Hospitality Services held a press conference under the auspices of Minister of Tourism Michel Pharaon on March 29, 2016 at Phoenicia Hotel Beirut to announce the dates of the 23^rd edition of its signature event, Horeca. The event will take place April 5-8, 2016 in BIEL and will open its doors from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m.

The press conference was attended by presidents of associations and syndicates from the hospitality industry, as well as the media corps, who emphasized the importance of Horeca for the development of the hospitality and tourism industry in Lebanon and the region.

Horeca is considered as the region's premier hospitality and food mega-event. The event shines a bright light on the art of cooking in the region and aims to put the expertise of Lebanese chefs on the international map. Horeca is a meeting point where Lebanese cooks and those passionate about the culinary arts get the chance to showcase their work before thousands of attendees who come from all over the world during live cooking sessions. As usual, the exhibition will host 350 exhibitors (from Lebanon, Australia, France, Iran, Italy, Jordan, Poland, Spain, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States), 25 international experts, and 500 people who will be taking part in 20 competitions, daily workshops, and live cooking sessions, among other events.

Joumana Dammous-Salamé, Managing Director of Hospitality Services, said, "Horeca was the first and has been the most important meeting point for the members of the hospitality and foodservice industry. The exhibition aims to showcase skills, special talent and the latest innovations, in addition to Lebanese chefs and the country's cuisine."

Dammous-Salamé added, "This exhibition is a platform where people can share their experiences and show their successes to thousands of visitors from all over the world, in addition to the lively shows by the most popular Lebanese chefs, which aims to enrich the expertise in Lebanon, the Arab world, and the Middle East."

This year, Horeca has partnered up with "Resto Du Coeur", whereby some of the ticket sales will go toward the initiative that will in turn provide food supplies to those in need.