Gulfood 2021 Draws Global Power Brands and F&B Leaders Eyeing Abundant Growth Opportunities To Get Year off To a Fast Start

xe show has to offer,” said His Excellency Paata Kalandadze, Georgia’s Ambassador to the UAE.

Gulfood 2021 will also see new-to-region food industry players capitalise on market gaps following a turbulent year. Ukrainian fruit producers, USPA Fruit, is eager to seize opportunities aligned to changing consumer behaviours.

“Finally, we have an occasion to see each other in-person at Gulfood. It has been a very long and difficult year, so we are happy to be introducing Ukrainian blueberries and cherries as well as other crops at Gulfood 2021. There is huge business potential with visitors from many of our target markets in Dubai for the show,” said Volodymyr Gurzhiy, CEO of USPA Fruit.

Gulfood Innovation Summit: Influence and Insights

Running alongside the exhibition, the Gulfood Innovation Summit will deliver three days of powerful, thought-provoking conversations between the brightest minds in the business at the World Trade Centre Arena from 22 – 24 February.

With food security an ever-increasing issue, the Summit will open with a keynote address by Her Excellency Mariam Al Mheiri, UAE Minister of State for Food and Water Security, who will outline the UAE Food Security Strategy, which aims to establish the UAE’s top 10 ranking on the Global Food Security Index.

Her Excellency’s keynote will be followed by a session titled ‘Reaching 3 billion consumers’, examining how the UAE has navigated the challenges of the past 12 months to cement its strategic position in the global F&B supply chain. The high-profile panel includes Amadou Diallo, CEO, Middle East & Africa – DHL Global Forwarding; Dennis Lister, Vice President – Cargo Commercial Development – Emirates SkyCargo; Ahmad Al Haddad, Chief Operations Officer, DP World, UAE Region and Carlos Garcia, Partner, Middle East Customs and International Trade Leader – PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).

Other key sessions throughout the three days of 30 hours of high-profile curated content include how food businesses can level up by tapping into platforms such as TikTok; food waste; retail disruption, with Andrey Dvoychenkov, Managing Director, Arabian Peninsula and Pakistan, Nielsen; destination dining, with José Silva, CEO – Jumeirah; and many more.

Talking Business

Elsewhere, the Marketing Society Speaker Series will deliver more thought-provoking insights from some of the biggest names in the industry on Monday, 22 February. Peter DeBenedictis, CMO Microsoft – MEA, will discuss ‘Purpose Driven Marketing’; Beverly D’Cruz, Chief Brand Officer – Pizza Hut, META, will analyse ‘Food and/or digital product launches which address consumer needs during/post Covid-19’. Mustafa Shamseldin, Chief Marketing Officer – Africa, Middle East and South Asia – PepsiCo, will join a fireside chat with Maria Gedeon, Director of Sales & Marketing, Majid Al Futtaim, to discuss the ‘Future of marketing and advertising food products.’ 

Business and Safety

With product sampling and handling such a vital aspect of a global F&B event, existing and proven protocols have been further intensified for Gulfood 2021 under strict guidance and coordination with Dubai Health Authority (DHA) and Dubai Municipality to ensure the safest possible business conditions.

Wearing of masks is mandatory, with social distancing in place to ensure the wellbeing of all delegates. On-site registration will not be available; registration must be completed in advance via www.gulfood.com

Furthermore, the show is co-located with GulfHost, the ultimate trading platform for the hospitality equipment & foodservice Industry. For more information, please visit https://www.gulfhost.ae/ 

More information on the event safety guidelines can be found here https://www.gulfood.com/useful-info/safety-guidelines