The annual two day forum for the regional beverages industry, organised by Zenith International in association with FoodBev Media, provided an overview of the market and latest trends in the Middle East and around the world.
The event began with a visit to the Coca-Cola bottling plant located in Al Ain. AGL Coca-Cola UAE & Oman, managed by the Bottling Investments Group of The Coca-Cola Company, is the exclusive manufacturer of Coca-Cola beverages in the region, filling more than 100 product lines.
Recognised for its quality standards, AGL Coca-Cola has been awarded various accolades within the Coca-Cola System and has successfully passed a series of external as well as internal audits. The company is comprehensively ISO certified.
Established at Al Ain in 1990, AGL Coca-Cola continues to innovate and build on its capacity, whilst remaining focused on keeping sustainability at the core of its operations.
Two market insight briefings began the content filled congress. The first, presented by Zenith International market analyst Roberto Donati, gave a detail overview of global and Middle East beverage market trends.
This was followed by FoodBev Media Ltd group editorial director Bill Bruce, who presented a highly illustrated look at latest international beverage innovation trends.
Day two
The second day of the Congress began with a session focusing on regional change and outlook.
The first speaker was Dana Bolden, group director – Eurasia and Africa for The Coca-Cola Company who considered ‘Investing in the future’.
Anwar Zaman, vice president of marketing for Aujan Industries, talked about ‘building brands for sustainable growth’.
Dr Kamel Abdallah, chief executive officer of Exeed Industries, then looked at ‘Healthy drinks with a competitive edge’.
A panel discussion followed.
The second session of the day was a focus on market growth and began with a look at ‘Dairy: taste and nutrition’ with Ahmad Yahya, marketing director of Fonterra Brands Middle East Africa and CIS.
Next up was Thomas Königsbauer, chief executive officer at Power Horse Energy Drinks from Austria, who talked about ‘Energy: living life to the full’.
Considering ‘Malt beverages: broadening the consumer base’ was Jantien Brugman, senior brand consultant at CARTILS, Netherlands.
The session closed with Harald Krug, head of product management for DöhlerGroup, talking about ‘New sweetener solutions – stevia and beyond’.?
After lunch, the subject moved onto understanding consumers better and began with Ashok Nair, executive director retail measurement services – Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan for Nielsen Company, who asked: ‘Movement to Healthy beverage consumption- where are we in the Middle East?’
Alexander McNabb, group account director for Spot On Public Relations, then looked at ‘Social media and digital marketing – what you need to know and do’.
Closing the session with a presentation entitled: ‘Brand rebirth through design’, was Christel Morival, chief executive officer of La Marq International.
The closing session was called ‘Cost management – looking ten years ahead‘ and featured a panel session on ‘Practical steps to improving sustainability’. The panel included: Rahul Avasthi, director – plastics for Intergulf Ltd (IFFCO Group); Frank Hollmann, regional director – beverage division for Krones; and Riccardo Castagnetti, marketing director for Tetra Pak Arabia (GCC and Yemen).
© FoodBev Media Ltd 2024