Case study
Oman serves up success
Waiters Race and
a Bedmaking
competition
were two new
show features in October 2019,
when the Oman Convention
& Exhibition Centre hosted
the 14th edition of Food &
Hospitality Oman. The show
was held over three days and
delivered a 49% increase in
visitor attendance and an 11%
boost in exhibition space.
Organisers Omanexpo report
that 600 local and international
brands were on show. By
comparison, in 2018, the show
received 2,715 exclusive trade
visitors, a number that climbed
to 4,477 for the 2019 edition. In
terms of exhibition space, 2019
showed an increase of 1,016sqm
year-on-year.
The exhibition has been
run for the last 14 years by
Omanexpo and it is Oman’s
longest-running food and
hospitality show. Exporters from
21 countries showcased at the
2019 edition.
An advisory panel, including
visitors and exhibitors,
oversaw new features for
2019, with organisers keen to
add ‘live’ elements. October’s
highlights included live cooking
demonstration of the Omani
halwa, a traditional sweet jelly-
like dessert.
Visitors were also treated
to coffee-making and brewing
demonstrations courtesy
of Agnieszka Rojes, winner
of the 2018 World Barista
Championship.
The exhibition was opened
by His Excellency Dr Hamad bin
Saeed Al-Awfi, Oman’s Minister
of Agriculture and Fisheries, a
demonstration of official support
for the event.
w w w.exhibitionworld.co.uk
As well as attracting suppliers
and customers from the full
gamut of the food and hospitality
sector, the show also hosted
national pavilions of India, Iran,
Pakistan, Indonesia, Vietnam
and South Africa, as well as
a dedicated Omani products
pavilion.
Robert MacLean, Principal
of the National Hospitality
Institute (NHI) Oman, a provider
of vocational training for the
hospitality, catering and travel
industries in the Gulf region,
has been working with Food &
Hospitality Oman for 10 years
and said: “Over the years the
show has grown bigger and is
now housed in the new Oman
Convention & Exhibition Centre.
It has also taken in a wider range
of countries which has been
great to see.
“I thought the 2019 show was
one of the best we have seen,
with a lot more interest from
the local hospitality and food
industries.”
Two ‘fun’ features added in
2019 were the Waiters Race and
the Bedmaking Competition.
The Bedmaking Competition
tested speed, accuracy and skill,
with points awarded for the time
taken to make a bed, tidiness,
quality, presentation and the
overall look of the bed.
MacLean said: “It was a great
success and brought in a lot of
industry people to the exhibition
to cheer on their teams.”
Ammar Ahmad, Exhibition
Director, noted: “This year we
wanted to make sure the show
demonstrated the vast industry
that is food and hospitality.
As to the main challenges
for the organiser, Ahmad told
EW: “The biggest challenge
Omanexpo faces for a show
such as this is that international
companies do not always
consider Oman a big market,
when comparing to other
countries in the region, such
as Dubai. It may be that they
see more potential business
there and find that there are
better market conditions and
opportunities – but it is changing.
“As Oman is relatively new
as a business destination, we
also have to work to encourage
locals to showcase their services
and products rather than travel
elsewhere.
“Looking ahead to 2020, we
want to make it the biggest show
yet and we look forward to
welcoming exhibitors new and
old.” Omanexpo organises an
average of six large-scale events
at the OCEC every year, which
makes it the most prominent
organiser at the venue.
EW asked Omanexpo’s
Portfolio Director and Acting
GM Ashley Roberts what other
organisers seeking to enter the
local market need to be aware
of. He explained that the Oman
Tourism Authority is seeking
to attract growth in the MICE
arena, and is on hand to advise
organisers.
“Licensing is an important
area to understand before
looking to stage an event in
Oman. The required licences
are provided by the applicable
ministry, for example, the
Ministry of Education in the case
of an education event,” Roberts
added. “All non-GCC nationals
require visas before travelling
to Oman but the online portal
provided by the Royal Police of
Oman is very straightforward.
Omanis are very personable
individuals and like to conduct
business face-to-face.”
Issue 1 2020 17