The wheels of the machine that is organizing Host 2017 are already turning, and promotional activities are well under way, with scouting activities to find the best buyers from all five continents already in progress. And the results of the work done, at home and abroad, are now being seen. The fact that 43% of the over 700 firms that have signed up for Host 2017 (and which include leading Italian firms) will be arriving from outside Italy, from no fewer than 37 countries around the world, has not gone unnoticed.
Tradition and geographical proximity mean that 87% of firms who have signed up will be from Europe, including an impressive 18% from Germany and 9% from France, and two other “hotspots” on the international marketplace will be represented, suggesting that an even more exciting, and more international edition lies in store.
Eight firms out of 100 will be from the Middle East and Asia. This is an interesting ratio, because the catering and hotel industry in the Middle East is booming right now, with many business opportunities for firms from all sectors relating to food and hospitality. Even more so if they have been “Made in Italy”, given Italy’s generally recognised level of excellence and quality. In recent years, the United Arab Emirates have been making huge efforts to expand tourism, with annual growth rates for hotel bed availability standing at 7%, and over 11,000 restaurants now operating in the country. Between 2015-2017 it is forecast that 140 hotels will be built, bringing the total to 750 and taking the number of available rooms to upwards of 114,000 compared with the 84,500 currently on offer. [Source, Farnesina website, Foreign Markets]. And this is why Host is investing in the Middle East, and has already begun the process of selecting the best buyers to bring to Milan, in order to increase the many business opportunities for firms. And there is great interest now also in Iran, now that the US-imposed sanctions have been lifted and the country can once again trade with western markets.
The United States itself is experiencing a significant growth in catering, with new formats and chains that quite literally “cater” to recent developments in eating and drinking habits, covering everything from hi-tech to health issues and including vegan, which is all the rage in New York at the moment. The country is already well represented at Host: 7% of firms that will exhibit at Host 2017 are American.
The very latest trends and fashions do indeed come to us from the USA and turn up sooner or later in the world’s big cities, from Berlin to Tokyo. But even the Americans, just like those arriving from other continents, view Milan as a must for doing business, not just with Italian firms that have always led the way in food and catering, but also with buyers and visitors from all over the world, especially from Europe and the Middle East.
