CELEBRATING THE “KINGDOM OF TASTE” AT THE 2024 AMERICAS FOOD AND BEVERAGE SHOW

BY KEMI AROSANYIN

 

The Americas Food & Beverage (AF&B) Show, organized annually by the World Trade Center Miami, remains one of the largest global market access platforms for the food and beverage industry, providing market growth opportunities for U.S. companies and helping exhibitors from all over the world to discover new markets.

With over 10,000 attendees from 120 countries, more than 700 exhibitors and 20 pavilions, the 28th edition of the Show, which was held from September 16-18, 2024 at the Miami Beach Convention Center, was another record-breaking and successful year. Co-located with Food & Hospitality LATAM (FHL), powered by Informa Markets – a leading exhibition organizer in Latin America, this brought together two major food industry exhibitions under one roof for 3 days. The collaboration created a much bigger landscape for the culinary sector, and it raised the bar for organizing food and beverage industry trade shows going forward.

The Kingdom of Morocco was selected as the official Country of Honor for the AF&B Show this year. As such, Morocco enjoyed all the privileges associated with being a country of honor which included exclusive prominence and branding, center stage demonstrations, speaking opportunities, and social media spotlights. Given its efforts to support Moroccan businesses in the agricultural and agri-food sectors to access international markets, Morocco Foodex – the national government agency responsible for export development, coordinated the participation of seven companies to showcase their high-quality products at the event.

“Being named the Country of Honor at the 2024 Americas Food and Beverage Show is an exciting opportunity to showcase Morocco’s world-class agricultural products, which are already well-known in Europe,” says Chafika EL HABTI, the Consul General of the Kingdom of Morocco in Miami.

Prominently branded as “Kingdom of Taste”, one of the highlights of Morocco’s participation at the show was Chef Yasmina Ksikes taking the center stage to present “Tajin”, a traditional Moroccan cuisine typically made with sliced meat, poultry or fish braised with garlic, onion, olives together with vegetables, dried fruits, nuts, and spices such as ginger, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, and saffron, slowly cooked in a special pot. A truly immersive experience for hundreds of buyers who visited the booth to discover the country’s rich culinary flavors and gastronomic heritage.

Morocco continues to build on its strong momentum with the U.S., particularly through its growing ties with Miami-Dade County. It is the only African nation with a free trade agreement with the United States. The country recently established a full Consulate in Miami to strengthen diplomatic and economic ties with the Americas. Also, Royal Air Maroc – the nation’s national carrier, is the only African airline operating direct two-way passenger flights from Casablanca to Miami.

With a free trade agreement in place, a direct flight, a full consular mission, and an outstanding participation at the 2024 AF&B Show, Morocco solidifies its position as a hub for U.S. businesses seeking entry into Africa, the world’s fastest-growing emerging market.