Global travel catering suppliers tap into new business opportunities

More than 70 exhibitors from 30 countries at the 4th WTCEME

Dubai, May 16, 2017: The world’s top catering products and services providers expect good business deals at the ongoing 4th World Travel Catering and Onboard Services Expo Middle East (WTCEME).

The consistent and strong growth in the Middle East aviation sector provides excellent opportunities for the exhibitors to connect with the regional aviation players and get a good chunk of business.

Co-located with the Airport Show 2017, WTCEME is held under the Patronage of H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Dubai Airports, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group.

More than 70 exhibitors are showcasing a wide range of travel catering services and solutions, including food, snacks, beverages, food packaging, processing, preparation and preservation equipment, tableware and chinaware, accessories, toiletries and travel amenities at the WTCEME. 

The 4th edition of the World Travel Catering and Onboard Services Expo Middle East (WTCEME), the largest dedicated platform for the travel catering industry in the Middle East, Africa and Indian Sub-Continent, provides an ideal platform to travel catering players from across the world to network and showcase a wide range of products, services, solutions and technology. 

The exhibitors said the WTCEME is providing them an opportunity to meet with serious industry professionals, who are visiting them for innovative and new ways to serve their clients.

“Each year, this expo has been growing, which increases the opportunities to network and explore the latest products and solutions in the travel catering industry,” said Sola Airline Cutlery Chief Executive Officer Bert Gerritsen.

The company supplies cutlery products to 80 customers including most of the airlines based in the Middle East such as Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Etihad Airways among others.

He added: “I come here to see and meet clients to talk about new solutions. ”Unliver Food Solutions is showcasing its end to end solution for tea for airlines.
Christian Roumy, Sales Manager for Catering, said: “We have all airlines in the region as our customers and the business is growing.”

Roumy added: “We have been participating in this exhibition for the last three year. It’s a great platform to reconnect with customers. We show them our innovations.”

Oasis Lina Date is showcasing high quality dates in unique and assorted wrapping, with different shapes, sizes and stuffing flavours. It’s first participation of the company at the show. “We are expecting good business deals with airlines,” chief executive officer Nabil Almaramhi said.

“From raw dates, to stuffing them with your favourite fruits & flavours, dipping them in chocolates to biscuits and bringing honey-like syrup and paste, we develop recipes with its sweet taste and wholesome goodness,” Almaramhi said.

Paramount is also participating for the first time and its top official said the experience is good. “We will try our best to get more business,” said Dhananjay Rai, sales executive.

The 30-year old company deals in kitchen, laundry, supermarket, and bakery equipment. It has offices in the UAE, Qatar, Oman and India.

Paramount has Emirates airlines as an aviation client. In addition, it also supplies equipment to KFC, McDonalds, Pizza Express among others.

Daniyal Qureshi, Group Exhibition Director, Reed Exhibitions Middle East, said: “The strong growth in Middle East aviation is creating new opportunities in the travel catering segment and this has generated a tremendous global interest from suppliers. By bringing suppliers from over 30 countries on a common platform, WTCEME aims to provide them unique opportunity to explore the latest and connect with suppliers with a diverse range of offerings. We expect increase in business deals this year.”

WTCEME is supported by Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA), Dubai Airports, Emirates Flight Catering and Food Point.