A world of opportunities awaits companies who are focusing on sustainability and innovation in countries belonging to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which has been one of HostMilano’s focus areas for some time now. An attention on the part of the International Hospitality Exhibition that comes from the growing importance of trading relations with Europe in the sectors represented.

According to statistics prepared by Osservatorio Host from market analyst Export Planning data, in the segments of relevance to HostMilano – food equipment, out-of-home supplies and contract – in 2022 trade between the GCC and Europe was close to 1.2 billion euros (1,167 million) and that figure is expected to reach almost 1.5 billion euros by 2026  (1,491 million, thanks to an average CAGR, or Compound Annual Growth Rate, of +6.3%).

New launches and openings in the foodservice sector are the explanation for the growth recorded in professional cooking appliances (+5%) and refrigeration (+4.2%) for imports from Italy, which is a market leader in many segments. Meanwhile, the increasingly strong presence of coffee as a trendy beverage is reflected in the increase in machines designed for the preparation of coffee (+4.9% annually).

Further confirmation of how interesting the area now is comes from Fiera Milano’s recent visit to Dubai, where it presented the two events HostMilano and TUTTOFOOD to the press and to local stakeholders. This was one of the activities ahead of the 2023 editions that are intended to create a more efficient match between supply and demand, by giving potential exhibitors and buyers opportunities for involvement on their own home turf.

Other destinations have already been covered by this “Road to Host” operation: Chicago, Orlando, Toronto and Mexico City in North America; Paris, Lyon, Frankfurt and Düsseldorf in Europe; and Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Singapore in the Middle and Far East.