Business & Money | Monday 30 October, 2017 4:46 pm |

Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) is preparing for the fourth edition of its Gulfood Manufacturing, the Middle East’s largest food, beverage, manufacturing and processing exhibition, which promises to be the biggest show to date, shining the spotlight on thousands of the latest food industry solutions and hot topics such as Value Added Tax (VAT) and sector-shaping trends.

 

Opening today (31 October) and running until 2 November, Gulfood Manufacturing 2017 will feature more than 1,600 local, regional and international suppliers and industry service providers from 60 countries and 30 official country pavilions. This year’s show will feature five dedicated sectors: Ingredients, Processing, Packaging, Supply Chain Solutions, and for the first time, a focused Automation & Controls sector, which will highlight how automation and robotics are revolutionizing the industry.

 

Spanning 80,000 square metres of exhibition space across 13 halls; the show will reveal the future of food and beverage production and provide an opportunity to network, exchange ideas and learning, while the Business Talks Conferences will give visitors a deeper understanding of the state of the UAE manufacturing industry, how the GCC-wide introduction of VAT on January 1 will impact the market and which trends are shaping the future for manufacturers and producers.

 

With 10,000 visitors estimated to attend over the three-day mega event, Gulfood Manufacturing 2017 is a must-attend event for food industry professionals. According to Trixie LohMirmand, Senior Vice President, Exhibitions & Events Management, DWTC: “The food industry is one of the most dynamic and rapidly changing industries in the region and beyond. To that end, Gulfood Manufacturing 2017 plays a crucial role in highlighting the ever-changing food and beverage market and trends. The show is a conduit for industry stakeholders eager to accelerate their regional distribution and sales potential, and develop new routes in the food manufacturing sector.

 

“The continued growth of Gulfood Manufacturing emphasises how important the show has become for the market leaders and key decision makers and further demonstrates that amid political and economic challenges across the globe Dubai continues to offer a supremely stable base to do business, backed by a visionary leadership and a government that is committed to investment and diversification of the economy.”

The geographic pull of Gulfood Manufacturing is evidenced with exhibitors from 60 countries exhibiting at the 2017 edition, including first-time participation from countries including Poland and across the CIS. Gulfood Manufacturing 2017 will see the biggest Italian participation in the show’s history, with 3,800 square metres dedicated to companies spanning all sections of the country’s food manufacturing and equipment industry supply chain. All the major manufacturing countries will be present, including Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Korea, Malaysia, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, USA and the UK. China, meanwhile, has also brought its biggest participation to date as the Far East giant challenges the status quo across the industry.

In addition, Gulfood Manufacturing 2017 will also feature a Big Buyers Programme, hosting more than 2,000 pre-qualified serious buyers - one of the region’s biggest hosted buyer programmes – with a pre-determined budget to spend with exhibitors.

 

New for this year’s show is the Gulfood Manufacturing Industry Excellence Awards, which will recognise industry excellence in a glittering ceremony on this evening (31 October 31). Also new, the Innovation Tours will offer visitors the opportunity to witness some of the region’s most advanced and progressive food factories and their world-class, top-of-the-line production capabilities that make them the best in the business.

 

Gulfood Manufacturing 2017 is also hosting the Business Talks Conference, which begin on day one and include three keynote addresses and four symposiums, with renowned thought leaders and market analysts discussing and debating the burning issues and giving delegates a greater understanding of the industry’s future. [Anchor]

 

Gulfood Manufacturing 2017 will open from 10 am – 6 pm on 31 October and 1 November, and 10 am – 5 pm on 2 November 2017. The show is only open to F&B trade professionals and visitor attendance is free of charge. For more information, please visit gulfoodmanufacturing.com