Feb 8, 2021
Gulfood is back for its 26th edition this month to the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) with a goal for reviving global connections and making up for missed opportunities as the world’s first in-person sourcing event for the global F&B sector in almost a year.
It will be held from Feb.21-25 across 20 exhibition halls at DWTC, the most competitive global sourcing platform will welcome participants from 85 countries.
With a diverse exhibitor line-up and a who’s who of international power brands eager to capitalize on DWTC’s safe business environment and Gulfood’s status as the only place to start the year with confidence, the show will be held against a backdrop of the UAE National Food Security Strategy. It’s a strategy that visualizes the country ranking among the top 10 of the Global Food Security Index; the UAE vision is expected to be a magnet for international industry engagement at Gulfood 2021.
Aside from business opportunities arising from the UAE’s national food security goals, participants will also discover an industry-transforming with innovative products and technology designed to address massively changing consumer behaviors including trends towards organic, natural and healthy products, contactless transactions, plant-based protein, sophisticated and proven providence ingredients, as well as convenience meal kits and environmentally friendly packaging.
This event after the pandemic will be the first opportunity that global F&B players have to physically meet, and source much-needed new business to reboot a sector following one of the most challenging years ever.
DWTC has proved its capability to curate the safest face-to-face business environment and deliver world-class events with the highest safety protocols. This is evidenced with the recent GITEX Technology Week, the only live in-person tech event in 2020. Held in December, the event welcomed tens of thousands of visitors with 96% of local and international attendees recording a ‘safe’ or ‘very safe’ experience.
With product sampling and food handling such a vital interaction at a global F&B event, those proven protocols have been further intensified for Gulfood 2021, under strict guidance and coordination with Dubai Health Authority (DHA) and Dubai Municipality, to ensure the safest possible business conditions.
Exhibitors must provide hand sanitizer to visitors before the food sampling commences in a designated area within the exhibition stand. Live cooking demonstrations are permitted however food must be served on individual plates and food is to be consumed at the stand; all live cooking demonstrations must observe 2 meters social distancing. Wearing of masks will be mandatory, with social distancing and contactless transactions in place across the 20 halls to ensure the wellbeing of all delegates. On-site registration will not be available; registration must be completed in advance via www.gulfood.com