As a HalalFocus reader, you will know that there is a lot going on in the Halal sectors all over the world right now. One piece of unreported news that may be of interest to you is that HalalFocus founder, Abdalhamid Evans, has been appointed the Director of the World Halal Forum.
As one of the core founders of the World Halal Forum in 2006, Abdalhamid was instrumental in steering this event during 2006 and 2007, before leaving to pursure other ventures (such as setting up HalalFocus!). Now back at the WHF steering wheel, Abdalhamid is charting a new course for this important event which, in his own words, is not going to remain ‘just an event’ for much longer.
“We have plans to re-structure the WHF,” commented Abdalhamid. “As of 1st January 2011, we have positioned the WHF in the international non-profit sector, and we are in the process of re-structuring the WHF as a membership-based organisation for the future. This will give the WHF a much stronger voice, so that rather than being just a place to talk, the WHF can also be a place where decisions get made, and policies can be pushed forward. This can really bring about changes in the fractured Halal marketplace, and really start to bring some clarity for both industry stakeholders and the consuming public. These changes are really in response to the feedback we have received from WHF delegates from all over the world”
The World Halal Forum 2011 is being held in Kuala Lumpur on 4-5 April at the prestigious KLCC Convention Centre in the heart of Kuala Lumpur. This years theme is “Toward a Halal Economy – The Power of Values in Global Markets”, and one of the key sessions will be to look at the convergence of the Halal market sector and Islamic Finance. These two shariah-based industries form the foundations of an emerging Halal Economy that, in the view of many industry insiders, is going to be one of the driving factors in global markets in the coming decade.
The WHF 2011 has a much broader focus than in previous years. Issues specifically related to slaughter techniques, for example, will be handled under the WHF partner organisation, the International Halal Integrity Alliance (IHI). The IHI is in the middle of the ongoing standards development project for the Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) under the auspices of the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC). this project has been underway since 2008, and is going well.
This means that the WHF is going back to its roots to examine and explore those issues that are really driving the Halal markets around the world. These are the same issues that will shape the way the Halal markets unfold and develop over the coming decade.
The convergence of Halal and Islamic Finance is one such issue. Others include:
- Developing accreditation and monitoring systems for Halal certification in non-Muslim food exporting countries
- How to position products with strong ‘Halal Values’ in mainstream markets
- The increasingly important role of digital media to influence and reach Halal customers
- How Halal-friendly travel is changing the tourism and hospitality industries all over the world
- The changing perceptions of Halal around the world, and how this really affects your business strategy
- A review of the mega-trends that will impact the Halal sector
We are making an effort this year to bring some real ‘cutting-edge’ speakers and panelists. With the kind of insights that we get from running HalalFocus, we have a unique perspective on where the Halal market is heading, what are the major obstacles and influences, and how we can move forward to the next phase. We are bring this insight to the WHF 2011 in KL.
In our view Halal 2.0 is about to unfold.
If this affects YOUR business, then don’t miss it…
To register online, please go here
For further information, you can always contact info@worldhalalforum.org