The inaugural Gulfood Manufacturing, a major trade fair in Dubai, UAE focusing on the region’s rapidly expanding F&B processing infrastructure, will also host a mammoth specialised Hosted Buyer Programme, said event organisers.

The exhibition takes place at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) from November 9 to 11.

As part of the biggest-ever regional trade show launch, the Gulfood Manufacturing Hosted Buyer Programme in partnership with Tetra Pak - the world’s leading food processing and packaging solutions company - will host industry representatives from both established and industry newcomers from the Middle East and Africa.

The programme will see high level networking and investment-driven discussions across the region’s food manufacturing sphere.

Inward investment in the UAE’s food manufacturing sector – with Dubai and Abu Dhabi leading the charge - continues apace, said event organisers DWTC.

With Al Islami Foods, a major Middle Eastern halal food producer, readying to open a new $27.2 million food processing facility in Dubai Investment Park later this year, Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (Kizad) has inked deals with Brazil's BRF SA, the world's largest chicken exporter, for a $150 million processing plant, and Abu Dhabi's National Food Products Company (NFPC) for a $411 million facility.

According to the latest report from Business Monitor International (BMI), inward investment has delivered strong growth in the UAE’s domestic food retail market - the country’s mass gross retail sector now accounts for 69 per cent of the Middle East’s total food and drink market.

With regional food sales expected to reach Dh38.5 billion ($105 billion) by 2015 - an increase of 36 per cent on sales in 2011 - the community of international buyers at Gulfood Manufacturing will explore opportunities to expand business prospects in burgeoning regional food markets and companies.

The Gulfood Manufacturing Hosted Buyer Programme is designed to increase investment by enabling large multinational food producers to explore expansion avenues in the Middle East, and empowering regional food manufacturers to respond to increased customer demand by replacing and upgrading production line equipment.

The programme will ensure companies seeking the manufacturing business improvement tools needed to compete in increasingly competitive global markets make multi-million dollar investment decisions at the event.

“The Gulfood Manufacturing Hosted Buyer Programme represents an exciting value-added proposition for exhibitors and visitors already committed to the biggest F&B processing event for the Middle East, Africa and Indian Sub-Continent industry,” said Trixie Loh Mirmand, senior vice president, Exhibitions & Events Management, DWTC.

“With all the major international and fastest-growing regional F&B processors sourcing the latest manufacturing tools, technologies, equipment, ingredients and machinery, the Hosted Buyer Programme is expected to deliver significant inward investment in the regional F&B manufacturing segment.”

Believed to be one of the largest initiatives of-its-type in the global F&B industry, the Gulfood Manufacturing Hosted Buyer Programme has been conceived to cater for an all-encompassing range of prospective clients from sectors including bakery, dairy, meat, fats, oils, seafood, beverages and confectionery.

From an exhibiting perspective, the show will feature more than 1,000 international suppliers from 32 countries displaying state-of-the-art machinery, innovative ingredients developed to meet new taste trends and innovative manufacturing processes, the latest packaging advances, as well as plant and factory designers behind the world’s leading production facilities.

Leading food brands and trusted distributors will make up more than 10,000 regional and global trade visitors, of which 1,500 delegates will share the latest industry insights, market trends and state-of-the-art technology and product innovations in a cache of niche shows, conferences and technical workshops.

Open to applicants from around-the-world, the Hosted Buyer Programme will predominantly target buyers from across the Middle East and the African continent - although the geographical footprint of attendees will stretch as far north as Turkey and as far east as Pakistan.

The C-Level cast will be hand-picked by DWTC, Tetra Pak and a host of other exhibitors to ensure genuine influencers and purchasers are selected – from Chairmen, CEOs, CFOs, Vice-Presidents and General Managers, to specific segment Directors overseeing Purchasing, Production, Processing, Logistics, Warehousing and Engineering divisions.

“The commitment to our customers and their needs is at the forefront of everything we do at Tetra Pak, including innovations across our product and service portfolio. We are excited and looking forward to our participation at Gulfood Manufacturing under the theme ‘Innovation for Growth’ and being the inaugural show’s Hosted Buyer Programme partner," said Amar Zahid, President, Greater Middle East and Africa Region, Tetra Pak. – TradeArabia News Service