Conferences, networking and more at HORECA connects, Beirut

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CONFERENCES, NETWORKING AND MORE AT

HORECA CONNECTS,

BEIRUT After three outstanding days of networking and insightful conferences, HORECA CONNECTS closed its doors on March 24. Here's a look at what took place at Seaside Pavilion, Beirut, Lebanon.

Considered a breath of fresh air for Lebanon’s hospitality and foodservice industries, both of which have been hit hard by the pandemic and multiple crises crippling the country’s economy, HORECA CONNECTS attracted almost 7,000 attendees, 5,250 of whom traveled to Beirut from as far afield as Kuwait, Iraq, Belgium, France, Poland and beyond. Of the total number of visitors, more than 1,500 watched the HORECA CONNECTS live stream from countries including France, the United States, Canada, Australia, Africa and the GCC. Besides the in-person conferences, the 12 forums were broadcast online, with hot topics including rural tourism, hospitality visions, exporting, franchising and finding opportunities in challenging times.

Joumana Dammous-Salamé, managing director of Hospitality Services, HORECA CONNECTS organizer, said: “More, now than ever, we need to come together and build bridges, which was the slogan of our event. We are optimistic about the future, and HORECA CONNECTS provided a much-needed platform for professionals to network, find solutions and do business.”

Dammous-Salamé added that the feedback has been immensely positive, with countless visitors attending all three days. “HORECA CONNECTS was our way of rebooting. Despite the challenges, it was a pleasure for us to be able to create a meeting place that really inspired people. We brought people together in person and virtually, which proves that anything is possible. So far, the comments from our partners and guests have exceeded our expectations.” Shining a bright light on Lebanon’s small producers, startups and innovators, Berytech’s Agri-Food Innovation Days, which took place alongside HORECA CONNECTS at Seaside Pavilion, hosted a Green Platform with ongoing discussions on sustainability, growth, exports and more.

The next HORECA CONNECTS will take place from April 25 to 28, 2023. horecashow.com

WHAT THEY SAID

Sam Abou Jaoude, CEO of MadenLebanon "What I liked most about HORECA CONNECTS was the energy. There was so much positivity, and everyone was excited to be there. It brought life back to the capital." Rana Rizk, economic attachée at the Lebanese Embassy, Ivory Coast "We had a delegation of five investors at HORECA CONNECTS: three from the Ivory Coast and two from Ghana. They are among the biggest distributors in both countries, supplying Lebanese products to the market. They were very impressed by the quality of the event, the creativity of the Lebanese and passion of the startups." Kjell Sundin, industrial development officer at UNIDO Vienna "I was extremely happy to attend the event from our Vienna headquarters. There were plenty of networking opportunities, and it was great to be able to present the zaatar of Mazeej to such a large audience." Abdallah Nassreddine, economic attaché at the Embassy of Lebanon to the United States of America "The difficult situation in Lebanon only makes us prouder of the HORECA CONNECTS event, which gave a very strong message. As an economic attaché, it made our job much easier because it brought people together and encouraged business. I hope this event will be the first of many that creates a new momentum for Lebanon."