Zomato, the restaurant search and discovery platform, held the second chapter of the Zomato UAE Summit and it’s first User Choice Awards in the UAE on Tuesday, 6th October, 2015.
Held at the JW Marriott Marquis, Dubai the Summit comprised of a few speaker sessions and 2 panel discussions – perfecting the guest experience and how technology is changing the restaurant industry.
Heino Gehle, Regional Director Zomato MEA set the ball in motion with an introduction to Zomato and the Summit. This was followed by a brief speech by R. Sivaram, Senior VP and Head of Retail Assets & Cards, Emirates NBD; followed by a 15 minute session on how to create context with your customers by Andrew Burgess, Middle East Director of TINT.
This was followed by Zakarya Alaalam (Co-Founder, (Wokyo Noodle Bar), Chef Bobby Kapoor (Chef Partner, Aroma & Spice), Chef Jean (Executive Chef, Unilever Food Solutions), Aldert Van Zyl (Director of Food & Drink, Radisson Blu Dubai Deira Creek) and Tanita Sandhu (Executive Director, Brand & Communications, TECOM) sharing their insights on ‘Perfecting the Guest Experience’ in an engaging and animated panel discussion.
Pankaj Chaddah, Co-Founder, Zomato, presented an interactive session on how to manage reviews on social platforms like Zomato.
The second panel discussion touched upon the ‘effect of technology on the F&B industry in the UAE’, discussing the confluence of food and technology and how tech is changing the way consumers dine.
The summit was wrapped up with a keynote by Pankaj Chaddah, Co-Founder Zomato, who took the audiences through the growth oif Zomato, the upcoming products and ancillary services such as Online Ordering, Table Management, Cashless Payments and Point of Sales – giving everyone a peek into what’s in store in the coming few months.
The highlight of the summit was the unveiling of the first edition of Zomato’s Users Choice Awards. The winners for UAE were:
Dubai:
Best Brunch – Saffron – Atlantis the Palm
Most Romantic – The Farm
Best Desserts – Sugaholic
Best Cafe – Tom&Serg
Best View – At.Mosphere
Best Bar – Barasti – Le Méridien Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Marina
Best Nightlife – 360° – Jumeirah Beach Hotel
Best Debut – AB’s Absolute Barbecues
Legendary – Kamat
Best Rated Restaurant – Tresind
Abu Dhabi:
Most Romantic – Peppermill
Best Desserts – Magnolia Bakery
Best Cafe – Shakespeare and Co.
Best Bar – Heroes – Crowne Plaza
Best Rated Restaurant – Hakkasan – Emirates Palace
