The second edition of the Big Food & Beverage Forum, hosted by Catering News Middle East took place at The Westin Dubai Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Marina on 20 September 2016, with more than 250 F&B professionals in attendance.
Attendees, sponsors and speakers enjoyed a morning of thought-provoking panel debates, expert sessions and interactive workshops tackling the key topics, trends and challenges impacting the F&B industry in 2016 and beyond.
Dubai Tourism’s senior communications manager Aida Al Busaidy kicked off the event with a keynote address on the value of the F&B industry as part of the wider tourism conversation in the emirate.
Following this, Dr. Basem Abdul Moneim, public health specialist, National Tobacco Control Programme outlined what the UAE’s impending smoking ban means for the F&B industry.
Panel sessions included “Creating a more sophisticated F&B landscape”, “A rising talent pool: but at what cost?” and “The trends shaping the UAE’s F&B landscape”.
Some exciting expert speakers took to the stage, with Damien Rizzi, Colliers MENA senior asset manager – hospitality, unveiling an exclusive new report on maximising profitability in hotel restaurants; and Ali Sinaei, managing partner, Roundmenu, discussing consumer behavior trends and dining decisions.
The programme culminated with an on-stage interview with legendary British chef, restaurateur and author, Gary Rhodes OBE just before the networking lunch break.
Some of the most prominent, influential catering and hospitality suppliers in the region are sponsoring the event, including PATH Bar School African + Eastern, the Support Sponsor, which will be conducting a craft hops tasting session during the lunch break; Coffee Planet, the Exclusive Coffee Partner; Lunch Sponsor, Banvit, the leading poultry processor in Turkey; and Soft Drinks Sponsor, Waterfalls Brands, which supplies high-end, carefully selected beverage products to hotels, bars, clubs and restaurants.
Exhibitors are foodservice equipment supplier TSSC, thermal foodservice technology leader, Rational; uniform and tableware supplier A. Ronai; Pulsar Food Stuff trading, which supplies minibar and snack products to the hospitality industry; Hotelity, a one-stop shop for F&B and hospitality needs; American Garden, supplier of high-quality American ingredients; and Quooker, a Netherlands-based company which supplies a product that immediately dispenses clean filtered boiling and chilled water.
GALLERY: THE BEST OF THE BIG F&B FORUM
