Feature
Tell us about your events
Our events were created as
platforms to showcase the
best of what the community
has to offer. We were always
confident that the products
and services our community
had were world class, it
was just a case of bringing
them to wider audience,
an audience that could
experience them.
It was our aim to create a
wider understanding of what
the community had to offer
to those outside and break
down social misconceptions.
We were sure that our
events could be connection
points between mainstream
brands and our community,
in order to benefit each
other.
The events are a unique
blend of both business
and culture, and we bring
that mix together in iconic
venues. For five years we
have focused on food,
fashion, finance and travel.
We have exhibitors from
all over the world, creating
Community
service
EN editor Saul Leese continues looking into the
growth of community events, this time looking
at London EID Festival, Muslim Shopping
Festival and the Halal Food Festival - organised
by Algebra Events
a platform for the Halal
community to showcase
its offering and raise
awareness of what is now
readily available in many
sectors. The Halal market is
emerging as a potent force
and this presents massive
opportunity for future
growth.
There is something special
about our events but we’re
not sure how to describe
it, sometimes we call it a
‘positive vibe’ or ‘feel-good
factor’. Whatever it is, there
is a positive mood from
visitors and exhibitors alike.
How many people attend
them?
On average, two of our
events welcome over 20,000
visitors over the course of
two days. The EID festival is
something else and we have
nearly 200,000 over the
weekend. Over the last four
years the community has
supported us, massively.
Where did the idea come
from?
There are two perspectives
here, from a Muslim one,
personal experiences,
growing up in the UK, and
the feeling that there were
more things that made us
the same than different.
From a non-Muslim point
of view it was very much
around trying to understand
the culture and those
connection points.
How have they grown and
where are they held?
Our events have grown
hugely over the past five
years. We tend to use
familiar, large venues which
add to the aesthetics of the
event. Some of our most
well-know events include:
London Halal Food Festival,
held at the historically rich
Tobacco Dock, East London;
London Muslim Shopping
Festival, held at London’s
best-known exhibition and
conference centre, Olympia
London; and London Eid
is held at the prestigious
Westfield London. Westfield
is the ideal location because
it’s popular and there’s a
strong Muslim community
that visit the centre
regularly and to some extent
there is a captive
April — 47