Trade Associations, Shows & Conferences

FrozenFoodsBiz.com Interviews Gulfood Show Director Mark Napier

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In advance of the February 13-17 Gulfood exhibition in Dubai, FrozenFoodsBiz sat down with the show’s director, Mark Napier, to discuss the 27th edition of the annual event that has grown over the years to become the largest annual face-to-face food and beverage sourcing platform in the world. Here’s how the Q&A session went:

FrozenFoodsBiz: Please tell us about the the myriad of halal food for buyers to see and sample at the show, especially the offers available from producers in Europe, North America, and regions outside the UAE. How diverse are the countries that provide halal food today, and how do you explain the growth in the number of exhibitors of halal food?

Mr. Napier: Gulfood is the meeting point for major local, regional, and international halal food producers to explore new business opportunities and investment amid ever-increasing demand for halal products fueled by rising regional populations. Food producers know they have a concentrated pool of customers seeking products to meet that demand, and it is again testament to the global confidence in Gulfood as the year’s first major international industry event that we have attracted producers of Halal-certified products from as far afield as Brazil, the USA the Netherlands and elsewhere.

The regional market remains ultra-competitive. Therefore, as an entry point to the market, our dedicated Meat & Poultry section will bring together key players such as Seara, ABIEC – Brazilian Beef Exporters Association, Al-Kabeer Group ME, and many more. 

FrozenFoodsBiz: How is the frozen food sector represented this year at Gulfood? 

Mr. Napier: The global frozen food market is experiencing robust growth, with recent research from ResearchandMarkets estimating it will reach US $224.2 billion by 2026 at a compound annual growth rate of 6%, fuelled by several factors. First, such strong growth is indicative of companies adapting operations as the industry continues its post-pandemic recovery, with Covid-19 having earlier contributed to restrictive containment measures. Additionally, consumer demand for quick, quality, ready-to-eat food increases in developed and developing countries, resulting in manufacturers seeking to adopt new technologies to improve yield and quality while reducing waste. 

Technologies such as individual quick freezing (IQF), where each item is frozen, are coming to the fore, and Gulfood 2022 will once again shine the spotlight on game-changing solutions spanning the entire F&B ecosystem. As the industry’s transformational power broker, Gulfood explores critical industry trends, gathering the world’s biggest brands, sector innovators, and major disruptors to connect and create the industry’s future roadmap. The show has once again attracted the sector’s major players such as McCain, Lamb Weston-Meijer, Lulu Hypermarket, Americana, Al Ghurair Foods, Baqer Mohebi Enterprises, and more. We can expect to see some exciting new products and innovations during an informative and industry defining five days at Dubai World Trade Centre.

FrozenFoodsBiz: How many exhibitors and visitors do you expect in total and has the pandemic affected the number of people attending the trade show in any way?

Mr. Napier: The new Gulfood approach has garnered enthusiastic responses from exhibitors who have praised its forward-thinking strategy. Under the theme “Connect, Create, Change” this year we have worked hard to craft a plan that addresses major global issues facing the F&B industry, driving the agenda to action. As a result, visitors will gain access to many thought-provoking initiatives, including our Gulfood Zero Waste campaign, a first-of-its-kind movement in partnership with leading restaurants and chefs; a deep-dive into the growth of e-commerce; Top Table, which features a star-studded lineup of award-winning chefs, and more.

As the world’s largest annual F&B and hospitality show and the year’s first major industry gathering, Gulfood 2022 features over 4,000 exhibitors from more than 180 countries. Among the expanded 2022 exhibitor lineup are new pavilions from the Norwegian seafood industry, Uruguay, Panama, and Uzbekistan, who will be joined by newcomers including Australia’s ABW Foods, Invest NSW, and Austrade; Colombia’s Cartagena Chamber of Commerce; Uruguay’s Cooperativa Nacional De Productores De Leche, Estancias del Lago S.R.L. and Instituto Nacional De Carnes; Switzerland’s Fenaco and MK Merchants SA; Panama’s ProPanama, South Africa’s RFG Foods Pty Ltd., and Hong Kong’s Vitasoy.

Additionally, more than 150 industry leaders and pioneers will be taking to the stage to share invaluable insights and experience in the all-new Gulfood Inspire conference. The range of exhibitors and visitors spans the full spectrum of the global industry, with Gulfood serving as a platform for all to meet and connect with current partners while unlocking the event’s full potential as a gateway to new market opportunities in the region and beyond. We look forward to welcoming everybody.

– Reported by Dan Orehov