Hospitality and Foodbiz 2013 launched

A three-day exhibition to boost the image of the country’s hospitality industry and expose its huge potentials has been launched in Accra.

Dubbed “Hospitality and FoodBiz West Africa 2013”, the event comes off at the Accra International Conference Centre from October 2-4 and will attract top players in the hospitality business; notably hotels, catering service providers and beverage and food-processors from South Africa, Ghana and other West African countries.

It is being organised by Events and Projects International (EPI), a Ghana-based event organiser, in association with Exhibition Management Services of South Africa.

Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, Minister for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, speaking at the official launch said the event will pull a variety of products and service providers together under one roof over a three-day period, offering an opportunity to showcase the best of Ghana’s hospitality and food industries while positioning the country as the true gateway to West Africa.

“Developments in the recent past in Ghana, including the oil-find and prevailing peace, have inevitably led to increased investor interest in our country -- consequently evolving Ghana into a hub for the sub-region in terms of events such as conferences, workshops and exhibitions.

“Such investor confidence has engendered the flourishing of especially the hospitality industry to cater for this influx of visitors -- both the business-minded and tourist-oriented.

“We hope Hospitality and Foodbiz will encourage partnerships between local and foreign entities, create opportunities for employment, boost knowledge-sharing, and foster intra-African as well as global collaboration.

“The Ministry is proud to be associated with this fair, which promises to bring together exhibitors and business executives from West Africa to forge business networking while offering opportunities for future collaboration,” Ofosu-Adjare said.

Nana Antwi Darkwah, Chief Executive Officer, Events and Projects International, said the expo offers a long-overdue and unique opportunity for marketers and service providers to display and project their product ranges and brands while benchmarking their offerings against others in the industry. “An event such as this will encourage foreign investors to identify opportunities for partnering with local entities,” he said.