-Trade Event Records Million Dollar Deals Across all Sectors: Equipment, Packaging, Ingredients, Technology, Logistics-
Dubai, United Arab Emirates:
The second edition of Gulfood Manufacturing
2015, the largest and most influential F&B manufacturing trade
event in the Middle East, Africa and South East Asia (MEASA) region drew
to a close in Dubai on 29th October, having delivered
exceptional order books, confirmed deals and new market
opportunities for its 1,500 international exhibitors. The key platform
for the manufacturing, processing, packaging, logistics and service
sectors of the F&B industry, the show generated millions of dollars
in sales, with a number of exhibitors reporting complete
sellout of their stands – a largely unreported occurrence for a trade
event of this kind.
Trixie LohMirmand, Senior Vice President,
Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) and organiser of Gulfood
Manufacturing said: “From all perspectives Gulfood Manufacturing 2015
can be considered a success. Having launched the show in 2014 to deliver
everything a growing region-wide F&B manufacturing
industry needed, it is clear from the immediate increase in exhibitors,
launches and business deals, as well as the enormously successful
2,000-strong hosted buyers programme that drove record sales this year,
that we are meeting our objective.
“The
F&B manufacturing industry is critical for each market in the MEASA
region to be able to service and supply their growing populations with
a sustainable, safe and secure food supply, and to positively
contribute to their respective economies currently under strain from the
weight of imports. It is clear from our exhibitors’ results that
businesses in this region are serious about developing the
sector – investing, learning and expanding.”
One of the largest suppliers of technology for the global food processing industry, German giant
GEA reported exceptional results as a result of their
participation this year. Robert Schmiehusen, Head of Sales for CIA and
MEA at GEA said: “Not only were a number of significant orders signed,
but we had an overwhelming level of interest from new
markets – in particular this year from Pakistan. What was also
interesting for us was that not only did we conclude sales with our
known customers, but also with brand new and unknown customers who
purchased on the spot. This show is not about coming to
look, visitors here were coming to buy. We’re already planning a
bigger presence for next year. For GEA this show is essential.”
With
ingredients a core element for manufacturing, Gulfood Manufacturing
proved a valuable marketplace for sourcing, as well as accessing the
latest innovations in the industry. Döhler, the global
producer, marketer and provider of technology-based natural ingredient
systems and integrated solutions for the F&B industry, launched more
than 80 new products at the show this year. According
to Shashank Vengasarkar, Managing Director, Döhler Middle East said:
“We have participated at Gulfood for many years, and when the DWTC
approached us in 2013 about creating a dedicated show for Gulfood
Manufacturing we weren’t confident in its standalone
success. How wrong we were – this show is a runaway success. Not only
have we introduced more than 80 new products to the market, we’ve
conducted more than 100 productive customer meetings each day. What we
need now is for the show to be a day longer – three
days is too short!”
This sentiment was shared by Gerhard Vogt, Managing Partner of
United Food Technology who identified the strong return on
investment that Gulfood Manufacturing delivers: “With the number of
customers we engage with and the equipment and technology that we have
already sold (more than half our entire stock on the
stand, with a value of more than AED2.5million), this show is
essential.”
Food
equipment manufacturers reported brisk trade throughout the event, with
strong sales generated across all specialist sectors. British
processing equipment and system supplier to the bakery sector, Baker Perkins
reported all-day queues of visitors to their stand. Alan Mordue, Sales
Manager for the company said: “We doubled the size of our stand this
year, and it’s been even busier.
Bread has been the order of the day, and with bread suppliers from all
parts of the region present at the show, there has been excellent
interest in both our established and new products.”
Trade
visitors to the show were equally pleased with the ability to source
equipment for specialist needs. Dr. Fadi Kabatilo, Deputy General
Manager for a Jordanian company specialised in spices, herbs and nuts,
travelled to Dubai looking for three specific machines. “Competition is
strong in our segment of the food market, and we need to stay ahead.
Attending Gulfood Manufacturing has been invaluable
for us – suppliers of equipment have been helpful and we have already
purchased two of the machines we needed.”
