Gulfood 2010, the largest food sector fair in the Middle East, which ended February 24, in Dubai, should generate at least US$ 30 million in business for Brazilian exhibitors. The estimate is by the secretary general at the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, Michel Alaby.
To him, this was one of the best editions of the fair for Brazilian companies. “Gulfood has exceeded the expectations of several businessmen, which makes us believe that we should continue participating and even expanding the number of companies participating in the next edition.” Alaby also calculated that this year the fair received at least 30% more visitors than in 2009.
“Speaking to exhibitors, we hear that visitation was exceptional, not just in number, but also in the quality,” added Mark Napier, the executive director at Gulfood.
“We were very lucky. This year, we added another 26,000 square meters of exhibition space, which brought many companies and national pavilions for the first time,” said Napier, who also praised the Brazilian strategy of setting up the stand promoting the Brazil brand.
“Brazil has always had great participation in the Gulfood. I am greatly satisfied that associations combined their participation in just one hall this year. This way, we identified the size of the Brazilian participation at the fair, which was fantastic,” he said.
“In a logistical point of view, it was obviously very good for all visitors in the region to be able to find Brazilian companies that they know and trust with others beside them.”
Napier also said that it is still early to estimate the turnover of the 2010 edition for all exporters, but that “the value of deals closed at the fair is exceptional and, in figures, should reach billions.”
Representatives of two of the associations that participated in the Gulfood also said that their associates are very pleased with the results obtained at the fair. This is the case with the president of the Brazilian National Biscuit Industry Association (Anib), José Reis.
“We made contact with distributors who were prospecting, with those interested in their own brands for food service and with importers in general, as well as with trading companies interested in trading Anib products,” said Reis.
“Over the next 90 days, we are going to sell more than US$ 500,000 and, in ten months, we should reach US$ 6 million as a result of the fair,” he concluded.
“We have producers who are going to visit companies and nominate distributors, so they may travel to two or three countries, as they have changed their flight schedule, and that was very good,” said the president at Anib, who also said that presence is guaranteed at the Gulfood 2011.
According to Ricardo João Santin, the executive director at the Brazilian Poultry Exporters Association (Abef), the fair results were also very positive for sector exhibitors.
“Gulfood is a fair that is among the Abef priorities, as this is a market that currently purchases 40% of our exports. The countries in the Middle East represent much for Brazil, both in values and in volumes,” he said. “With each year, the fair has been improving, developing and bringing more clients,” he stated.
Each year, Brazil sells 1.4 million tons of chicken to the Arab countries. According to Santin, of the nine companies that came to Gulfood with the Abef, all closed deals at the event.
