Middle East Food Forum concludes its first conference in the Middle East region

• The inaugural launch of the Middle East Food Forum, 2016 on 3rd May 2016 www.middleeasstfoodforum.com witnessed participation from over 120 plus motivated and prominent food and beverage professionals, F&B thought leaders and food entrepreneurs 
• The Middle East Food Forum, an essential meeting place for the who’s who of the food industry see this as an excellent opportunity to engage with industry experts, address concerns, find new ideas and inspiration 
• Initiated by Mr. Vishal Pandey with an aim to promote the sharing and networking culture in the UAE among the restaurateurs, franchise owners and start-ups
• Delegates were presented with an opportunity to participate in a full day of learning and networking that provided in‐depth solutions to common business challenges.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, May 16, 2016:  Middle East Food Forum, the UAE’s meeting place for all food service business owners and operators concludes its first conference with over 120 plus motivated and prominent food and beverage professionals, F&B thought leaders and food entrepreneurs.

Held on May 3, 2016, with an aim to promote the learning culture in the UAE, the inaugural launch event saw maximum participation from likeminded individuals. The event extensively featured panel discussions and workshops, offering unique opportunities to share experiences, upgrade skills, build valuable connections, and explore ways to start, sustain, grow, or transform any F&B business.
 
Commenting on the success of the event, Mr. Vishal Pandey, Founder, Data On A Plate and Middle East Food Forum said, “We were very delighted at the response received at our first of its kind event. The conference was primarily held to align ourselves with the learning and sharing culture in the UAE. Participants saw this as an excellent platform for restaurateurs to celebrate their successes, learn from fellow compatriots and network with industry leaders. ”

The keynote was delivered by Stefan Breg, Director Food and Beverage, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, where he talked about the current food and beverage trends and market size in the country, trends that favor the industry and indicate positive growth for future. Stefan also spoke about the importance of restaurant site selection with a strong analysis of malls vs hotels vs free standing. Furthermore, he emphasized on the careful understanding of demographic studies, per capita income growth, and consumer spending per transactions which are imperative for single owner, multi-concept operator or large chain operators.

The conference also highlighted an important issue in the restaurant industry for decades -foodborne illnesses. The Middle East Food Forum beckoned Bobby Krishna, Food and Planning Specialist, Dubai Municipality addressed the importance of food safety in restaurants highlighting the prerogative of Dubai Municipality in ensuring that best practices are consistently followed. 

Amidst senior industry professionals and start-ups, the conference came across as a good exchange of ideas, panel discussions and master class where participants could get maximum clarity on issues concerning them.

Mr. Vishal also spoke about his future plans of introducing a food entrepreneur series, creating benchmarking data set that would benefit all restaurant professionals and create thought leadership content that embodies innovative components that can potentially become accepted industry norms.