FFCC Logo Dubai Deliverect, foodics black
Supported By:
UAE Restaurant Group Logo
Here’s what happened on the 2nd – The Days Agenda!

8:30

Registration

9:45

Welcome Note from Organiser

9:50

Opening remarks by Event Chair

Naim Maadad

Naim Maadad

CEO & Founder
Gates Hospitality

9:55

Welcome Note

Mubarak Bin Fahad, Chairman, Tasha's Group

Mubarak Bin Fahad

Chairman
UAERG

10:00

Creating a Commercially Viable Model for a Business that can Travel the World

Crafting a successful entry into a new country isn’t easy. These expansion plans require months, if not years, of research and oversight as brands search for the right partner to develop a real estate plan and menu that match the market’s demographic. VCs and angel investors are considering restaurants a profitable venture, and are now investing more than ever into exciting ideas. How can you build a model that can be replicated in other regions to expand profitability? What should franchisors look for in franchise partners to scale their business regionally or globally? Are PE and/or VC investments good for the industry in the long run? Should large conglomerates get into the F&B business?

Opening Panel Disscussion

Naim Maadad

Naim Maadad

CEO & Founder
Gates Hospitality

Melhem Hamdan

Chief Investment Officer
Al Bidayer Holding

Andy Holman

Advisor to the board & CEO
Eathos LLC

George Kunnappally, Managing Director Nando's

George Kunnappally

Managing Director
Nando's

Nader Bassit

Nader Bassit

CEO
Wakira Investments

Sherif M. El Sherif

Managing Director
Olayan Food Division

Tapan Vaidya, CEO, Papa John's UAE & KSA

Tapan Vaidya,

CEO,
Papa John's UAE & KSA

11:00

How to create and scale brands that matter

Deliverect Logo

Mubarak Nabil Jaffar

Co-Founder & CEO
KLC Virtual Restaurants

Naji Hadaad

Naji Hadaad

General Manager - Middle East
Deliverect

11:20

Coffee Break

11:35

Paving the Way for a Seamless Customer Experience in Cloud Kitchens

The concept of a cloud kitchen has gained momentum, considering the change in diner behavior where people are more inclined towards food delivery than dining out. As cloud kitchens function entirely on the online model, customers can only interact with them via a website or delivery app. By not having a dine-in option, a delivery-only restaurant thus has no opportunity to understand customer perception. How to provide an easy and smooth Customer experience in the ordering process for such models? How can technology play a role in achieving this successful Customer Experience?

Panel Discussion

George Kunnappally, Managing Director Nando's

George Kunnappally

Managing Director
Nando's

Badih Hachem

Vice President, Contact Center
Kitopi

Mike Hardie

Mike Hardie

Consultant & Ex-CEO
AJ Kitchens

Mubarak Nabil Jaffar

Co-Founder & CEO
KLC Virtual Restaurants

Naji Hadaad

Naji Hadaad

General Manager - Middle East
Deliverect

Peter Schatzberg

Peter Schatzberg

Founder & Shareholder
Sweetheart Kitchen

12:15

The restaurant management ecosystem

Amel Mabrouk

Foodics
UAE Country Manager

12:30

Finding the Right Franchise Partner and The Sambazon Difference

Ryan Black

Co-founder & CEO
SAMBAZON

12:35

Pillars of the Business: Fostering the Industry in Service of Employees

A recurring issue for food service employees is the need for a true living wage and work-life balance. Restaurants that recently have invested in their staff—from better wages to paid time off to retirement plans—say that these changes have improved their entire relationship with their job. The fight for talent – is it just financial considerations or are qualitative elements like line manager, work atmosphere, organization culture, and appreciation/recognition equally important to the workforce? Do these considerations vary based on hierarchy, Nationality, and Gender? How do we create an ideal work-life balance?

