83% of Exhibitors at SIAL Middle East 2011 Re Book for 2012 Edition

83% of exhibitors participating at the 2011 edition of SIAL Middle East have already re-booked their spaces for the next year’s trade show, event organiser Turret Media said today. SIAL Middle East 2011, held from 21-23 November in Abu Dhabi turned out to be a successful event for the region’s food industry as business deals worth AED1.3bn ($350m) were inked.
The exhibition, held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE, Minister of Presidential Affairs and Chairman of Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority and in strategic partnership with Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority, attracted more than 9700 visitors from 71 countries, registering 34% growth rate compared to the footfall in the inaugural year.

 

Mohamed Jalal Al Reyaysa, Chairman of the Higher Organizing Committee for SIAL Middle East and Official Spokesperson for Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority, said that the percentage of exhibitors already rebooking for the show next year is a significant milestone for the event.

 

“The success of the second edition of SIAL Middle East is reflective of a booming food industry in a region experiencing massive growth and offering unlimited opportunities for both regional and international food manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, buyers and service providers,” said Al Reyaysa.

 

Georgio Starace, Italian Ambassador to the UAE commented: “The value of Italian food and beverage exports into the UAE for 2011 currently stands at AED213.8 million – an increase of 20% from last year. SIAL Middle East is therefore a very important initiative for us as we look to increase exports into the UAE by as much as 40% next year.”

Bilal Khan Pasha, Commercial Counsellor at the Pakistan Embassy, UAE said: “The 7 exhibitors at the Pakistan pavilion received over 100 serious enquiries, with 5 receiving orders worth more than US$ 272,000 (AED 1 million).”

 

“Additionally, four exhibitors closed Memorandum of Understandings appointing sole distributors in Abu Dhabi for their products. This is the first time our exhibitors have participated at an event in Abu Dhabi, and SIAL Middle East has exceeded all expectations.”

 

Jalel Aossey, Owner and Managing Director, Midamar Corporation, one of 500 exhibitors at the event, and who also re-booked for the next year said: "SIAL Middle East provided us with a tremendous opportunity to further market our Midamar Halal USA products at a globally recognised food trade event.”

 

SIAL Middle East is part of the world’s largest network of professional food events, which include SIAL Paris, SIAL China, SIAL Canada, and SIAL Brazil.The trade show brought 500 food and equipment manufacturers and suppliers, in addition to 14 national pavilions from Turkey, Argentina, Korea, China, Taiwan, Iran, France, Italy, Vietnam, Thailand, USA, Pakistan, Tunisia and the UAE.

 

SIAL Middle East 2011 also hosted 500 key buyers under its specifically designed SIAL Purchasers Club, the Africa & Middle East semi-finals of the WACS Global Chefs Challenge and Hans Bueschkens Young Chefs Challenge; the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) Investment meetings; and The Grocery @ SIAL Middle East.

 

Al Ain Dairy Food Company was also announced as the first winner of the prestigious SIAL Innovation Award, for their cardamom flavoured vitamin A and D enriched milk. The award, taking place for the first time at SIAL Middle East was contested by 16 most innovative food products from around the world, with six having been manufactured in the UAE. WOW, a vitamin enhanced flavored mineral water manufactured by Agthia, was selected by Disney as the best food innovation for children during SIAL Middle East 2011.
The third edition of SIAL Middle East returns on 26-28 November 2012, at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre.

 

Notes to editors:

About SIAL Middle East

SIAL Middle East is part of the world’s largest network of professional food events and is the latest exhibition to be launched in the Middle East as a part of the SIAL Group of events. Held annually, under strategic partnership with Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority, the event brings together professionals involved in buying and selling food products, services and equipment in addition to the latest innovations in the food industry. After being highly commended in the Best Trade Exhibition category at the Middle East Event Awards 2011 and already named as the largest and best attended business event launched in Abu Dhabi last year, SIAL Middle East has fast become the region’s dynamic event for the professional food industry. For more information, visit: www.sialme.com

About SIAL Group

First developed in Paris, in 1964, SIAL has become the global brand serving the food and retail industries. Now the largest network of professional food events in the world, SIAL Group exhibitions assemble over 9,300 exhibitors and deliver more than 216,000 visitors from 200 countries. Since 1997, SIAL exhibitions have also been organised in Asia, North America and Latin America. SIAL Middle East, the trade only event, will welcome more than 12,000 industry professionals in November this year in Abu Dhabi. For more information, visit: www.sialme.com

About Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority

Strategic Partner for SIAL Middle East; Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority was established in 2005 as an independent food regulatory agency for the emirate of Abu Dhabi. The Authority embodies the Abu Dhabi Government`s commitment to protecting its consumers, particularly by ensuring the safety and quality of food served throughout the public. It enforces policies and standards and conducts research and awareness campaigns to maintain a sustainable agriculture and food sector that delivers safe food to the public, protects the health of animals and plants, and adheres to sound environmental practices. For more information visit: www.adfca.ae

About Turret Media

Organiser for SIAL Middle East: A multi award winning company, Turret Media has conceptualised, developed and launched some of the most successful live events in the world and is a leading publisher within several market sectors in the Middle East. Following more than 50 years of experience in the United Kingdom, Turret Media migrated its business headquarters to the UAE in 2006 after becoming a foundation partner of the Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company. Turret Media has since been behind numerous exhibitions, conferences and consumer events in Abu Dhabi and Dubai that collectively attract some 1,400 exhibitors and deliver more than 120,000 visitors in industry sectors as diverse as renewable energy, IT, gourmet food and waste management. For more information visit: www.turretme.com