ITCA Dubai 2007 opens doors for region's travel catering and in-flight service sectors

The three-day specialised exhibition and conference features 123 participating companies from 23 countries, Representing the very best in the world of travel catering and in-flight services, the exhibition will serve as a key platform for boosting associated industries in the region.

The official opening ceremony was presided over by His Excellency Khalid Bin Sulayem, Director General, Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, and attended by several representatives from government organisations, and public sector companies. The VIP entourage toured the exhibition after the opening ceremony. The event is organised by the Dubai World Trade Centre in association with the International Travel Conference Association (ITCA), and sponsored by Emirates airlines, while the exhibition component is sponsored by Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA).

Helal Saeed Al Marri, Director General of Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), stressed on the importance and impact of the event in an environment where new businesses emerge on a frequent basis, and where competition is strong in the market place. "The ITCA Dubai event is designed to address the needs and concerns of the thriving market place, and will converge people, products and services from across a broad spectrum of representations. This exhibition and conference will certainly create new strategic opportunities for everyone concerned, "he stated.

At the exhibition, Mark Deboer, President of CFSC BV, a travel catering company from the Netherlands said, "The ITCA Dubai this year overall is already better than last year. A pleasant surprise is the fact that we have already met a number of visitors and potential customers on the first day, and the activity we experienced so far is equal to the whole three days of last year's event!" He reasons that because there are more decision makers at the show, there are far more chances of securing credible business deals.

Terry Daly, Emirates' Divisional Senior Vice President, Service Delivery said that Emirates was pleased to be the official airline, and to play a vital role in ITCA Dubai. "Emirates has a major role in bringing ITCA 2007, the region's biggest travel catering industry event, to Dubai again this year. The Middle East is one of the world's fastest growing regions for travel and aviation, and Dubai is at the forefront, with numerous multi-billion dollar tourism infrastructure projects underway. It is the perfect location to host the region's top specialist travel catering services exhibition and conference," he stated.

Ian Ross, the Regional Manager for the Middle East and Africa of MLA, said that the organisation was working closely with Australian exporters to capture market share in the evolving foodservice and catering sectors of the Middle East, "Participation in ITCA 2007 will provide MLA the opportunity to showcase the Australian meat industry - from on-farm developments to the latest industry initiatives including food safety and quality assurance programmes to menu development opportunities," he stated.

Mr Al Marri added that as organiser of the event, DWTC has initiated several programmes and activities around the event to attract and retain the highest levels of visitor interest. "This forum is truly international, with the strong participation of 23 exhibiting countries who will launch and showcase an array of products and services during the ITCA Conference and HACCP Programme taking place over the 12th and13th December".

ITCA Dubai 2007 - the 2nd Travel Catering and Inflight Service Exhibition and Conference for the Middle East, Africa and Indian Subcontinent takes place from 11 - 13 December 2007 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre, Dubai, UAE.