OLYFO’s Experience at Gulfood: Insights and Takeaways

Gulfood is one of the largest annual food and beverage trade shows in the world, attracting thousands of industry professionals and exhibitors from across the globe.

For Olyfo, attending Gulfood was an important event to showcase our brand and products, connect with potential customers and partners, and gain insights into the latest industry trends and innovations.
In this interview, we'll be discussing OLYFO's experience at Gulfood, goals, challenges and successes, and plans for the future … So, let's dive in!

1-Can you tell us a little bit about your experience at Gulfood and what your main goals were for attending the event?

- Gulfood2023 was an exceptional experience. This year, went for a bigger booth at a strategic location at the main entrance of Zaabeel Hall 1. The show this year knew a massive number of visitors exceeding 100000 people during the 5 days of the show.
We enjoyed the experience and it was great to reconnect with our clients, explore new ones and share our expertise and amazing brands with the world.

2-How did you prepare for the event and what strategies did you use to promote your brand and products?

- This is the second time we participate in Gulfood, so we built on the experience we have acquired previously to attract more visitors and reinforce our presence at the show.
To do so, we have launched a digital marketing campaign to invite people to our booth and had the support of local OLYFO ambassadors to invite potential buyers to speak with myself and Yahya.

3-What were some of the biggest challenges you faced during the event, and how did you overcome them?

- The number of people was impressive and sometimes hard to manage. That is why we have had the collaboration with Dubai Business University to have the support of interns.
Another interesting challenge was the market’s reaction to the rising prices of Olive Oil around the world. To deal with that we believe we should work on educating our audience of the hardships faced by the sector in general and to help them differentiate between the different varieties and categories of Olive Oil ranging from Refined to Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

4-How did you measure the success of your participation at Gulfood, and what were some of the key outcomes you achieved?

- We enjoyed it, that is for sure. However, we cannot speak about success until we transform the pre-order into signed deals!

5-What impact do you think attending Gulfood will have on your brand's overall growth and expansion in the market?

- OLYFO is here to stay! Shows like GulFood are a great medium to help bring knowledge around our products and team.
The Gulf market is also rapidly transforming and we need to have a footprint in these dynamic markets such as UAE and KSA.

6-How do you see the food industry evolving in the next few years, and what steps is your brand taking to stay ahead of the curve?

- The F&B industry is massive, yet is constantly adapting and growing.
The ones who know how to deal with Global Warming, Evolving Distribution Chains and Digitalization will remain.
The ones who are defensive to change will not.

That is our view and that is why we are heavily investing in Olive Fields Plantations to ensure a sustainable source of Olive Oil.

7-Finally, what advice would you give to other brands looking to attend trade shows like Gulfood, and how can they make the most out of their experience?

- Prepare, prepare and praper. Take the step forward and do it! bring something new and tell the world about it!