Many small companies such as those in the food and beverage business are getting a boost in terms of market share thanks to their presence at the Entertainment City – the centrepiece of the Qatar Summer Festival 2017, an official has said.
The Entertainment City, which was launched recently by Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) in partnership with QSports, has attracted many families and visitors to Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre. It runs until September 5.
QSports founder and CEO Adil Ahmed said 70% of the food concessionaires participating at QSF 2017 are small businesses, while 30% are “established or branded vendors”.
“We wanted to give these small businesses the opportunity to expand their presence in the local market. While it is true that people still look for more established and branded products and services, we want to have a good mix of vendors at the festival.
“These small vendors want to get their name out there, so we’re just helping them get a larger share of the market. We haven’t forgotten that QSports was once a small company, which is why we understand the value of how difficult it is to break into the market,” Ahmed told Gulf Times.
Ahmed said one of the local food businesses, Camels Back, has gained popularity among visitors at Entertainment City. “We’ve given some first-timers like Camels Back the opportunity to tap further into the local market. Their product is unique because it is ice cream made from camel’s milk,” he said.
Sophie Ndiaye of KTL Event Organisation & Conference Management noted that this year’s QSF involves more local companies compared to previous festivals.
“We used to have international companies participating in previous festivals but this year, the private sector and local companies in Qatar have the opportunity to show what they can offer.
“And based on what we’ve seen so far, they have added value to the event. Many visitors are saying that this year is completely different from previous festivals. This is because we have innovation, quality and professional service,” Ndiaye pointed out.
She also stressed that QSF 2017 is an “opportunity for small- and medium-sized enterprises and other companies to get more recognition in the local market”.
“What we need to point out here is that with local companies in Qatar, we can have a very nice, high-scale event in the country. Within Qatar we can do something amazing,” Ndiaye emphasised.
Ahmed also lauded the support of QTA and other organisations in promoting the country’s tourism and leisure sector.
“Qatar Summer Festival 2017 fits well with the tourism strategy of Qatar. We’re very pleased and I have to emphasise that the role of Qatar Tourism Authority has been exceptional in this whole process,” he said.
QSports founder and CEO Adil Ahmed said 70% of the food concessionaires participating at QSF 2017 are small businesses, while 30% are “established or branded vendors”.
“We wanted to give these small businesses the opportunity to expand their presence in the local market. While it is true that people still look for more established and branded products and services, we want to have a good mix of vendors at the festival.
“These small vendors want to get their name out there, so we’re just helping them get a larger share of the market. We haven’t forgotten that QSports was once a small company, which is why we understand the value of how difficult it is to break into the market,” Ahmed told Gulf Times.
Ahmed said one of the local food businesses, Camels Back, has gained popularity among visitors at Entertainment City. “We’ve given some first-timers like Camels Back the opportunity to tap further into the local market. Their product is unique because it is ice cream made from camel’s milk,” he said.
Sophie Ndiaye of KTL Event Organisation & Conference Management noted that this year’s QSF involves more local companies compared to previous festivals.
“We used to have international companies participating in previous festivals but this year, the private sector and local companies in Qatar have the opportunity to show what they can offer.
“And based on what we’ve seen so far, they have added value to the event. Many visitors are saying that this year is completely different from previous festivals. This is because we have innovation, quality and professional service,” Ndiaye pointed out.
She also stressed that QSF 2017 is an “opportunity for small- and medium-sized enterprises and other companies to get more recognition in the local market”.
“What we need to point out here is that with local companies in Qatar, we can have a very nice, high-scale event in the country. Within Qatar we can do something amazing,” Ndiaye emphasised.
Ahmed also lauded the support of QTA and other organisations in promoting the country’s tourism and leisure sector.
“Qatar Summer Festival 2017 fits well with the tourism strategy of Qatar. We’re very pleased and I have to emphasise that the role of Qatar Tourism Authority has been exceptional in this whole process,” he said.
