Hospitality and F&B decision makers from across the Middle East, North Africa and the Indian sub-continent are in Dubai this week, to attend Dubai International Hospitality Week (DIHW), the largest hotel and food service event to ever take place in the region which opens its doors tomorrow (Monday).
Running until 20th September at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), DIHW brings together over 2,000 exhibitors from across five continents and is endorsed by Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism). Over 50,000 visitors are expected to attend the event, including C Level buyers from a wide spectrum of organizations in the Middle East, including Al Seer, Majd Al Futtaim Retail, Weetabix Food Co, Dubai Duty Free, Al Shaya Group, Jumeirah Group, Grand Hyatt Dubai, Habtoor Grand Resort, Fairmont Hotels, W by Westin, Costa Coffee and many more.
“Dubai International Hospitality Week is an essential platform for the world’s hospitality industry, providing an unmissable opportunity for industry players to source the latest products and innovations, network, learn and invest in the region’s accelerating hospitality market. Dubai is a well-established hub for the hospitality industry and its exceptional logistics infrastructure makes it a key trade gateway between east and west markets,” said Trixie LohMirmand, Senior Vice President, Exhibitions & Events Management (DWTC). “The event brings together six important trade shows to provide immediate access to every aspect and product segment that is relevant to today’s hospitality players, no matter their size or reach. This makes a visit to DIHW unbelievably convenient in terms of time and ease of sourcing – this is an event that will deliver on all levels.”
Andy Stuart, Vice President of the dmg events Middle East, Asia & Africa Hospitality Portfolio including The Hotel Show and The Leisure Show, commented: “Dubai is a leading choice for international and regional hospitality brands. Already home to the world’s biggest hotel and restaurant chains, and regional developers that are leading global trends – all within an accessible distance – the hospitality landscape here is one of the most innovative and impressive in the world. The current hotel construction pipeline is set to bring the UAE closer to the forefront of the international stage. In Dubai International Hospitality Week, we are providing the ultimate platform to source everything required to effectively develop or maintain a hotel or foodservice establishment in this central global market.”
DIHW includes six co-located trade shows: GulfHost, owned and organised by Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC); The Hotel Show and The Leisure Show, owned and organised by dmg events; and The Speciality Food Festival (DWTC), SEAFEX Middle East (DWTC) and yummex Middle East, jointly organised by DWTC and Köelnmesse.
Issam Kazim, CEO, Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM), said: “The growth of the hospitality industry has never been more pivotal to Dubai and the region. With our sights set on achieving our strategic vision of welcoming 20 million visitors a year by 2020, a dedicated hospitality platform to support this is vital. Combining these trade shows under one overarching event will help us to provide a comprehensive stage for the industry’s needs and welcome the world’s leading players in hospitality.”
GulfHost 2017
A first for the region, GulfHost showcases the A-Z of hospitality: a full inventory of back of house solutions to improve workflow and efficiencies, a wide spectrum of front of house elements for an exceptional dining experience and the latest café and bar counter solutions, products and services to serve one of the fastest growing coffee cultures in the world.
In addition, GulfHost will provide practical workshops and conferences through the Restaurant Development Conference powered by International Centre for Culinary Arts (ICCA) Dubai and Middle East Food Forum (MEFF). The Conference will provide practical insight and knowledge needed for real-time success in the today’s competitive F&B industry, with topics that include Government Quality Standardization, forthcoming VAT changes and a hotly anticipated Live Investor Pitch. 60 confirmed speakers from some of the most powerful brands in the industry will participate, with 250 confirmed delegates travelling from Europe, Unites States, Asia, Middle East and Africa.
The ICCA Electrolux World Chefs Education Theatre in partnership with World Association of Chefs Societies will also provide senior executive-level chefs with recognized World Chefs certification following three days of onsite training.
The Hotel Show
Now in its 18th year, The Hotel Show Dubai is the largest and longest-standing hospitality showcase in the region, covering the full spectrum of the hospitality industry from décor and facilities to in-room technologies.
