[L-R] Richard Haddon, Julien Coron, Sam Bailey, Jimmy Barrat, Felix Hartmann. [L-R] Richard Haddon, Julien Coron, Sam Bailey, Jimmy Barrat, Felix Hartmann.

Barrat agreed, explaining: “The first thing is the approach of the people who are entering the market. It seems like anyone who is opening something in the city is coming like a conqueror rather than being friendly.

Aggressiveness will breed aggressiveness. I personally believe that the more professional outlets there are, the more our whole scene makes sense.”

The solution, according to the panellists is more events and networking platforms for bartenders and bar managers to foster a sense of community.

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“We are not a community — we get together when there are cocktail competitions or nightlife awards, and everyone gets together and has a great time but then we walk away and don’t see each other until the next time there is an industry event, and I don’t think there’s enough of them,” Haddon said.

Differentiating their outlets from the competition with USPs was also a method of staying ahead of the competition. However, to build a strong concept, operators need to recruit the right people for the job.

To this end, recruitment and fostering loyalty will be another key topic discussed at the event, with Hartmann explaining: “People move a lot from place to place and to build a brand, you have to be loyal to the brand. So loyalty of the industry is important. And with all the new openings, people are always moving around.”

Haddon said: “Loyalty comes when you treat people right, pay them well, give them a good place to live, and offer career development.”

Motorga Heathcliff, bar manager at 360° also highlighted the practice of poaching by new venues, who offer higher salaries. “They can afford to offer more money because they don’t have to spend on recruitment trips, relocation allowances, new visas, and all those costs,” he said.

Haddon also pointed to rising costs as a key hurdle operators face during the recruitment process. “It’s getting harder and harder to recruit people. The cost of living in Dubai is going crazy. Rental prices will literally destroy this industry in the run-up to 2020 because operators cannot afford the accommodation for people and cannot afford live-out allowances big enough for people to actually live on.”

However, the future is not entirely bleak. Operators are investing more money in training staff in a bid to raise standards as well as attract more international attention.

The industry is also working closely with African & Eastern and MMI through their bar academies and training schools to educate their teams in line with international standards, which is beginning to draw talent from around the world.

“More people want to come here — Dubai is getting more popular. The level of service and bars is getting better and better,” Coron sums up.

To attend or speak at the conference, please contact amanda.elisha@itp.com. For sponsorship opportunities, please contact stephen.price@itp.com.