GLOBAL FMCG LEADERS CONVERGE IN MANCHESTER TO CELEBRATE TEN YEARS OF THE GAMA INNOVATION CONFERENCE & AWARDS

October 29, 2025

by Gama

MANCHESTER – 29^th October 2025: On Wednesday, 22nd October, more than 500 leading representatives of the global fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) community came together to celebrate the tenth edition of the Gama Innovation Conference & Awards (GICA) at The Bridgewater Hall in Manchester, marking a decade of innovation, insight and collaboration.

Since its inception, GICA has evolved into one of the industry’s most influential annual gatherings: a meeting point for global decision-makers, entrepreneurs and innovators from across the consumer goods ecosystem. The 2025 event once again showcased Manchester’s role as an international centre for creative thinking and commercial excellence in FMCG.

This year’s edition attracted an audience spanning big-name manufacturers and retailers such as Thai Union, Union Coop, Spar, Nestle, Coca-Cola, Coop Italia and Unilever as well as aspiring scale-ups, cutting-edge start-ups and other selected industry guests and dignitaries. Delegates joined in person from South Korea, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Canada, Italy and many other countries, reflecting GICA’s truly global reach.

Cesar Pereira, Founder & CEO of Gama, commented: “Celebrating our tenth anniversary, GICA has never been more dynamic. It continues to bring together the people and ideas shaping the future of consumer goods – a space where collaboration fuels innovation and where new possibilities for brands and markets emerge”.

Ian Wright CBE, Co-Chair of the UK Food and Drink Export Council said: “After a decade of such tumultuous change in the UK and across the food and drink industry, it’s incredible to see the Gama Innovation Conference & Awards not only still thriving, but growing into new areas like pitching, investment and collaboration. The quality, diversity and ambition on show this year is truly extraordinary.”

Tim Leclercq of Maizly (South Africa) said: “It’s been an amazing experience — not just winning the award, but meeting other entrepreneurial people who’ve created incredible products and hearing from industry experts about where trends are moving. Events like this are incredibly useful and inspiring.”

Amy Seymour of The Turmeric Co (UK) noted: “Attending the Gama Innovation Conference has been an incredible experience — seeing so many innovative brands from around the world is truly inspiring. The event is dynamic, diverse and full of insight into emerging trends, and I hope to be back again next year.”

Annabel Yeseul Ha of AroundBody (South Korea) commented: “The Gama Innovation Conference and Awards is a very special event. The team treats you as a partner and a friend, not just a potential customer, and it’s been incredibly insightful to meet so many innovators and learn from their experiences.”

Paul Brown of BOL Foods (UK) added: “Attending the Gama Innovation Conference & Awards is unbelievably inspiring. The energy and passion for innovation, and meeting so many people trying to make healthier food choices, makes it a really special event.”

Throughout the day, participants heard from influential voices across the FMCG landscape, explored cutting-edge product concepts and reconnected with peers and partners in an environment designed to spark inspiration and accelerate growth.

GAMA SPEED PITCH

GICA 2025 saw the return of GICA’s flagship Meet The Investor programme, which was augmented this year by the launch of the Gama Speed Pitch. Whetting the appetite in the morning ahead of the main event, the high-energy feature saw founders of innovative FMCG start-ups and scale-ups take to the stage to deliver compelling 3-minute pitches to a panel of over 50 investors from around the world, in a private session live from Manchester’s Bri

dgewater Hall.

Hosted by Cris Arcangeli, Chief Executive Officer, Investor, Serial Entrepreneur and Shark Tank Brazil Host, the Gama Speed Pitch feature forms part of a six-month programme which pairs innovative start-up and scale-up FMCG businesses with private and institutional investors keen to expand their consumer goods portfolios. A recording of each of the pitches is sent to the investor panel post-event, with Gama facilitating introductions between the founders and any prospective investors expressing an interest in the opportunity.

Commenting on the launch of the Gama Speed Pitch, Ian Wright CBE said: “I thought the quality of the presentations was amazing, and I think the chances of them all raising the amounts of money that they want in relatively short order are very high”.

INNOVATION ZONE

Throughout the day, delegates once again had the opportunity to network and get inspired within the Innovation Zone, where dozens of companies were showcasing the latest breakthrough innovations from all over the world, spanning categories as diverse as snacks, rum, personal hygiene, dairy alternatives, hot drinks and meal replacements. The atmosphere buzzed with discovery and collaboration, as delegates exchanged ideas, traded insights and forged new business relationships. Highlights of the Innovation Zone were beamed live to a keen audience of some 250 buyers and investors connecting remotely via videoconference.

