DEC Hosts "Diyafa 2011"

Doha, November 20 (QNA) - Under the auspices of HE the Minister of Culture, Dr. Hamad bin Abdulaziz bin Ali Al-Kuwari, the Doha Exhibition Center (DEC) hosts the 6th International Hotel, Restaurant and Food Exhibition " Diyafa 2011" on November 22-24, 2011. Diyafa 2011, which is organized by the international exhibitions company (IFP Qatar), will be opening its doors for all business and industry professionals from 15:00 21:00 daily. The three-day event provides a platform for local and international suppliers and brands to showcase the innovations and products they are introducing in Qatar and the region. The event aims at providing the hospitality industry with a drive towards bettering its offerings in Qatar. Diyafa will feature over 300 brands across all hospitality sub-sectors, said Sarah Mroueh representing IFP during a news conference held by the organizing committee this afternoon. A major highlight of Diyafa 2011 is the much-anticipated Salon Culinaire competition, which will feature more than 131 chefs competing in over 150 categories. The event includes a number of competitions that require skill and expertise in Salon Culinaire, as well as qualitative training sessions in HACCP, along with workshops on technique and dexterity with the Red Bull Bartenders Academy (RBBA). The competition has been a major crowd pleaser in past years attracting hospitality industry professionals and casual visitors alike to daily live demonstrations of fruit carving, ice carving, signature dish and the black box live cooking show down. For her part, Carla Tarraf- Country Manager, Boecker International, noted that Salon Culinaire re-enforces Diyafa s aim to provide world-class standards and most importantly highlights the expertise and efficiency of all chefs in Doha. "We are there to monitor and judge the hygiene and safety aspects of the competition which qualify for 50% of the grading," she explained. For the first time, Diyafa has attracted international pavilions from Bavaria, France, Iran, Pakistan, Lithuania, The Czech Republic, UAE, Lebanon and Tunisia. An exciting new addition to the lineup of events taking place at this year’s edition is the announcement of Qatar Happening and Iloveqatar.net s 2011 LIFESTYLE awards which has been conducted in an online poll in various locations where all winners have been selected by the general public. There are only 15 of these exclusive LIFESTYLE awards to be handed out which will all be announced on 22nd of November 2011. Diyafa started off as a homegrown experiment in providing a destination for hospitality industry professionals. This year, as it marks its sixth anniversary, and is seen as a platform for industry professionals to meet, network, entertain visitors, educate professionals, and provide a venue to build relations with new suppliers while strengthening existing partnerships. It is one of its kinds and embodies the aura of what hospitality is all about. With Qatar set to invest USD 72.8 billion on its tourism sector in the lead up to the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the drive partners to remain dedicated to supporting Diyafa over the years. Towards excellence and greater business opportunity has led numerous partners to remain dedicated to supporting Diyafa over the years. (QNA)