Doha, 02 Nov 2021

IFP Qatar announced today the 6^thedition of Hospitality Qatar in partnership with Qatar Tourism and the support of Qatar Airways will take place from November 8 to 11 at Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre,

Addressing at a press conference held at Hotel InterContinental, The City Doha, Haidar Mshaimesh, General Manager of IFP Qatar, said that holding Hospitality Qatar two years after its last edition is important at this time as it confirms the success of the hospitality and tourism sector in Qatar in surpassing the challenges faced from Covid-19 crisis, and is now moving forward with its preparations as the host of FIFA World Cup in November 2022.

Present on the occasion were Dr. Mustafa Gokso, ambassador of Turkey; Allessandro Prunas, ambassador of Italy; Augusta Smargiassi, Trade Commissioner, Italian  Trade Agency; Mahesh Joshi, CFO, Al Sraiya Hotels & Hospitality Group;  Harout Bedoyan, Division Manager, Gulf Crafts; Moaiad Aqel, Head of Sales, Talabat; Imad Askar, Operations Director, Askar; Carla Ghaleb, Country Manager, Boecker; Clara Samuelian, Marketing Director, Corona; and Hammam Al Samad, Executive Manager, LAMA;

Mshaimesh said that over 170 exhibitors from more than 30 countries will be participating - around 70 international stakeholders and about 100 Qatari companied almost same number of participants as of pre-pandemic 2019 edition.

Mshaimesh said that “IFP Qatar has prepared a comprehensive and interactive program for this edition in partnership with several government and private stakeholders, most notably the ‘The Countdown Begins’ conference which will be held in partnership with Qatar Tourism.

He aid that among the programs include the Destination Pavilion sponsored by Qatar Airways, an awards ceremony recognising the best restaurants in Qatar in partnership with Talabat, a barista competition to be held in cooperation with Corona International, as well as live cooking shows with the participation of the best chefs in Qatar. The event will also hold a number of training workshops in various areas and other activities to make this edition exceptional.”

Christoph Hodapp, from Qatar Tourism, commented on the occasion that “Qatar’s hospitality sector, like the wider tourism industry here, has proven to be extremely resilient.  At Qatar Tourism, we remain committed to working with our stakeholders to offer authentic experiences to visitors – rooted in the country’s tradition of hospitality.  He said that they are proud to support events such as Hospitality Qatar, where sector partners come together to share best practices and innovations in the field. The business events sector introduces new audiences to Qatar, facilitating investment and showcasing the breadth of our offerings, Hodapp added.

Dr. Mustafa Göksu, ambassador of Turkey said that “Turkey is participating with the largest international pavilion led by the Turkish Ministry of Trade as a testament of the strong trade relations between Turkey and Qatar. He said that Turkey has a long and rich experience in tourism and hospitality as one of the top tourist destinations in the world, and we leverage this to support Qatar’s hospitality sector ahead of the FIFA World Cup.”

Italian Ambassador, Alessandro Prunas saif that “Italy’s participation in this edition of Hospitality Qatar will be marked with our own national pavilion led by the Italian Trade Agency (ITA). Italy has been participating in the event for successive years to further promote the importance of the hospitality sector in Qatar for Italian companies, and to unlock more opportunities for further development in this sector through exchange of experiences and technologies.”

In his message on the occasion, Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, Akbar Al Baker said that “For the second year in a row, Qatar Airways is sponsoring the Destination Pavilion in Hospitality Qatar. This year, the pavilion will be larger than before to accommodate 22 different tourist destinations where Qatar Airways operates flights.

He said that as the world reopens to travel, we encourage everyone to visit the pavilion and get inspired for their next destinations.”

Talabat, the delivery mobile application is the 'Food Tech Partner', in his message Francisco Miguel De Sousa, Managing Director Qatar said: “We are excited to partner with IFP for the upcoming Hospitality Qatar exhibition. In this first of its kind event, Talabat will feature the tala-bot autonomous delivery vehicle and will present the Food Tech conference. We are also thrilled to present, for the first time, the Restaurants Choice Awards, in which talabat will pick the customers favourite restaurants. This event fits within Talabat’s engagement in supporting the Hospitality sector in Qatar and helping it flourish.”

During the first two days of the exhibition, Corona International Company will organize a free barista training for café workers in Doha followed by an international competition with the participation of international experts recruited from outside Qatar.

Boecker, a global leader in health and safety, will also hold a free food safety training and the Qatar Clean Program for workers in Doha hotels and restaurants. Participants will receive certificates accredited by the CPD Foundation in London after completion of the trainings.

In addition to the business programs and industry trainings, culinary lovers will be able to enjoy live cooking shows throughout the four days which feature the best chefs in Qatar as they present innovative recipes for various cuisines.

Hospitality Qatar 2021 offers a rich blend of exhibition, conference, training workshops, an awards ceremony, various competitions, and live performances to promote the hospitality, tourism, and food sectors. After missing it for two years, visitors and participants are assured of an event worth visiting and a fun, beneficial experience.