GAMA INNOVATION BOX

A star feature of the Innovation Zone this year was the Gama Innovation Box, launching especially to coincide with this year’s 10^th anniversary celebrations.

Designed to support growth-oriented FMCG business to explore new distribution opportunities and secure new retail listings, the Gama Innovation Box initiative enables brands to get their latest products directly in the hands of 10 major buyers from retailers, hotels and airlines, both in the UK and over

seas. The Gama Innovation Box also include a product profile and a 2-minute video pitch, with Gama facilitating introductions between the founders and any prospective buyers expressing an interest in the listing opportunity.

The new Gama Innovation Box feature forms part of Meet The Buyer, a six-month programme which gives innovative brands a unique opportunity to connect directly with a diverse range of international retailers, distributors and commercial partners.

Applications to take part in the Gama Innovation Box remain open until Thursday 27^th November, and interested brands are invited to submit their own product innovations for consideration to Tom Warden (tom.warden@gamaconsumer.com).

INSIGHT & THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

The afternoon began with the Gama Innovation Conference, which brought together leading voices from the FMCG sector for a series of dynamic and thought-provoking presentations, highlighting how innovation, consumer-centric strategies, sustainability and technology are shaping the future of consumer goods. Across sessions, speakers explored the impact of emerging consumer behaviours, the rise of health- and purpose-driven products, the power of authentic marketing, and the responsible integration of AI and digital tools in product development and operations. Delegates gained insights into practical strategies for building trust, fostering creativity, enhancing brand engagement and driving efficiency, leaving them inspired and equipped with actionable ideas to apply in their organisations.

Kicking off the event, Ian Wright CBE, Co-Chair of the UK Food and Drink Export Council, highlighted both the challenges and opportunities facing the food and drink industry, emphasizing the critical role of innovation, sustainability and start-ups in shaping a bright future for consumer goods.
Next, Tsvetina Stamboliyska, Founder & Chief Executive Officer of MyBears, shared her journey from fashion entrepreneurship to creating innovative, pectin-based functional gummy supplements, illustrating resilience, creativity and a commitment to health-focused, convenient products.
Luca Barone, Founder & Chief Executive Officer of FitPorn, then explored the power of influencer marketing in FMCG, underlining the importance of authenticity, engaging nano- and micro-influencers, and using creative, low-budget strategies to drive sales, engagement and brand trust.
Paul Brown, Founder & Chief Executive Officer of BOL Foods, ref
lected on his transition from sports and smoothies to launching a 100% plant-based, nutrient-dense, functional food brand, highlighting mission-driven innovation and emerging trends such as fibre-maxing and clean, whole-food nutrition.
Wedyan Alahmadi, Head of Marketing at Halwani Bros, examined how Gen Z consumers – both globally and in Saudi Arabia – are reshaping marketing, emphasizing the value of authenticity, shared purpose, cultural respect, and encouraging brands to be real, imperfect and culturally aware.
Tom Warden, Insights Director at Gama, provided a deep dive into current FMCG innovation trends, including the rise of clean labels and ‘no junk’ positioning, hero ingredient storytelling, the mainstreaming of gut health, upcycled ingredients for sustainability, and the evolution of snacks toward health, functionality and transparency.
Finally, Prof. Keeley Crocket, Professor in Computational Intelligence at Manchester Metropolitan University, highlighted the critical importance of trust, transparency and responsible artificial intelligence (AI) in FMCG, showcasing opportunities for smarter product development, hyper-personalisation, and supply chain optimization while cautioning about ethical, legal and governance challenges.

CELEBRATING INNOVATION

The second half of the afternoon was, as usual, dedicated to celebrating key breakthroughs in the consumer goods space, with the unveiling of the winners in each category of the Gama Innovation Awards 2025.

Recognising outstanding innovation in the FMCG space, the Gama Innovation Awards represented the very best innovations discovered in the past year by Gama’s global network of in-country researchers and analysts.

