Regions growing food and beverage market continues to offer new opportunities for international business

Gulfood, the region's largest food, drink, foodservice and hospitality exhibition, is set to bring the most international and diverse selection of visitors and exhibitors in its history to Dubai in February 2009.

To meet increased industry demand and to match growth within the market, Gulfood 2009 expands to a record 80,000 sqm. The event will now be held for the first time at two local venues; the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre and Airport Expo Dubai.

Now in its 14th edition, Gulfood will be held from 23 - 26 February 2009 and is proud to announce the return of 70 national country pavilions specialising in the food and hospitality sectors.

In addition, Airport Expo Dubai will provide a showcase for hundreds of products and exhibitors now able to participate for the first time, including nine major new country pavilions such as Hong Kong, Iran, Kuwait and Pakistan.

"We are very pleased with the increasing number of countries utilising Gulfood as an international trade platform to reach the region and beyond. Their presence is testament to the size and importance of Gulfood especially now as companies look increasingly to emerging markets for new opportunities,"

said Helal Saeed Almarri, CEO, Dubai World Trade Centre, organiser of Gulfood.

"The potential for food suppliers, packaging specialists and equipment manufacturers to grow their sales in the Middle East and wider region is extraordinary, and year after year, Gulfood enables businesses large and small to make profitable long-term investments in the region," added Almarri.

Kuwait International Fairs is organising a national pavilion at Gulfood's new hall at Airport Expo Dubai for the first time this year and will showcase an array of food and beverage products from the Gulf state.

"Gulfood continues to be an important event for the food and beverage sectors as it attracts high quality exhibitors and visitors and will give us direct access to the rapidly expanding regional market,"

said Basma Al Dehaim, Marketing and PR Manager, Kuwait International Fairs.

To complement the new international pavilions, Gulfood will also welcome first time individual exhibitors from new countries from as far as Iceland.

Simon Hillar, Sales Director for Icelandic Glacial, the world's leading manufacturer in CarbonNeutral bottled water, says it was the consistent recommendations to attend Gulfood that was the deciding factor for the company to debut.

"Following extensive research and recommendations from our local trade contacts, as well as people working in the UAE, Gulfood was clearly the region's biggest and best industry related trade show. The Middle East market represents a really exciting opportunity for a premium environmentally positioned bottled water and we are looking forward to the opportunities that the market presents." he adds

Exhibitors from across the globe will use Gulfood as a strategic business platform to do business with the region and utilise Dubai's position as a re-exporting hub. Gulfood recognises the central economic and social importance of the food, drink and hospitality sectors to the region, and continues to evolve to meet industry needs.

Part of this evolution has been the introduction of dedicated areas within Gulfood for specific products and services ranging from packaging and labelling, through to beverage and beverage equipment.

In addition, Ingredients Middle East, an exhibition which caters to suppliers of raw material and ingredients for food, beverages and health food will co-locate with Gulfood.

To help support growing industry needs and increasing market specialisation, DWTC introduced dedicated areas within Gulfood for specific products and services ranging from packaging and labelling, through to beverage and beverage equipment.

For the first year Ingredients Middle East an exhibition which caters to suppliers of raw material and ingredients for food, beverages and health food will co-locate with Gulfood.

Gulfood 2009 will once again see the return of Restaurant & Café Middle East, a specialised trade-only exhibition designed to meet the needs of industry professionals involved in every step of the restaurant and café sector from interior designers to tableware manufacturers and contract furnishing suppliers.

Together, the exhibitions will present a host of sessions to promote knowledge exchange within the sectors. The 4th Dubai International Food Safety Conference, organised by Dubai Municipality, will be present to examine the challenges and issues in the Middle East market with renowned international speakers. Whilst industry specialists Zenith International will return for the second year with a series of Beverage Opportunity Workshops.

The Emirates Culinary Guild will also present the prestigious Emirates International Salon Culinaire, with over 1,000 chefs already registered to compete in front of a panel of 25 distinguished international judges - each mandated by the World Association of Chefs Societies (WACS).

The 14th Gulfood Exhibition, organised by Dubai World Trade Centre, will be held at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre and Airport Expo Dubai from 23-26 February 2009. A complimentary transport service for visitors between the two venues will be available.

Gulfood is strictly a trade-only event and is open to business and trade visitors from within the industry only, proof of which must be provided at registration. General public and persons under the age of 21 will not be allowed into the exhibition.