Setting the Scene

February 13th to 17th, Dubai.

The Dubai Trade Center was the home of the world’s biggest food and beverage sourcing event in its 27th edition. With hundreds of exhibitors from across the globe, it was bound to be an eventful five days.

Hear all about OLYFO’s preparations, first impressions, encounters and more from our interview with our sales director and co-founder Ahmed Hamza.

Q: OLYFO were Gulfood first timers. Surely that implied all sorts of preparations. How did you put everything together?

Ahmed Hamza: Preparing an exhibition as important as GulFood takes several months which includes logistics, sampling, and market study. The most exciting part was getting in touch with potential customers before the exhibition to ensure we book their valuable time and come prepared with answers to their different expectations.

Q: How was Day 1 of the exhibition?

AH: It would be better to describe it as Day 0. It is the BuildUp day where we came early to adjust our stand and ensure that all is in good shape for the start day! 13th of Feb 2022. Honestly, it is an enriching experience and the organization was top-notch at all levels. A great kudos goes to Packtec for leading the Tunisian Olive Oil delegation and the GulFood team for their impressive work. 

Q: Being at such a large event must have left a mark. What were your impressions of Gulfood?

AH: It is the largest F&B exhibition worldwide. We had the pleasure of meeting hundreds of people. We spoke with buyers, traders, distributors, brokers, social media influencers, and olive oil enthusiasts. It was a dynamic environment and an enriching experience. If the F&B were a building, GulFood would certainly be its main entrance!

Q: Out of all that you experienced, what was the most memorable part of the expo? 

AH: The people and their reaction to our brand designs and olive oil quality. We had great feedback and reactions from clients and competitors. 

Q: What were the visitors’ impressions of OLYFO?

AH: We left a very positive impression. I believe we successfully transferred our passion for Olive Oil to our visitors and we certainly appreciate their positive feedback on our packaging and taste of our Tunisian Award Winning Extra Virgin Olive Oil. 

Q: Gulfood presents a great opportunity to meet chefs and culinary arts experts: Who did you meet, and how was their response to 2500 Years of Tradition, Al Atika and Ifriqia?

AH: We had the pleasure of welcoming multiple renowned chefs such as Wafik, Nebil, Hedi, and Mohamed who all are active in the international scene. We have some surprises that we will reveal soon!

Q: The highlight of OLYFO’s first participation in Gulfood was the unveiling of the 2500 Years of Tradition Premium bottle. What were the visitors’ reactions? How was it received?

AH: It was a hit! We even had competitors coming to us and congratulating us for the quality of the design and the story behind it!

Q: What are OLYFO’s plans for next year’s edition? 

AH: We will definitely be there stronger, bigger, and with some surprises!

Q: In the meantime, where can we hope to meet the OLYFO team next?

AH: We will be on the move during the coming months and we are certainly coming back to UAE and traveling to UK and US this year. We remain available by email and WhatsApp and we would love to have you visit our farms and discover our high-quality processes. 

Overall, OLYFO’s first participation was a success, no less thanks to the rewarding and enriching encounters we’ve had over the five days of the expo.

Our enthusiasm to bring you the best of Tunisian extra virgin olive oil has grown tenfold and we cannot wait to share more of OLYFO with you all. If you caught a glimpse of us at Gulfood, and even if you didn’t, we would love to catch up with you soon, so get in touch or book a meeting.

Manel Smaoui

OLYFO Copywriter