and a large retail section as well.
So what is the answer? For the exhibitor you need to attract as much attention to your stand as possible, whether this is through giveaways, competitions or demonstrations. For the visitor, plan ahead, mark which companies you want to see and head straight to their stand… then peruse the rest of the show at your leisure. And most importantly, wear comfortable shoes!
For a low down on this year’s show, check out the February issue of
Caterer Middle East
for an extensive preview on Gulfood 2007.
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