As part of Tricon’s continued learning and development programme, I had the pleasure of visiting our offices in Dubai to meet the UAE team, visit some of our clients and attend GulfHost 2024.

I started off the trip meeting the staff at our office. It was lovely to be able to put some faces to the names of our team based in Dubai, who all made me feel welcomed on my first trip to the Middle East. Speaking to them and learning about some of the projects they are working on was very insightful; having written many proposals for the region over the past 2 years, it was great to hear how the projects we had converted were progressing with the designers.

In the afternoon, Raha and I had the pleasure of driving around the city so I could get my bearings and feel for Dubai. It was amazing seeing all of the unique architecture and being able to point out all of the projects and buildings Tricon have worked on over the many years in the UAE. The day ended with a great exposure into what Arabic cuisine had to offer, with a meal overlooking the picturesque skyline of the city.

Tuesday and Wednesday were spent visiting GulfHost 2024, one of the largest foodservice conferences in the world. We spent the afternoons walking around and visiting different manufacturers stands, learning about the products they offer and discussing the latest equipment they had on show. It was invaluable having the design team join me for this, hearing their expertise and questions helped broaden my knowledge of the industry and enabled me to understand the nuances of the different brands and what they had to offer.

In between attending GulfHost, I had the opportunity to meet a number of our partners and clients, building our rapport with them and discussing how we can support on a range of projects across the region. It was great to be able to meet in-person and understand how we can better collaborate on future proposals and bid processes.

In the evenings, we attended a number of events with manufacturers and consultants to catch up over some drinks and outstanding food in a more relaxed setting, discussing current trends in the market and how the industry is progressing in the region.

While much of the week was filled with work, I had some free time to myself on Friday evening which I spent visiting the Burj Khalifa and Dubai Mall. Setting myself down for a nice drink and meal, I watched the renowned light and fountain show for a perfect end to the week.

The week was incredibly valuable for my own personal development, deepening my understanding of the market and the role that we play on projects, while also affording me the chance to create my own relations with some of the clients and manufactures that we work with. What a great week and thank you Tricon for the opportunity.