GULFOOD, the world's largest annual trade show for the food and hospitality industry, is set to broker more international business opportunities than ever before, with a record 110 country pavilions and 4,200 exhibitors confirmed for the 2013 event. More than 50,000 brands across every sector of the show will be on display. Taking place on Feb. 25-28, 2013 at the Dubai World Trade Centre, the show has expanded by 13 percent in size to offer a record 113,398m² in exhibition space to participating exhibitors from as far afield as Brazil, New Zealand, Argentina, Australia, Russia, South Africa, Switzerland, France, USA and Vietnam. The increasing market demand for food and drink in the region is matched by growth in global participation at Gulfood every year. Gulfood is strictly a trade-only event and is open to business and trade visitors from within the industry only. Gulfood is open 11 a.m.-7 p.m. from Feb. 25-27 and 11 a.m.- 5p.m. on Feb. 28. The online entry fee is AED125 and onsite entry fee is AED250. According to the Economist Intelligence Unit, food imports to the GCC, which totaled $25.8 billion (AED94.7 billion) in 2010, are expected to rise to $53.1 billion (AED195 billion) in 2020. Gulfood enables global and regional players in every sector of the industry – from ingredients to finished foods and from food retail to hospitality services – to tap into this prospective growth. “With 61 percent of our visitors coming from outside the UAE, Gulfood is a truly global show for the food and hospitality industry. The sheer scale, volume and value of business conducted at the show is unmatched by any other exhibition in the world,” said Trixee Loh, Senior Vice President, Dubai World Trade Centre, the organizer of Gulfood. “The 18th edition of the show promises to bring even better variety in products, services and technologies as well as more opportunities for education and networking.” — SG
