The who’s who in the sleep industry, including high-level experts from the mattress, retail, health, design and hospitality business, will gather in Dubai from February 9 for this year’s Sleep Expo Conference. 

The Conference, a special highlight of Sleep Expo Middle East, will feature a two-day agenda packed with keynote addresses, panel discussions and insightful presentations from some of the industry’s brightest minds and pioneers focusing on harnessing innovation and technology particularly relevant to the burgeoning business of sleep.

A free-to-attend event, the Sleep Expo Conference fosters a culture of idea exchange, learning and relationship-building between relevant industries.  It has been designed to tackle two main themes – Sleep Tech on Day 1, February 9 and Sleep Care on Day 2, February 10.  The Sleep Tech Conference Programme will largely shed light on the raw materials, machinery and the technology entering the mattress and bed linen industry. At the same time, experts will be discussing the trends, challenges, and best practices observed in the market. On the other hand, the Sleep Care Conference Program will shed light on the current trends, best practices, and challenges faced in the finished goods market of mattresses, pillows, linen and other bedding products. At the same time, Sleep Care on Day 2 will put on spotlight the perspective of the mattress retailers and the hospitality sector.

“We at Rainbow Plastic and Foam industry believe that this year’s Sleep Expo Conference is going to revolutionise the sleep market in the Middle East and Africa. The goal is to provide a high-level knowledge platform to dissect how different industries relevant to the business of sleep can work together to create a positive impact within the business circle and reinvigorate the region to be at the global forefront of sleep innovation,” said Haben Woldu, director of operations, Rainbow Bed Foam and Beyond, who is also one of the experts who will grace the event.

Headlining the Sleep Tech agenda on Day 1 are presentations on ‘Technology in Polyurethane Processing’ from Mahmoud Karime, sales manager for Hennecke and ‘Technical Advances in Fabrics’, which will be delivered by Càndid Penalba Peiró, chief executive officer for Cotopur. For panel discussions, first up will be ‘Mattress Innovation & Sustainability’, with Onder Honi, general manager – Innova Bedding, Muhammed Saleem Ahmed, chairman – Safetex Group, and Ankit Jain, director – Aero Fibre. Another panel discussion will delve on ‘Technology Driving the Foam Industry’, featuring Haben Woldu, director of operations –
Rainbow Foam, Rakesh Shah, chief executive officer – Vita Foam, and Mahmoud Karime of Hennecke. Capping Day 1 will be a presentation on ‘Mattress Roll Pack’.

On Conference Day 2, taking centre stage in the Sleep Care program is a presentation on Retail under the topic ‘Scope of Brick n Mortar Stores in the Region’ to be delivered by Anwar Barayil, owner of BAFTE. Another presentation titled ‘For a Healthier Tommorow’ will be delivered by Jullie Mallon, a Certified Sleep Consultant Parental Educator from Nurture to Sleep. Something of great importance on the second day of the conference is a panel discussion on ‘Direct to Consumer Module’, aimed at  tackling the benefits and challenges of being in control of the manufacturing process and selling to consumers, featuring Chris Gourdie, managing director – Silent Night, Anwar Barayil of BAFTE, and Shahid Ahmed, brand manager – Tempur.  A presentation on ‘Retailer Focus: Creating a Customer-Centric Environment’ and ‘Hospitality & Sleep: The importance of Sleep for the Hospitality Sector’ along with Hospitality Meet and Live Demos, are also included in the agenda.

Sleep Expo ME is the first and only event of its kind in the Middle East and Africa region dedicated to the sleep market. The event will run for three days (February 9-11 at Hall 4 of the Dubai World Trade Centre) and will feature three key highlights: the trade show, with leading regional and international exhibitors including mattress manufacturers, bedding and linen companies, mattress machinery suppliers, raw materials providers and sleep technology innovators; the conference, which will present best practices and business solutions by renowned experts; and, the Sleep Expo Awards, the first-ever accolade programme for the difference makers in the region’s sleep business community. Attendees will be able to network, find new products, build business relationships, and take advantage of educational events and hands-on demonstrations. - TradeArabia News Service