Alongside ten established categories: Product, Packaging, Positioning, Branding & Design, SME, Health & Wellness, Best of Britain, Best of Middle East, Hospitality, and Travel, this year Gama was pleased to introduce two new awards addressing the hot-button themes of sustainability and technology. The inaugural Sustainability award recognises companies that have demonstrated an innovative approach to curbing their environmental or climate footprint, while the inaugural Technology award showcases the latest hi-tech breakthroughs in product manufacture, marketing and supply chain.

As ever, award winners were decided by an international panel of prestigious judges from some of the biggest names in the industry, such as Kraft Heinz, Mahou San Miguel, Bel Group, Essity and Coty.

Silvia Ruiz, Innovation Director at Gama, said: “The Gama Innovation Awards 2025 celebrated the creativity, courage and ingenuity driving FMCG forward today. These awards shine a spotlight on the individuals and teams turning ideas into tangible innovations, and highlight the trends and technologies that will shape the industry in the year ahead.”

The overall winners in each category were as follows:

Product: Nor Pouchless Nicotine Pods (Norway). Nor Pouchless Nicotine Pods took the plaudits in the Product category for its waste-free approach. Award presented by Ian Wright CBE, Co-Chair of the Food & Drink Export Council (watch here).

Commenting on the award, Øyvind Simonsen of Den Norske Snusfabrikken said: “We are delighted to be here. For us, as a very small Norwegian company, winning this prize is truly wonderful. We are proud, humbled and inspired to continue developing our disruptive and sustainable innovation.”

Packaging: John West Ecotwist Canned Tuna (UK). Judges were impressed by this interlocking can innovation that obviates the need for outer packaging. Award presented by Ambassador Alejandro Polanca Mata, Consul General of Spain (watch here).

Commenting on the award, Vikki Babb of Thai Union said: “Thank you so much to the judges and everyone at the Gama team for this award. At Thai Union, we have a mantra: healthy living, healthy oceans. This project was four years in the making. Innovation is never a smooth path – it takes effort, dedication, and teamwork – but winning this award makes all that hard work worthwhile.”

Positioning: Raw Hydrate Electrolyte Drink (UK). This launch won over judges thanks to its ‘whole watermelon’ formulation and functional benefits. Award presented by Nicoleta Teodorovici, Consul General of Romania (watch here).

Commenting on the award, Amy Semour of The Turmeric Co. said: “This is such an honour, especially in such a strong category. Raw Hydrate began on the football pitch, with our founder using natural blends to stay hydrated without the sugar spikes of artificial products. Every bottle still follows that philosophy—just three ingredients, working in harmony with the body. This award shows we’re on the right track.”

Branding & Design: Minoa Kids Bomb Sugar-Free Drink (Greece). This‘explosive’ design concept caught the eye of the judges. Award presented by Tom Warden of Gama (watch here).

SME: Maïzly Corn Milk (South Africa). The SME award went to this innovative dairy alternative with corn as a hero ingredient. Award presented by Jo Ahmed MBE, Honorary Consul of Japan (watch here).

Commenting on the award, Tim Leclercq of Maïzly said: “Thank you to Gama and the judges for this incredible honour. We’re a team of four, and it took four years and over 120 iterations to perfect our product. It’s a healthy, fibre-rich beverage made from corn, one of the most sustainable crops in the world, and we’re extremely proud of what we’ve achieved.”

Health & Wellness: Bee & You Kids Propolis Immune Night Time Shot (Türkiye). Bee & You impressed the panel by tapping into demand for natural, immune-boosting ingredients. Award presented by Janine Smith of the Greater Manchester Business Growth Hub (watch here).

Commenting on the award, Kivanş Ozturk Sinay of Bee & You said: “It’s a great honour to receive this award. Propolis Immune Night-Time Shot is the first and only supplement to combine propolis extract with probiotics, supporting both immune and gut health. This award recognises not just a product, but a new category of functional nutrition built on patented science, quality and sustainability.”

Best of Britain: Superkeen Organic Tiger Nut Popped Cereal (UK). The use of a tiger nut as a breakfast cereal star saw Superkeen crowned this year’s Best of Britain winner. Award presented by Gavin Page of Manchester Printers (watch here).

Best of Middle East: Halwani Bros Halawa Spread With Cranberry (Saudi Arabia). This innovative combination of halawa and fruit was recognised in the Best of Middle East category. Award presented by The Lord Mayor of the City of Manchester (watch here).

