Gulfood will mark 25 editions of aligning food and beverage industry players from across the world with emerging markets across the Middle East and beyond when the world’s largest annual F&B trade exhibition returns to Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) from 16-20 February, 2020.

Having started as a dedicated showcase for imported products at its debut outing in 1987, Gulfood has expanded into a global F&B industry power brand over the last decade.

While the primary finished foods event attracts over 5,000 exhibitors and over 90,000 visitors per year, a series of sector-specific spin-offs have seen the Gulfood brand expand significantly over the last decade with dedicated platforms for manufacturing, hospitality equipment, confectioneries, seafood and gourmet products bringing the world’s leading suppliers and buyers to Dubai, now a globally recognised re-export hub.

The show’s evolution during the last three decades has run in parallel with widespread transformation of the F&B industry. With robust participation from national trade entities government-backed industry bodies and more than 120 country pavilions from six continents, Gulfood has also leveraged various knowledge exchange platforms to cement its position at the forefront of constantly shifting industry trends.

Maintaining this momentum, the five-day Gulfood 2020 will highlight the latest innovations, disruptive trends and visionary products in eight primary show sectors: Beverages, Dairy, Fats & Oils, Health, Wellness & Free-from, Meat & Poultry, Power Brands, Pulses, Grains & Cereals and World Food.

Themed ‘Rethinking Food’, Gulfood 2020 will stare into the future of food and address what matters most: why do we need to rethink food? Featuring thought leaders, experts and industry professionals, the show will feature hundreds of thousands of products and explore a range of topics built around five central pillars: Markets, Lifestyle, Government, Technology and Marketing.

Rethinking Food: Markets

• Reshaping the Middle East & the Re-emergence of Core Markets
• The Race for Africa
• The Fast Pace of Urbanisation: freshest, quickest serve, convenient & conscious supply
• The Giant Neighbor: the Indian legacy in taste & trade

Rethinking Food: Lifestyle

• Understanding the Future Consumer: a generational shift
• Where Did My Rice Come From? Supporting ethical production
• Food for Experience
• Gotta Eat to Live, Gotta Live to Eat: Developments in health & wellness

Rethinking Food: Government

• Regulations Alert – Highlights from around the world
• Feeding the World
• Are F&B Giants Any Closer To Their 2025 Sustainability Goals?
• 10 Years to Go: Impressive responses to UN’s SDGs to date and how to move forward

Rethinking Food: Technology

• The R&D Dilemma: Develop or acquire?
• The Omnichannel Paradigm: Disrupting distribution and retail
• Download Now: Leading consumer apps in F&B
• Let’s Be Smart About It: How big data can help us rethink food

Rethinking Food: Marketing

• Digital Spellcasters: Food Influencers
• Big Bright Bold: Packaging hacks to address consumer demand
• A New Era of Business: customisation at a time of globalization
• Leveraging Social Media To Communicate Your Vision

Gulfood 2020 is a trade event open strictly to business and trade visitors. The show is open 11am-7pm from February 16 – 19 and 11am – 5pm on February 20. For more information, visit www.gulfood.com