In February I was fortunate enough to visit Gulfood 2014, the leading international trade show for the food and drink industry. Held in Dubai, the exhibition is unrivalled throughout the world, boasting a record 113,398m² in exhibition space and 4,500 companies from 120 participating countries .
From products and food service, to beverage equipment and restaurant and café supplies, Gulfood is the mecca of the food and drink industry. And my goodness didn’t it live up to expectations!
With food and drink PR a key specialism at JAM towers, I was excited to visit this renowned event and see what global suppliers had to offer. With sensible shoes as my ally I trawled the many halls in absolute awe.
As a regular visitor to UK based food shows, such as the Food and Drink Expo and IFE (the International Food Exhibition) I thought I’d seen it all. But Dubai doesn’t do anything by halves – the Burj Khalifa is testimony to that.
Walking into Gulfood was like walking into Narnia. 16 halls of all singing and all dancing (some quite literally) stands, showcasing some of the world’s premium brands and products. I visited around 20 of the 120 participating countries during the exhibition, sampling everything from Scottish shortbread to Greek olives, and everything in between.
Besides the multitude of samples on offer, visitors were invited to attend various events addressing the latest trends in the industry, including the fifth edition of the Gulfood Awards, the Innovation Gallery, the Gulfood Franchising Conference, the Barista Bonanza and Coffee Council, along with the inaugural Tea House, launched to celebrate Dubai’s position as the largest re-export hub for tea.
Gulfood, and Dubai itself, were absolutely mind blowing. The magnitude of the emirate and all it achieves is inexplicable. You have to see it to believe it.
Gulfood takes place again next year on 8th – 12th February 2015, at the World Trade Centre, Dubai. More details about the show and a list of exhibitors can be found on the website: http://www.gulfood.com/. We hope to see you there!
