March 21, 2022 - According to all economic indicators, this year's 26th GAST Fair in Split exceeded previous figures and confirmed the status of the largest fair of food, beverages, and catering in Croatia.

From March 16 to 19, 2022, more than 600 exhibitors, co-exhibitors, and brands from the country and abroad presented their products and services for the upcoming tourist season, and more than 16,000 visitors attended the fair at Spaladium Arena this year, reports Dalmacija Danas.

The 26th GAST Fair has confirmed its status as a leading regional fair that brings together all the best of gastronomy, winemaking, tourism, and tourism companies for catering and furnishings. Judging by the interest of the public and the tourism workers in the fair program and numerous events held within GAST 2022 and the satisfaction of the exhibitors and visitors, Croatia, Dalmatia, and Split are ready to welcome another successful tourist season.

Exhibitors also couldn't hide their satisfaction:

"At this year's GAST fair, we premiered our brand KA3GA, an innovative program inspired by Dalmatia. In addition, we have noted a huge interest in our chairs, armchairs, booths, and outdoor furniture, especially for furnishing restaurants, hotels, and apartments. We follow market trends, and we can fulfill the wishes of each customer and adjust the offer according to their requirements and needs. They recognized this, and we are extremely pleased with the many inquiries and results we have achieved during all four days of GAST 2022," said Ivona Curak, spokeswoman for the Split-based company Creative Design, general sponsor of GAST 2022.

PPD Croatia, the representative of illy coffee, is also satisfied.

"This year, the GAST fair showed that the Croatian tourism and hospitality scene seeks and recognizes raising standards at the supply level. Therefore, uncompromising quality is required, from the first morning coffee to ice cream as a dessert, which the fair as such confirmed and proved. As a result, there was a great interest in our products from business people and end consumers," said Antonijo Špoljarić, director of illy coffee sales.

There was great interest at the fair for the products of the Perajica House of Cheese and Prosciutto, which use the highest quality materials in production, especially pigs from Slavonia and milk from pastures in the vicinity of Drniš. 

"Caterers, but also people who buy prosciutto and cheese for their use, are uncompromisingly looking for quality. That was one of our first questions when visiting the stand. As we are uncompromising in that sense and have only the best, interest in our products at the fair was not lacking. We have already agreed on some deals with caterers from all over Croatia, both prosciutto and other cured meat products, and mature and young cheeses. Therefore, we are more than satisfied," concluded Jakov Perkušić.

In addition to traditional specialized fairs and professional fair programs, GAST 2022 hosted two competitions for young chefs: the Regional Competition World Skills Croatia and the First National Competition for Young Chefs for the World Competition of the International Gastronomic Association Chaîne des Rôtisseurs. This turned GAST 2022 into a kind of "headhunting arena" where future employers, who are chronically short of the workforce in tourism, could see their "future employees" firsthand.

The 26th GAST Fair was held under the auspices of the President of the Republic of Croatia, Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development, Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds, Ministry of Tourism and Sports, Ministry of Agriculture, Croatian Chamber of Commerce, Split-Dalmatia County, City of Split, Split Tourist Board. Dalmatian County and the Tourist Board of the City of Split.

The partners of GAST 2022 were Tommy, Bobis, and Petason, while the general sponsors were Premis and Creative Design.

For more, check out our lifestyle section. 

March 12, 2022 - After a two-year break, the 26th GAST international fair returns for restaurant owners, hotels and family hotels, small renters, and caterers from all over Dalmatia.

After two pandemic years, GAST returns to Split's Spaladium Arena for its 26th edition, reports Slobodna Dalmacija. 

The International Fair GAST 2022, which takes place from March 16 to 19, is the best place to prepare for the tourist season. Namely, GAST gathers the target audience, such as restaurant owners, hotels and family hotels, small renters, and caterers from all over Dalmatia.

"We have more than 600 exhibitors, co-exhibitors and brands, a rich schedule of professional conferences, a top program within eight specialized fairs, and, importantly, we receive recommendations in solving the long-standing problem of labor shortage in the season. At the fair, we promote catering professions and present waiters, chefs, sommeliers, pizza masters, bartenders... And employers who visit GAST will have the opportunity to see in one place the skills of future employees during numerous gastronomic competitions at the fair. We will have a real "headhunting arena," reveals Sanja Vuković Veić, director of Split Fair, a company that has been organizing the most prestigious event of its kind for more than two and a half decades.

In addition to contracting new works for equipping facilities for the tourist season, there are also conferences for apartment owners, holiday homes, and small entrepreneurs in tourism, culinary competitions that always dictate gastronomic trends for the upcoming season, numerous tastings and opportunities to create new menus and wine lists, presentations of novelties for the entire tourism industry, and all that is important to welcome guests at an even higher level than last year.

"And this season will be challenging. But that's why at GAST, we have experts, educators, consultants who can help us with our experience in our business. Even if you are not directly related to tourism, at GAST, we always have something for everyone. From the international fairs of food, beverages, hotels, and catering equipment to the wine fair "Dionizijana," the furniture fair "Furnitura," and the coffee fair. There is also a fair of ice cream, sweets, and bakery products," Vuković Veić said, adding that top chef dishes will be cooked for visitors, with always exciting lectures and wine tasting and new lines of spirits and bartender presentations

"In a sea of negative news, be part of a positive story - join us at the 26th International Fair GAST, and all the details and schedule of events are available at www.gastfair.com." 

For more, check out our lifestyle section.

March 2, 2020 - The Split Gast Fair was held from February 26 to 29, 2020, with a record number of visitors registered for the Jubilee 25th edition. 

Dalmatinski Portal reports that the Jubilee, 25th Split GAST Fair, which brought together almost 800 brands, exhibitors and co-exhibitors from eight countries, surpassed last year by all economic and statistical indicators, and once again, by the quality of its exhibits and rich professional program, confirmed the status of the leading regional fair that brings together all the best of gastronomy, winemaking and tourism, as well as catering and tourism companies.

GAST 2020 was held at Split's Spaladium arena from February 26 to 29, 2020 and a record 25,000 visitors locally and abroad were recorded during all four fair days to experience the professional and entertaining program dedicated to the 25th birthday. At the same time, the fair offered innumerable business opportunities, a large number of jobs completed, 12 professional programs and workshops, as well as numerous tastings and presentations. All this, as well as the interest in the professional fair program and the many accompanying events within the GAST 2020 show, in support of another successful upcoming tourist season.

The offer of white and red wines, as well as spirits, was extremely rich and high quality, and within the educational program, five different wine workshops were held to popularize autochthonous, Croatian wine varieties.

GAST was sponsored by the Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds, Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Economy, Entrepreneurship and Crafts, Croatian Chamber of Commerce, Split-Dalmatia County, City of Split, Split-Dalmatia County Tourist Board and Split Tourist Board.

The general sponsors of GAST 2020 were Rotodinamic, Premis, Samsara and Petason. Virovitica-Podravina County was a partner county, and Čistoća Split an ecological partner.

You can see the photo gallery of the event here.

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The 23rd GAST fair will take place from February 28 to March 3, 2018, at Split's Spaladium Arena.