The Fast Food & Cafe Convention (FFCC) 2024 recently concluded its second edition in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, achieving remarkable success. The event hosted a vibrant assembly of 583 delegates, featured 39 expert speakers, and was supported by 23 dedicated partners, reinforcing its significance as a pivotal gathering for the food and beverage industry in the region.
The convention commenced with a compelling Welcome Address by George Mohan, Co-Founder of FFCC and Oddbox, setting the stage for a series of enriching discussions. The agenda included a mix of keynotes, panel discussions, and partner presentations that provided profound insights into the industry’s current trends and future directions.
Hesham Almekkawi, Chief Executive Officer at Tim Hortons ME, delivered a keynote on “Balancing Geopolitical Trends with Restaurant Profitability and Offerings,” where he navigated the complexities of geopolitical influences on restaurant profitability. This was followed by Ali Muhammad Syed, CEO at Mingora, who provided a detailed look into the latest trends with his talk on “Saudi Arabia – Restaurant and Foodservice Trends,” capturing the evolving consumer preferences within the local market.
One of the day’s highlights was the panel discussion on “The Vision 2030 Initiative – A Growth Catalyst for the Restaurant Industry.” Moderated by Mini Jacob, Co-Founder of FFCC and Oddbox, the panel included esteemed industry leaders such as Jil Assaf, Chief Strategy Officer at Shawarmer, Murat Ungun, CEO at Kudu Company for Food and Catering, and Talal K. El Khalil, Portfolio Chief Officer at Al-Faisaliah Group. The panelists explored how Vision 2030 is set to revolutionize the restaurant industry in KSA.
Throughout the day, partner presentations provided cutting-edge solutions and insights. Kamal Marghlani, VP of Revenue at Foodics, discussed innovations in “Self Ordering Kiosk” technology. Stella Shao, Senior Director – Merchant Business at Keeta by Meituan, presented “Empowering the Future of F&B,” and the team from Growdash, including Sean Trevaskis, Co-founder & CEO, and Ysabella Manlangit, Product Marketing Manager, explored the use of digital technologies in enhancing restaurant operations with their presentation on “Data is The New Cooking Oil.”
The panel discussion on “Boosting Your Brand Loyalty: The Power of Personalization” was led by Savia Vaz, Regional Head of Marketing at Peet’s Coffee, Americana Restaurants, with contributions from Arun A V, Founder & CEO at Qubriux and Skellam AI, Hassan Ayyad, VP Technology at Shawarmer, and Rayan Sultan, Marketing Director – KSA at Alamar.
“Creating Value: Aligning Your Offerings with Customer Expectations” was another notable panel moderated by Gabrielle F. Mather, Founder & CEO at Restaurant Secrets Inc. Panelists included Ahmed Alajmi, Chairman & Founder at Takara Group Hospitality, Fadi Serhal, Business Director at One PM Franchising (PRET), Mateo Ramos, CEO at Foodvest Holding, Phil Broad, Sr. Vice President – F&B at Alghanim Industries, and Sherif M. El Sherif, CEO at Olayan Food Division.
The convention wrapped up with a masterclass titled “Masterclass in Delivery: Boosting your Restaurant’s Profits with Every Order,” moderated by Renjith Prahladan, General Manager Middle East & Africa at UrbanPiper. Panelists Djamel Mohand, COO at Foodics, Karim Chaanine, CMO at PJP Investment Group (UAE, KSA, Jordan), and Manav Gupta, Co-Founder/Chief Of Growth at UrbanPiper, shared their experiences and strategies.
The FFCC team is exhilarated by the overwhelmingly positive feedback and is already looking forward to the next edition, promising to continue fostering growth and innovation in the fast-evolving F&B landscape.
