Hospitality expo offers chance for students to learn, network

AMMAN — International exhibitions for the hospitality and food industries offer a learning opportunity for students and beginners, experts said at the opening of Horeca 2016 in Amman on Saturday.

In its third year, Horeca Jordan 2016 brings together over 120 international companies and institutions working in the fields of hospitality and food and beverage services.

The name Horeca is an acronym of the first two letters of the words hotel, restaurant and café.

Jacques Rossel, culinary operations manager at the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts, said some students at the academy had volunteered to facilitate the culinary competition, putting them in direct contact with renowned chefs from all over the world.

“We need to make people understand how great it is to be a chef and spread awareness about the ever-growing hospitality industry,” he told The Jordan Times at the opening event, noting that one in every 10 individuals around the world will be working in this industry by 2020.

In addition to international chefs, the cooking competition will allow students to learn from chefs from the region, which will help them realise that they can also advance in the industry, said Rossel, who cited an annual growth in the intake of students at the academy.

The exhibition is also an opportunity for students to connect with future employers in Jordan and the region, said Dima Stetieh, vice dean of the Jordan Applied University, previously known as Ammoun College.

“As an institution that educates and trains many students in this industry, it is important for us to remain updated of the sector’s developments and all its new faces,” she told The Jordan Times, adding that Jordanian investors in Arab countries have shown interest in hiring the university’s graduates.

As the meetings, incentives, conferences and events (MICE) tourism continues to grow in Jordan, such events show the Kingdom’s capabilities in the industry and expose it to the regional and international markets, said Jordan Hotels Association President Michael Nazzal.

He added that the exhibition showcases local products and services that are suitable for MICE tourism, which he said brought high revenues to the economy.

Tourism Ministry Secretary General Issa Gammoh toured the exhibition and highlighted its significance in bringing together private and public institutions in the sector, adding that carrying out such international events in Jordan sends a strong message about the Kingdom’s safety and security.

Organised by Lebanese company Hospitality Services S.A.R.L ExpoJordan, and Lawrence & Husseini Consult, the event also features bed-making, coffee-serving and table setting competitions.

The exhibition, which is open from 3pm to 9pm at Zara Expo, concludes on Monday.