Food & Beverage Marketing Fest 5.0 promotes innovation and growth

The country's premier professional gathering for marketing professionals – Maggi Presents Food & Beverage Marketing Fest 5.0 – was successfully held at Renaissance Dhaka Gulshan Hotel. Organised by Brand Practitioners Bangladesh (BPB), the event brought together over 300 professionals, 25 renowned speakers and eight interactive sessions focused on innovation, consumer trends, compliance, leadership and collaboration in Bangladesh's evolving food and beverage sector.

Celebrating its fifth edition under the theme "Innovation Nourishes Growth," the fest has become a signature platform for marketing professionals. Since its inception in 2014, BPB has empowered industry practitioners through initiatives such as BrandTalk, Business Brillianz, CMO Bangladesh, CoffeeCon, BrandFluencers, Inter-University Marketing Debate Fest and other transformative programmes.

The event was inaugurated by Mirza Muhammad Ileush, Founder and Managing Director of BPB, who highlighted how collaboration, market insight and creative innovation are shaping Bangladesh's marketing landscape. The opening session, The Market We Serve: Current Realities and Future Prospects of Food & Beverage, moderated by Wakid Haidar of Savoy Ice Cream Factory Limited, brought together panelists from Akij Flour Mills, Pandamart, Meena Bazar and Kazi Food Industries to discuss consumer realities and future directions of the industry.

The Compliance Panel, Safe Food, Strong Brands: Building Consumer Confidence through Standards, featured Riashad Jaman of Nestlé Bangladesh PLC, SM Abu Sayed of BSTI, and Md Imrul Hasan of Food Safety in Bangladesh, emphasising food safety and compliance as the backbone of consumer trust. Suraiya Siddiqua of Grameen Danone Foods Ltd led the Insight Session, How Purpose-Driven Innovation Builds Sustainable Value, highlighting the long-term impact of responsible business growth.

Dr Rafiuddin Ahmed of NSU Social Business Centre moderated the CXO Panel, From Disruption to Expansion: The Pathway for Food & Beverage Growth, with industry leaders discussing adaptability and visionary leadership in market transformation. Syed Iqbal Mahmud Hossain of Nestlé Bangladesh PLC presented Driving Growth through Innovation as One GD Team, sharing how collaboration and collective innovation reshape growth culture. The MDs' Panel, moderated by Kazi Mohiuddin of MGI, explored leadership, efficiency and consumer trust as drivers of resilience and sustainability. The final CMO Panel, Navigating Today's Food & Beverage Market Dynamics with Smarter Strategies, moderated by Sumaiya Mutiatur Rasul of United International University, focused on creativity, data, consumer empathy and cultural intelligence in shaping future marketing strategies.

The third issue of CMO Bangladesh Magazine was unveiled during the event, reinforcing BPB's mission to document and celebrate marketing innovation in Bangladesh. Key partners and sponsors included Maggi, Bakeman's, PUSTI, Mojo, Ispahani Mirzapore Tea, CMO Bangladesh, ACI Pure Foods, RUCHI Explore Limitless, Nabil Group of Industries, Savoy Ice Cream, Shokti+, Khaas Food, Kazi & Kazi Tea, NESCAFÉ, Lemu, SMC PLUS, Akij Drinking Water, Hamdard Rooh Afza, Dan Cake Bangladesh, Annex Communications Ltd, HABSON, Renaissance Dhaka Gulshan Hotel and Business Brillianz.

Syed Iqbal Mahmud Hossain of Nestlé Bangladesh PLC highlighted the importance of collaboration and co-creation. Tushar S Islam of Bakeman's, Mohammad Mofassel Haque of PUSTI and Md Maidul Islam of Mojo praised the fest's role in fostering growth, innovation and learning in Bangladesh's food industry. The event concluded with a vote of thanks from BPB, followed by a networking gala attended by industry leaders, agency professionals and entrepreneurs.