Tourism & Hospitality | Monday 12 October, 2015 2:09 pm |

As global trends present new opportunities for the manufacturing, processing and packaging sectors of the food and beverage industry, the need to stay updated has never been more critical, particularly for industry professionals in the fast growing Middle East, Africa and South East Asia (MEASA) region.  To address this, highlight key issues and help foster continued growth for the region’s industry, three conferences being held during Gulfood Manufacturing 2015 bring to Dubai more than 40 experts, industry leaders and business heads to share the latest insights on situational trends, developments and innovations throughout the supply chain. 

 

Running from 27 – 29 October 2015 at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) alongside Gulfood Manufacturing, the region’s largest annual trade exhibition for the food & beverage manufacturing, processing and packaging sectors, the Gulfood Manufacturing Conferences will this year incorporate three key summits:  Next Generation Manufacturing, F&B Innovations and Food Logistics. 

 

With ongoing changes in food safety, packaging and trade regulations across the region and globally, the Food Logistics Forum on 28 October will prove invaluable for local, regional and international businesses looking to grow their markets, streamline their distribution processes and improve their bottom line costs. The one-day forum will include a keynote address by Dr. Hashim Saeed Al Nuami, Director, Department of Consumer Protection for the Ministry of Economy, UAE, with high-level panel discussions covering topics on improving the regulatory environment in the GCC; the impact on the region’s supply chain of new regional rail, ports and airline transport hubs; and achieving quality and safety across the food supply chain.   

 

Sebnem Sen, Head of Tradeflow, Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC) will offer insights into next-generation warehousing, including the impact of the growing halal supply chain on warehousing, while strategic market analysts Frost & Sullivan will highlight risk management in disaster-proofing supply chains across the sector.  

 

 

 

Bringing together a number of business leaders from the world’s top multi-national F&B companies and manufacturing organisations, the Next Generation Manufacturing conference on 27 October will highlight technology and innovation, operation and production, and quality and safety, with presentations of case studies from global players such as Mondelez International, United Food Technology and Tetra Pak.  A keynote address from Saleh Abdullah Lootah, President of the Food & Beverage Manufacturing Business Group will highlight the need for F&B manufacturing innovation in the GCC specifically and provide insights into facilitating growth and excellence, improving manufacturing capabilities and productivity.   Yusuf Tambawala, Head of Product Development for JAFZA, will present a case study from his organisation that highlights the free zone’s pioneering approach to next generation logistics and manufacturing hubs. 

 

The two-day F&B Innovation conference being held on 28-29 October brings together leaders from almost every sector of the industry and includes presentations on the latest concepts, ingredients, products and approaches that will drive competitive advantage and success for entrepreneurs, specialist and niche F&B ingredient providers, regional corporations and global enterprises.  From game-changing beverage ingredients to culinary innovations, packaging, bottling and confectionery, the conference provides practical steps to maintaining product integrity, meeting consumer demands and harnessing global food trends. Scheduled speakers include senior executives from Al Marai, DuPont, Euromonitor, Fonterra, Mars, PepsiCo, Prime Hospitality, Switz Group and United Arab Emirates University. 

 

Trixie LohMirmand, Senior Vice President for DWTC, organiser of Gulfood Manufacturing said:  “As a key platform for the industry, Gulfood Manufacturing plays a vital role in connecting companies, fostering business deals and facilitating the development of the sector.  The conferences scheduled during the event showcase the global innovations and new technologies driving development in the industry, and will deliver valuable, targeted and implementable information for businesses across all sectors in the region.”