The Hotel Show shows support for F&B champions
The Hotel Show organiser DMG World Media’s exhibition director, Maggie Moore, tells HME.com why the food and beverage industry is such an integral part of this established Dubai exhibition - and reveals what F&B industry professionals can expect from next year's event.
The Hotel Show is the Silver Sponsor for the inaugural Caterer Middle East Awards; why did you feel it was important to support the region’s F&B industry in this way?
The Hotel Show is the most important event for hospitality industry suppliers in the region and a key networking opportunity for our visitors.
Therefore we should recognise our visitors’ efforts during the year, be they front-of-house or in the food and beverage department.
How have you seen the Middle East F&B industry change and progress over the past few years?
The industry has become increasingly sophisticated in recent years and has taken on board trends and developments from other more established markets.
There are now restaurants that specialise in food from all over the world. You can find restaurants specialising in cuisine from almost every country here in Dubai, and it is served in restaurants that reflect almost every style and price level.
The region and its cities can now be rated alongside virtually all other destinations in the world for choice and quality — making dining out an experience of truly international standards.
Are there any particular challenges that you feel the F&B market has had to face this year?
In times when the customer is more aware of the cost of eating out, individual outlets are having to maintain quality standards while looking at their pricing policy.
But they also have to make sure their marketing campaigns are geared to the right audience; so marketing, quality and pricing are key issues.
The Hotel Show 2009 took place in May; how successful was this year’s event, with its new format?
We were delighted with the success of The Hotel Show this year and so, it seems, were the exhibitors!
Both exhibitors and visitors found it much easier to navigate through the four sectors: Interiors and Design, Operating Equipment and Supplies, Security and Technology, and The Resort Experience.
The Seven Star Conference was better attended than ever before — the visitors really liked the forum debates and Paola Navone as the lead designer was hugely popular.
The inaugural Middle East Spa Summit saw nearly 400 delegates attending the sessions; a really big turnout for a first event.
We have had more early re-bookings than ever for the show in May 2010.
In fact, six months into the bookings cycle, we are already way ahead of where we were last year — and it was only really at this stage last year that the economic situation really seemed to hit Dubai.
So we are very positive that next year, May 18-20 will see another very successful Hotel Show.
What kind of turnout did last year’s event generate — from both an exhibitor and visitor perspective?
Our 758 exhibitors came from 41 countries.
We had over 9800 visitors, 83% of whom said that they would or were likely to place an order as a result of attending.
Based on spending intentions, this gives a potential revenue of almost US $10 billion.
What feedback did you get from F&B-related exhibitors?
Our food and beverage related exhibitors included A Ronai, who said that the second day of the show was the best exhibition day they had ever had at any show in the Middle East.
Kings Stores said that the exhibition was much more focused than others in the region and that it was “targeting the right people from the right industries, in the right place”.
Please give a brief overview of your plans for the next installment of The Hotel Show, in 2010.
Next year, we will maintain the sectors that were introduced in 2009 but we will be looking to further develop them with their own features and special elements.
For example, within the Operating Equipment and Supplies sector, The Corporate Catwalk will be joined by The Coffee Shop and Juice Bar.
We are also launching The Middle East Spa Awards alongside The Middle East Spa Summit and introducing Haute’l, our area for invited, high-end interiors specialists.
How will next year’s show be helpful to the F&B industry, in particular?
Our focus at The Seven Star Conference will be on food and beverage trends, both from a design and from an implementation viewpoint.
We will also be looking at the marketing tools and skills that will be important if outlets are to maintain their return on investment.
For more information about The Hotel Show 2010, please click here.