Gulfood, the world’s largest annual food exhibition, returns to Dubai World Trade Centre from February 26 to March 2, 2017.
The 22nd edition of the show is set to attract more than 5,000 local, regional and international exhibitors in a newly evolved format and lay-out featuring over 1,000 new-to-market products on display. Here’s five things not to miss at this year’s event:
New segmented layout
This year’s show has evolved with exciting new developments in layout and format to improve visitor experience and boost trade potential for exhibitors.
With the focus on finished food and beverages, the evolutionary change to a ‘segmented’ format puts the spotlight on eight of the biggest commodity trading sectors with dedicated halls for: beverages; dairy; fats & oils; health, wellness & free-from; pulses, grains & cereals; meat & poultry; power brands and world food. The new format will enable visitors to get straight to business in their target sectors, allowing them to acquire deeper market insight while boosting trade potential for exhibitors eager to open up new supply routes.
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Virtual supermarket
This innovative concept is sure to be a big draw at Gulfood 2017. Designed to look like a supermarket, the interactive feature will present virtual versions of the standout products and cutting edge innovations including all finalists at the Gulfood Awards 2017.
The Virtual Supermarket will enable visitors to get insight into the future of grocery shopping. Using the touchscreen technology, visitors will be able to browse through scores of products broken down into three major sourcing categories including innovative products, organic free-from, and halal, the virtual shopping experience will give consumers everything from price check to product knowledge and payment without physically touching the item until collection.
Dubai Wholesale City and UAE Food Bank
Leading the way in innovation at Gulfood 2017, the UAE will highlight projects and infrastructure that are crucial to the F&B industry. With a prominent display across a 64-metre pavilion Dubai Wholesale City, the region’s first fully integrated wholesale trading city, will showcase its aim to serve as a global one-stop shop for traders. Wholesale City will help Dubai cement its position as a hub for the global F&B industry. Gulfood 2017 will also announce details of how it is contributing to the UAE Food Bank, an initiative decreed by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to reduce food waste and feed the needy in the emirates and overseas.
The food bank, announced in line with 2017 being the ‘Year of Giving’ in the UAE, will work with authorities and charities to collect excess food from hotels, supermarkets, restaurants and farms. We wait to see how Gulfood will play its part.
Cooking up a storm
The world’s largest single-entry chefs’ competition, the Emirates Culinary Guild International Salon Culinaire, is a renowned competitive platform for the regions culinary talent and this year will be no different. More than 1,000 of the region’s top professional chefs, pastry chefs, cooks and bakers, will be aiming to show they can stand the heat in the kitchen, going stove to stove in a series of competitions judged by a panel of experts from the World Association of Chefs Societies (WACS). Visitors will also converge at Halal World Food — the major global trading platform for international F&B businesses looking to capitalise on the burgeoning halal sector that is witnessing significant growth throughout the world.
A taste of something new
With global tourism on track to hit 1.5 billion by 2020 and greater consumer awareness of different foods from around the world, an increasing number of countries are keen to show what they can offer the global F&B industry, and Gulfood is the ultimate platform to do just that. Several nations will make their debuts at Gulfood this year, as part of the 5,000 exhibitors from 120 countries. For the first time at the show, Gulfood 2017 visitors will get the chance to see on the best F&B products from Finland, Malta, Somalia and Azerbaijan.
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