The opening was made by the Deputy Minister of Agriculture Lozana Vasileva and the Ombudsman Maya Manolova
The Deputy Minister of Agriculture Lozana Vasileva, the Ombudsman of the Republic of Bulgaria Maya Manolova, Ivailo Ivanov – Manager of Inter Expo Center, Atanas Urdzhanov – Chairman of the Management Board of the Association of Meat Processors in Bulgaria, Mr. Dimitar Zorov – Chairman of the Management Board of the Association of Dairy Processors Bulgaria, Mariana Kukusheva – Chairman of the Board of the National Branch Union of Bakers and Confectioners, Radoslav Radev – Chairman of the Board of the National Vine and Wine Chamber, Konstantin Lambrev – Chairman of the Managing Board of the Union of Processors of Fruit and Vegetables, Mihail Abadzhiev – Chairman of the Board of the National Association Hotel, Restaurant, Cafeteria ,and Albena Simeonova – President of the Bulgarian Organic Products Association, opened the international exhibitions in the food industry and the horeca sector , traditionally held in the halls of Inter Expo Center.
“It is a great honor for us , Inter Expo Center ,that for so many years so many branch organizations are joining efforts to have the biggest business event in Sofia. During the large scale event, more than 450 companies will present products and innovations from the highest level. Inter Expo Center welcomes over 150 new exhibitors and 80 foreign participants. The 6 halls of Inter Expo Center with a total area of 16,000 square meters will be available to all visitors from 8th to 11th November. This year the number of visitors is expected to grow by over 22,000 persons, thus ensuring success of the business forum, “said Ivailo Ivanov, Manager of Inter Expo Center.
The Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Food and Forestry ,Dr. Lozana Vasileva opened the exhibitions and commented: “The food industry has leading positions in the world economy and that is why the exhibitions are of a special value. They show consumers new standards for high quality products. ” “The exhibitions we open today are distinguished by their great prestige because they combine tradition and innovation. The presented products, mostly Bulgarian and foreign, are of high quality and show the latest achievements and technologies in the different sectors “, underlined Mrs.Vasileva.
The Bulgarian Ombudsman Maya Manolova said that the very fact that this is the 24th edition Bulpek , the oldest of the exhibitions, speaks for itself about the prestige of the event. The Ombudsman boasted the success they have achieved together with the branch organizations to protect Bulgarian consumers. Maya Manolova said that it is very important what we eat on our table ,because the health of Bulgarian nation depends on that.
The chairman of the Board of the National Branch Union of Bakers and Confectioners Mariana Kukusheva greeted everyone with the religious holiday Archangel Michael’s Day, which is celebrated by the food industry. According to Mariana Kukusheva this year is extremely important for the exhibitions because they already have European character. All exhibitors are well-known and sought by the European and world retailers. Kukusheva reminded that behind the stands there are the honest representatives of the sector, people with open businesses ,taxpayers.
Greeting address for the exhibitions was also given on behalf of the Executive Director of the State Agricultural Fund Zhivko Zhivkov. “I want to thank all the participants in the exhibitions for the good cooperation and the fruitful efforts in our common cause – the development of modern agriculture in Bulgaria and the production of quality Bulgarian products for domestic and foreign producers. The achieved real successes in the sector would not have been possible without an active dialogue with your association’s representatives. ”
The director of BNT 2 Katia Genova presented the campaign “I Buy Bulgarian Goods”. ” I Buy Bulgarian Goods ” is a campaign with over 1500 prepared tv reports. For 3 years now we have been showing not only how dairy farmers survive, but also how they succeed. Over the years we have come into contact with the branch organizations, which is extremely useful to us and our spectators, “concluded Katya Genova.
The exhibitions MEATMANIA, THE WORLD OF MILK, BULPEK, SALON DE VIN, INTERFOOD & DRINK & SIHRE will continue until 11 November.
The interest of foreign participants is annually provoked by the good opportunities for business contacts provided by the exhibitions ,and by the fact that all sectors of the food industry and the horeca industry are brought together in one place.
Exhibitions that challenge businesses for better performance
In addition to the wide variety of products, visitors can also benefit from the rich side-events program. Bulgaria is under preparation for its European presidency in the beginning of 2018. In this connection, the Forum “Bulgarian Organic Products under the Bulgarian Presidency of the EU Council” will be organized in the halls of Inter Expo Center.
Culinary of the highest level
Culinary is a supreme form of art that creates a culture of eating. Another proof of this is the prestigious culinary events currently taking place in Sofia. The national qualification for the most prestigious chefs contest – Bocuse d’Or, and GastronomiX – a culinary forum for professionals, in which well-established Bulgarian and world authorities in the professional quisine and restaurant industry share their knowledge and experience with peers. The culinary professionals will again engage in battle during the UniChef culinary contest.
The rich side-events program
The exhibitions will have a rich side-events program. At the International Pizza Championship you will be able to watch pizza makers from Bulgaria, Italy, France, Spain, Poland, Russia, Romania, Serbia, England, Germany and other countries. The event will provide an opportunity for all participants to demonstrate their skills in three main categories: classic and napoletana, creativa and romana and pizza acrobatics.
Bulgarian Barista Championship – masters of coffee drink will create “miracles” for the palate and eyes. 10 of the best Bulgarian barristas will compete, as the winner will take the Bulgarian Barista Champion title for 2017 and the right to represent our country at the World Finals in Italy in 2018. A presentation on Chocolate and Wine takes us on the mysterious steps of the chocolate temptation and the favorite drink, and dedicating the audience to the sacrament of their blending.
The side-events program is complemented by bilateral meetings within the Bulgarian-Romanian Business Forum, which provide opportunities for new partnerships.
Tasting under the motto “Grow up healthy and strong l” organized by the Union of Processors of Fruit and Vegetables will show the youngest visitors how useful and tasty the fruits and vegetables can be. The conference on Kosher & Halal Certifications: a passport to export, organized by the Hellenic International Business Association, will familiarize specialists with the specifics of this type of production. The “Gold Medal with Diploma” Contest for quality and original market products and / or additives. will celebrate its tenth edition.
All news about the exhibitions can be found on theweb site – food-exhibitions.en.