Dubai’s hotel construction pipeline has hit new heights in 2017 – surpassing more than 100,000 rooms. A new report by TOPHOTELPROJECTS prepared exclusively for The Hotel Show Dubai 2017 reveals that 173 hotels and 111,688 hotel rooms are currently in the vision, planning, construction, and pre-opening stages across the emirate, maintaining its long-standing position as the busiest city for hotel construction in the Middle East.
At The Hotel Show, the highly-anticipated new feature ‘The Middle East Housekeepers League of Champions’ is a first for the region. During the live competition, two typical hotel rooms set-up back to back and turned upside down. Two teams of housekeepers (part of a wider league) will compete head-to-head to put the room back to its original state in the fastest time. The Middle East Hospitality Leadership Forum will see major developers, asset managers, online travel sites and other influential players in the industry to debate key strategic opportunities and challenges. Meanwhile, ‘The Runway’ is a catwalk event that will show off the latest trends in staff uniform ranges for the likes of security, front of house, kitchen, spa and pool personnel.
The Leisure Show
Dubai has seen an exciting explosion of new, major leisure attractions in the past few years and almost all other countries in the region are also looking to significantly diversify their economies through the development of the leisure landscape. The Leisure Show Dubai, now in its 5th edition, is the only exhibition of its kind in the region – tailored to showcase the latest international products and services dedicated to the leisure, sports and resorts industries with more than 100 companies from 23 countries. The latest innovations in the sports and fitness industry from electricity-generating treadmills to indoor aqua bikes are set to be a key highlight this year.
At The Leisure Show, ‘The Fit Hub’ schedule of workshops and demonstrations will return for its second year with exciting takeovers from the likes of exercise giants Les Mills, who will be debuting their latest routines to the Middle East market and discussing the ‘immersive fitness’ trend currently making waves in the global fitness industry.
The Speciality Food Festival
The Speciality Food Festival is the original trade show dedicated to speciality foods in the MENA region, a key platform for suppliers and buyers of halal, gourmet, organic and artisan food products. The demand for these foods has grown substantially in the Middle East and globally, with the organic industry expected to reach US$ 52 billion by 2021.
The show features exhibitors from around the world, including the Italian Trade Agency who will be offering a wide range of high quality Italian products which represent the excellence of Italian food and ingredients. The show will provide F&B professionals with access to over 2,800 speciality foods and ingredients, many of which will be available in the region for the first time.
Incorporating the best of the region’s culinary masters, the ‘Chef’s Theatre’ will see Michelin-starred and Dubai-based chefs host six masterclasses per day, including creative demonstrations with fine food ingredients such as seafood, organic, artisan cheese and gluten free ingredients.
SEAFEX Middle East
Seafood consumption in the Middle East continues to grow at an exceptional rate, with the UAE having the largest consumption of seafood, almost double the annual global average of 18kg.
SEAFEX Middle East is the region’s largest trade show dedicated to all things seafood. For six years it has been the go-to platform for sourcing seafood around the world, connecting seafood buyers and suppliers in the Middle East, and continues to grow yearly due to the increasing appetite for seafood in almost every cuisine.
yummex Middle East
yummex Middle East continues to grow in importance, driven by the MENA region’s leading position in the global snacks and confectionery industry. The market, currently valued at US$9 billion, is forecast to reach US$11 billion by 2021, and affirms the demand for chocolate, sweets, ice cream, bakers’ confectionery and savoury snacks being showcased by regional and international suppliers at this year’s yummex ME. During the show, Innova Market Insights will present their latest insights into consumer sweets and snack preferences as part of the Sweet Trends platform.
All shows are open between from 18-20 September 2017 and are for trade and business professionals only. General public and persons under the age of 21 will not be permitted entry. Registration will be available at the show upon proof of trade status. One pass provides free access to all six trade shows across Dubai International Hospitality Week (DIHW).
