Today (Monday 18 September) marked the official opening of events owned and organised by Dubai World Trade Centre – GulfHost 2017 and niche food trade shows The Speciality Food Festival, Seafex Middle East and Yummex ME (jointly organised with Köelnmesse GmbH).
Taking place at Dubai World Trade Centre, the events were inaugurated by Dr. Rashid bin Ahmed bin Fahad, Minister of State and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology.
Trixie LohMirmand, senior vice president, exhibitions & events management, DWTC said: “Dubai International Hospitality Week is a reflection of the rapid growth of the hospitality and food sector across the region.
“The platform provides opportunities for sourcing, buying and networking across six co-located trade shows at a critical time for the industry. We are honoured today to have Dr. Rashid Ahmed bin Fahad officially inaugurate the shows, as we bring the best in hospitality to the region.”
The events form part of Dubai International Hospitality Week, which also encompasses The Hotel Show and The Leisure Show, organised by DMG Events.
The three-day trade-only events run until Wednesday 20 September at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC).
Welcoming tens of thousands of visitors across 80,000m2 of exhibition space, DIHW brings together over 2,000 international exhibitors, including industry leading brands from around the world.
Over 50,000 visitors are expected to attend the event, including C-suite decision makers and buyers from a broad spectrum of organisations within the hospitality industry.
These include 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.
DIHW is an initiative endorsed by Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism).
Issam Kazim, CEO, Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM), said: “We are proud today to be opening the inaugural Dubai International Hospitality Week, an event that supports the growth of the hospitality and foodservice sector across the region.
“Dubai’s is infamous for its hospitality offerings, which is a key driver of the tourism industry, attracting investment from across the world. Today’s gathering of industry professionals will further cement Dubai’s place as the hub for hospitality, and for international business.”