Swiss company
Brunner Anliker, which specialises in the manufacture of
professional machinery for cutting, chopping, grating, grinding and
de-clumping of foodstuffs introduced a number of new products at the
show this year. Rene Wyler, Export Sales Manager for the
company said: “Our new products generated a large number of orders in
addition to the solid business enquiries we received. Our success for
more than 50 years has been in the distinctive ‘drawing cut’ our
machines use – not only does this prevent the unnecessary
loss of nutrients and vitamins as the cell structure of even the most
delicate fruits and vegetables is barely affected, but the
biotechnological method helps them to stay fresher for longer. This is
important in this region as well as internationally.”
The
business opportunities presented by the burgeoning Halal food industry
were highlighted at Gulfood Manufacturing, in particular for specialist
ingredients and equipment manufacturers. Companies such as Hill Brush,
specialists in manufacturing cleaning equipment for the food industry
returned to the show this year following a successful debut show in
2014. According to Charles Coward, Commercial
Director for Hill Brush, “We received excellent business leads last
year and have followed up on the learnings we received regarding the
region, returning this year with Halal certified hygiene tools as
recognised these as critical for the market’s needs.
This has resulted in an even more successful show for us this year.”
With
packaging a critical component in maintaining the safety and integrity
of food and beverage products, particularly in markets such as the
MEASA region where harsh climates and a still developing infrastructure
are factors, Gulfood Manufacturing played an important role in
facilitating trade and connections with local, regional and
international manufacturers and suppliers.
These included leaders in packaging and processing solutions for the F&B industry,
Tetra Pak, which launched a number of new products, technological
innovations, value-added services and held a number of knowledge
seminars during the show. Dennis Jönsson, Global President and CEO of
Tetra Pak Group said, "This region holds great importance
for Tetra Pak and our presence at Gulfood Manufacturing enabled us to
spend valuable time with both longstanding customers and many new
potential partners. Under the theme “The Difference” we were able to
showcase the innovation that drives our customer-centric
approach to business and highlight the exceptional value we constantly
aim to deliver along the length of our value chain. Leadership for
Tetra Pak means enabling our customers to lead in their markets and in
their segments – we believe this exhibition delivered
that.”
Ishida Europe,
a leading supplier of automated solutions
for the food industry, showcased their market-leading ranges of
weighing, quality control and packing line technology at Gulfood
Manufacturing. Torsten Giese, Exhibition & PR Manager for the
company said: “This year we generated 10 confirmed orders and around
250 strong leads – our best show in the Middle East yet - with business
from many countries and regions such as UAE, KSA and Egypt, as well as
emerging markets such as Iran and Iraq. The establishment of this
separate manufacturing show from the main Gulfood
exhibition in February has been achieved seamlessly and is particularly
appropriate for us.”
Country pavilions at the show reported robust results, with David Harrison, Group Leader for the UK Pavilion commenting:
“Once
again Gulfood Manufacturing has raised the bar for processing and
packaging equipment manufacturers exporting to the region. Reports from
the 40 exhibiting companies in the group praised the quality
and number of visitors to their stands and quality sales leads, with
many exhibitors seeing potential combined lead values exceeding
£1.5million (AED8.4 million). Gulfood Manufacturing and the Middle East
remains a popular and key export region for United
Kingdom manufacturers with increasing sales potential year on year.”
Adding
significant value in the form of knowledge exchange, the Gulfood
Manufacturing Conferences enjoyed strong attendance at all three summits
- Next Generation Manufacturing, F&B Innovations and the Food Logistics Forum.
Offering insights on industry developments, critical business factors
and best practice in the industry, the three day agenda included keynote
addresses from
senior representatives of government and private sector.
“There
is clear recognition of Gulfood Manufacturing as an essential platform
for the industry, and over the past three days has delivered
far-reaching
connections, facilitated record business deals across the board, and
contributed to the ongoing development of F&B manufacturing in the
region. We look forward to continuing this success in 2016,” said
LohMirmand.
Gulfood Manufacturing 2016 will take place from 7 – 9 November 2016 at the Dubai World Trade Centre.