"I still remember the first day I went to Gulfood. We didn't know exactly what we were going to do, but we knew we had to be there." Back then, we were smaller. We had a product, but we struggled to explain ourselves. We spoke at length with everyone who visited our stand. Sometimes we talked about the product, sometimes about Turkey.
To be honest, in those years the hardest thing was not making sales, but inspiring confidence.
A snapshot from the early years. A more modest stand, but the same belief.
Years passed. Looking back today, I see more clearly that Gulfood was not just a trade fair for us. This process actually shows how we have changed as well.
In the early years, people didn't know us. Now, there are people who come to our stand and say, "We spoke last year."
This may seem like a very simple sentence, but in this business, this is the most valuable thing. Someone remembering you.
"It's not hard to find products in the market. But it is still hard to find a reliable supplier."
Before the stand is even set up, the most valuable thing begins: real conversations.
At this year's fair, there was a similar picture, but with one difference. In the past, the first topic of conversation was usually price. Now, people ask different questions.
How sustainably can you supply the product? How consistently can you maintain quality?
In fact, all of these questions lead to the same place: Trust.
Every year with the same excitement, but with a slightly more mature perspective.
Now, not only the product but also the structure behind it has become important. How do you produce, how do you control, how much do you stand behind it…
From our perspective, this is also the most valuable aspect of the fair. We don't go just to make sales. We go to understand the market, listen to people, and see ourselves.
Sometimes we came back from a fair without receiving any orders. But every time, we came back seeing what we needed to do better.
"Gulfood is no longer a starting point for us. It's more like a checkpoint — to see where we are."
Over the years, our stand grew, but one thing never changed: the team spirit.
More than 10 years have passed. We still have the same excitement every year when we go, but the perspective has changed.
Now we talk less and listen more.
On the left: our current stand. On the right: that familiar purple of Dubai — the same excitement every February.
Ultimately, the most important thing in this business is this: not growing fast, but moving forward in the right way.
And that's how we try to move forward.
Birdem Gıda participates in Gulfood Dubai every year. For stand information, sample requests, or appointments: info@birdemgida.com
