HORECA, the levant's largest hospitality and food forum, begins today

Discussing the Forum to journalists was Mrs. Joumana-Dammous Salamé, Managing Director of the organizing company Hospitality Services.

"HORECA has been since its inception, the meeting place for the hospitality and foodservice industries in the region. HORECA this year comes exactly after the elections and will no doubt play an important role in reviving the hospitality industry in Lebanon."

Salon Culinaire, where more than 150 talented chefs compete in 15 different food categories, will be sponsored this year by Nestle and co-sponsored by Bridel, Le Cordon Bleu, and Président.

According to Etablissements Antoine Massoud s.a.l (EAM) Business Development Manager, Mr. Anthony Massoud, "Salon Culinaire is a great occasion for EAM to build relationships with the most strategic stakeholders at HORECA; the cooks. That is why we decided to co-sponsor Salon Culinaire with the Bridel and Kiri brands."

Mr. Massoud explained that as a whole, HORECA is a very strategic event as it allows EAM to build awareness in the hospitality world, and renders its team the opportunity to meet with counterparts in the hospitality industry.

"We believe that Horeca is one of the most important Forums for the food service category. It is a great opportunity for any brand which should be exposed in this sector. Customers will have the chance to discover new products and to meet specialists, experts and suppliers. Distributors & suppliers will also have better feedback on the market and the competition," said Mr. Ghassan Saab-Business Manager of KFF - Food & Beverage s.a.l. (Neo Comet) Food Division.

Mr. Saab also believes that HORECA can serve as a significant catalyst in jumpstarting a promising hospitality season. "The success of this forum will definitely play an important role by reinstating the trust in the country and more specifically the hospitality sector which is heavily affected by tourism," he added.

More than 1200 international visitors and 7800 local visitors have pre-registered until today. Also more than 260 exhibitors and more than 15000 trade visitors are expected. Top 150 investors and hoteliers have been invited from the region (Iraq, UAE, Jordan, Syria, Kuwait, Egypt) to visit the show through the Hosted Buyers Program.