yummex Middle East: Records for the 10th Anniversary

yummex Middle East, the trade fair that operated under the name Sweets & Snacks Middle East, sets new benchmarks: more than 70 per cent of the available space for the coming event from November 7 to 9 has already been sold.

The registered companies include renowned international manufacturers like Colombina (Colombia), Jelly Belly (USA) and Wawel (Poland). The number of group stands, in which companies from a country or a region exhibit jointly, has also broken records. More than 20 pavilions are being represented for the first time at the anniversary event, including new participants from Bulgaria, Italy, Catalonia and Switzerland.

Exhibitors and visitors can look forward not only to an especially international, but also to the largest trade fair since its founding: the organisers, Koelnmesse and Dubai World Trade Center, are expanding the exhibition space by around 25 per cent, and are thus continuing the steady growth course of the established trade fair format.

The organisers primarily credit the early and strong demand for exhibition space to the unique concept of yummex Middle East. Since 2007, the trade fair has been the only purchasing platform for the MENA region specialising in sweets and snacks.

“The interest of international companies in a special trade fair for sweets and snacks in the MENA region, which has been growing for years, shows that the format completely satisfies the expectations of the branch”, says Denis Steker, vice president international of Koelnmesse.

“yummex Middle East keeps its promise of easing access of international exhibitors to one of the most promising growth regions worldwide”.

Continuing good sales opportunities

The US market research institute TechSci Research forecasts the best growth rates for the region in a recent study, especially for the chocolate branch.

The experts expect annual sales growth of 8 per cent in the market of the United Arab Emirates by 2021. The development is apparently based on increased per capita expenditures. Consumers have also increasingly been calling for innovatively packaged chocolate and high-quality products.