Panel Discussion

Charles Clements

Director of Innovation & Growth
Keane Brands

Elias Madbak

Elias Madbak

Managing Director
RMAL Hospitality

Hesham Almekkawi

CEO
Tim Hortons Middle East

Shobhit Tandon

Shobhit Tandon

COO (International Markets) - Domino's Pizza
Alamar Foods Company

Stasha Toncev

Chief Soulkitchen Officer
21grams | Urban Balkan Bistro

Steve Delpino

COO
Krush Brands

13:20

Food Delivery - Finding the Right Balance between Healthy Unit Economics and Customer Service

Yango logo

Agam Garg

General Manager
Yango Delivery UAE

13:25

Simplifying Operational Efficiency through Digital Transformation

Elkaso Logo

Ehab Sadek

VP of Supply
Kaso

13:30

Lunch

14:30

AI: Getting Up Close and Personal with Your Customers

Few will argue that the restaurant industry has become more open to embracing technology. In fact, brands of all sizes are adopting technology at a rapid pace. But how can operators be sure they are getting the most out of their investment? How can technology be used to collect customer data and thereby help to engage better with customers? For example, what if you knew the perfect discount to offer a particular customer by studying past purchases and syncing that with social media conversations? How can technology make all that possible? And how can operators make the most of it?

Panel Discussion

Brought to you by!

Skellam.ai
Akhilesh Bahl, Founder & CEO, Malt & Salt

Akhilesh Bahl,

Founder & CEO,
Malt & Salt

Arun A V

Arun A V

Founder & CEO
Skellam AI

Efe Celik

Territory Director MEASA
Subway

Shajeer Paramabath

Shajeer Paramabath

Managing Director
Mayfair Restaurants LLC

15:05

Role of Technology in Unleashing Efficiencies in the Ever-Challenging Food Delivery Landscape

With time, the restaurant industry has become competitive and constrained. Margins have become tighter, prices have risen, and competition has increased. In such a landscape, how do restaurants meet the needs of modern-day customers demanding versatile food choices at their doorstep in a short time? Here’s where technology can play a vital role. Technology stands at the crossroads of innovation and execution and can help your restaurant excel to unparalleled heights. But, how should you deploy technology to unleash these efficiencies? How do you scale sustainably with technology?

Panel Discussion

Brought to you by!

Urban Piper

Keerthana Shetty

Head of partnership acquisition
UrbanPiper

Amel Mabrouk

Foodics
UAE Country Manager

Navneet Singh Monga

Director, Home Delivery Sales
Americana MENA

Renjith Prahladan

Deputy General Manager, MENA
UrbanPiper

Saif Al-Amid

Group Product Manager
HungerStation

15:40

Winning Customers via Culinary Innovation - New Product Development & Cost-Effective Solutions in the Fresh Food Space

Yasir Ali Yousuff

Channel Manager - Café, Restaurants & Ecommerce
Barakat Group of Companies

15:45

Coffee Break

16:00

The Dynamics of the F&B Industry post-COVID

Spotlight Talk

Hesham Almekkawi

CEO
Tim Hortons Middle East

15:05

How Sustainability and Innovation can contribute to the growth of your brand

Panel Discussion

Brought to you by!

Albayader Logo

Gabrielle F. Mather

Founder & CEO
Restaurant Secrets Inc

Andres Gonzalez

Head Of Operations
Pickl

Jamil Haddad

Head of Business Development & Sustainability
Al Bayader International

Omar Shihab

General Manager & Chief Sustainability Officer
BOCA

Shobhit Tandon

Shobhit Tandon

COO (International Markets) - Domino's Pizza
Alamar Foods Company

16:45

Developing Restaurant Branding through Social Media

The love of new and limited-time items posted to social media has put pressure on the industry to create menu items that are going to get liked, shared, and retweeted. Moreover, social media forces brands to be honest and transparent, helping create a brand image through each message released on the platform. Can influencer marketing be utilised by brands to work in their favour? The phenomenon of paid influencers – is it worth it? Is the quality of content produced by influencers satisfactory? Is it possible to stand out and actually create a brand identity through social media?

Panel Discussion

Cheryl Sheppard

Partner/CMO
TGP International

Amr Gawish

Marketing Manager
Galadari Food & Beverage ( Baskin Robbins, Dunkin’, Kyochon, Shabestan)

Ketaki Shah Head of Marketing Jollibee UAE

Ketaki Shah

Head of Marketing
Jollibee UAE

Mandeep Sandhu

Marketing Manager
Mister Baker

Sheetal Raghunath

Sheetal Raghunath

Brand Manager
Pickl

18:00

Cocktail Reception

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