Bahrain Food and Hospitality Expo on mahtava menestys

Bahrain International Food & Hospitality Expo 2010 is hailed as a major success as it concluded a three-day run at the Bahrain International Exhibition & Convention Centre (BIECC) with visitor numbers up by 80 percent on its 2009 attendance figures and a number of exhibitors already vying for the best positions, having booked larger stands for the 2011 event.

Under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Khalifa Bin Salman Al Khalifa, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain, who also inaugurated the event, the expo organized by Bahrain Exhibition & Convention Authority (BECA) was held from January 12-14, 2010. The event, which was double the size of last year’s exhibition, attracted thousands of visitors with a major influx of business visitors from Saudi Arabia in the last couple of days.

It is a testament of the success of the event that most of the exhibitors have expressed interest in re-booking space at next year’s show, with Saudi Arabia-based exhibitors Kimma Cone Ice Cream Biscuits Factory and Al Qahtani Co. and Bahrain-based participants Noor Al Bahrain, Bu Yousif Sweets, INMA Group, Baghdadiat, and others already indicating their keenness to increase the size of their participation. Food & Hospitality Expo is an ideal networking and business-to-business opportunity for importers, wholesalers, distributors, retailers, and large-scale buyers in the food industry including hotels and restaurants.

Hassan J. Mohamed, CEO of BECA, said, ”Food & Hospitality Expo’s significant success in only on its second year proves that there is overwhelming interest in this vibrant sector and in the Kingdom of Bahrain as a springboard for foreign companies to do business with the lucrative economies of the Gulf region and for Bahrain-based companies to reach out to the international communities.”

According to Mr. Mohamed, in addition to profiling the latest trends and developments in food and hospitality, Food & Hospitality Expo is gaining recognition as an important sourcing platform for regional buyers wishing to connect with international manufacturers and suppliers. “The partnership with TUV Middle East workshops was very beneficial as they offered details on quality control procedures and training to professionals within the food and hospitality industry.”

Gisele Ferreira, head of Hospitality Operations Certificate at the Bahrain Institute of Hospitality & Retail (BIHR), which was represented at the Expo, said that Food and Hospitality Expo 2010 was a great opportunity to consolidate students’ knowledge, introduce them to the major hotels in Bahrain, and the trends in the hospitality Industry. BIHR is an ISO 9000 (2001)-certified organization and the largest specialist provider of entry-level vocational education in hospitality, retail, and tourism in Bahrain.

“BECA has been essential to the project and plays an important role in the students’ path by facilitating exhibition visits allowing exchanges of experience. The majority of the 100 students from BIHR who visited Food & Hospitality Expo 2010 expressed their excitement with what they have seen and the importance of this visit to their curriculum,” explained Ms. Ferreira. “The quality of Food and Hospitality Expo 2010 has impressed students and faculty members. It is an excellent exhibition that no one in this industry should miss.”

Food & Hospitality Expo 2010 attracted 85 exhibitors from Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, Thailand, China, and the United Kingdom – all giving positive feedback on the vast quality product range and the organization of the show. According to Mr. Mohammed, Food & Hospitality Expo 2011 will provide the industry with more opportunities to explore this lucrative market even further.

The third annual Bahrain International Food & Hospitality Expo will take place at the BIECC in Manama from Tuesday, January 11 to Thursday, January 13, 2011. For further information on exhibiting, contact Mohamed Yousif, head of Sales and Events, BECA on +973 17558804 or visit www.foodexpbh.com .