HOSPITALITY QATAR 2015 ENDS ON A HIGH NOTE WITH 7,346 VISITORS

Hospitality Qatar 2015, the sole 360° hospitality and HORECA show in Qatar, concluded on a high note, furthering its status as the leading hospitality event of the year. The exhibition, licensed by the Qatar Tourism Authority, was held under the patronage of H.E. Sheikh Ahmed Bin Jassim Al Thani, the Minister of Economy and Commerce. 

From 13 – 15 October, Hospitality Qatar 2015 attracted a footfall of 7,346 trade visitors who came to network with 120 exhibitors from 12 countries–China, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Egypt, Germany, India, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Romania and Lithuania–spread over 5,000 sqm at the Doha Exhibition Center (DEC). 

A main feature of this year’s show was the Business-to-Business matchmaking platform, as part of which 13 top hotels in Qatar were hosted as buyers, with 320 meetings held with a wide variety of exhibitors. The B2B platform was open for trade visitors, who were able to register and book appointments with the exhibitors they wished to meet.

Commenting on his company’s participation at the show, Mr. Khalid Yousef, Business Development Manager at Elegancia Events & Entertainment, the Gold Sponsor of Hospitality Qatar, said: “The hospitality sector in Qatar is witnessing major growth and we would like to be part of that growth - this is why we chose to sponsor Hospitality Qatar 2015. The show was very successful; we were able to network with a large number of trade visitors and received several leads. Hospitality Qatar is the perfect platform for industry professionals to meet and network, and it also supports the growth of the hospitality sector and Qatar’s economy in general.”  

The exhibition also featured the Salon Culinaire. A show-stopper at Hospitality Qatar 2015, Salon Culinaire brought together the country’s leading chefs to compete across fifteen categories. The event was co-organized by the Qatar Culinary Professionals association (QCP), and supervised by the World Association of Chefs Societies for Africa & the Middle East (WACS). The competition was judged by 10 regional and international judges who awarded the winning contestants with 22 gold medals, 38 silver medals and 99 bronze medals. 

Commenting on the success of the Salon Culinaire, Chef Thomas Gugler, Continental Director of WACS Africa & Middle East, said: “Hospitality Qatar is a great event because it is attracting a large local and regional audience. I would like to commend the Qatar Culinary Professionals’ association on the large number of contestants that they enrolled for the Salon Culinaire. Such massive participation shows that local chefs are hungry for these kind of events and more than willing to showcase their talent at such an exhibition.” 

Speaking on behalf of the Official Kitchen Sponsor of the show, Mr. Imad Askar, Director of Operations at Askar Industrial Co. WLL, said: “Askar is pleased to be supporting the Salon Culinaire this year. We believe the show is ideal to showcase the mini kitchens for the chefs to utilize and see our products. Hospitality Qatar and the Salon Culinaire proved very successful this year and we expect the show to continue to grow in popularity and influence in the future as it is the leading event of its kind, bringing together several key aspects of the hospitality industry from competitions to training workshops, in addition to providing a robust business platform.” 

The exhibition also included the highly anticipated Mocktail competition, which offered an opportunity for HORECA bartenders to test their knowledge and skills and to compete against each other for the tastiest mocktail in Doha. The contest was concluded by the Mocktail competition sponsor, Tonino Lamborghini, which awarded medals and trophies to the 3 most talented bartenders. 

In addition, the show featured a 3-day certified safety training workshop conducted by Boecker, the Salon Culinaire and Official Hygiene Sponsor. The highly technical workshop was attended by 370 professionals who received certificates after attending sessions about “Induction to HACCP” and “Induction to Basic Food Hygiene Awareness”.  

Ms. Carla Ghaleb, Country Manager – Qatar, Boecker, said: “We believe that Boecker has a role to play in the growth of the hospitality sector in Qatar, and sponsoring the show and conducting free safety training workshops during the event forms part of our wider commitment to the industry. Hospitality Qatar is the ideal platform through which investors targeting the hospitality sector can network and conclude business deals with local, regional and international suppliers.”