Commenting on the award, Wedyan Alahmadi of Halwani Bros said: “It’s a pleasure to receive this award on behalf of Halwani Brothers. This innovation keeps the tradition of halawa alive while presenting it in a spreadable format that today’s consumers understand. Our product is gluten-free, vegan and contains no artificial colours or preservatives, proving that tradition and innovation can go hand in hand.”

Hospitality: PrePear Hangover Drink (UK). PrePear was named the Hospitality winner for their novel approach to limiting the effects of alcohol indulgence. Award presented by Ambassador Füsun Aramaz, Consul General of Türkiye (watch here).

Commenting on the award, Katja-Carleton Smith of PrePear said: “I’m accepting this award on behalf of our founder, Priya. This recognition celebrates innovation and reminds us that wellbeing is just as important as wellness. PrePear is all about giving people the confidence to enjoy life’s moments fully, without worrying about perfection.”

Travel: Better With Almonds (Portugal). Judges liked the way this launch melded nut snacks and floral flavours, naming it the winner in the Travel category. Award presented by John Winnard MBE of William Santus (watch here).

Sustainability: Jihe Ecoflush Sanitary Pad (South Korea). This launch was recognised for new technology that improves the biodegradability of sanitary products. Award presented by Ambassador Alexandros Ioannidis, Consul General of Greece (watch here).

Commenting on the award, Annabel Yeseul Ha of Aroundbody said: “This award recognises seven years of work by our team in South Korea. Our sustainable sanitary pad is biodegradable, chemical-free and designed to be safe for both women and the environment. It’s a validation that we’re on the right path, and we hope to expand access to more people around the world.”

Technology: Eggoz Egg Nuggets (India). Eggoz got the nod in the Technology category for a novel formulation that turns egg into a chicken nugget alternative. Award presented by Heather Waters of the Greater Manchester Business Growth Hub (watch here).

2025 also saw the Compass award presented to Paul Brown, in recognition of an entrepreneurial journey exemplifying vision, perseverance and the transformative power of innovation. Award presented by Cesar Pereira, Gama (watch here).

Accepting the award, Paul Brown commented: “It’s genuinely humbling to receive this award. I want to thank the Gama team, my family and, most importantly, the incredible team at BOL Foods. From a small team of five to now thirty in London and more around the world, their dedication and energy make every challenge worthwhile. This recognition is a tribute to all of us striving to make food and drink better for everyone.”

The awards ceremony was closed by The Lord Mayor of the City of Manchester, who explored Manchester’s reputation as a city built on innovation.

“Manchester’s recent growth has taught us that when innovation is inclusive, when investment is bold and when people are empowered to lead, transformation follows. That is why events like this are so important. They reflect not only the power of industry, but the power of inclusivity, partnership, and vision. The Gama Innovation Conference and Awards has a vital role to play in that mission, as a platform, as a community, and as a beacon of excellence”

GET TOGETHER

Following the main event, international delegates and selected guests were invited to an evening Get Together at 20 Stories, Manchester’s ultimate high-style destination, to continu

e the celebrations and engage in some relaxed networking and relationship-building. Among the 60 specially-invited guests were the Lord Mayor of the City of Manchester, Consul General of China, Consul General of the Czech Republic and Honorary Consul of Japan, reflecting the strong civic and diplomatic support in Manchester for initiatives that promote global innovation and economic cooperation .

Raising a toast to the 10^th anniversary celebrations, the Lord Mayor said: “I hope today has allowed you to make some exciting new connections, and ones that will act as a catalyst for future growth and collaboration”.

SAVE THE DATE

The Gama Innovation Conference & Awards will return to Manchester on Thursday 22nd October 2026 for its 11^th edition.

To find out more about GICA 2026, please contact Silvia Ruiz at silvia.ruiz@gamaconsumer.com.

– ENDS –

About GICA 2025

The special tenth anniversary edition of the Gama Innovation Conference & Awards (GICA), took place on Wednesday 22^nd October 2025 at The Bridgewater Hall in Manchester.

GICA 2025 is an invitation-only event and welcomed over 500 attendees from around the globe, including FMCG manufacturers, industry experts, retail buyers, hotels, airlines and investors.

Awarded in the disciplines of Product, Packaging, Positioning, Branding & Design, SME, Health & Wellness, Best of Britain, Best of Middle East, Hospitality, Travel, Sustainability and Technology, the Gama Innovation Awards go to the top new launches unearthed each month by Gama’s network of in-country researchers and analysts. Winners are chosen through an international panel of expert judges based on a shortlist of innovative products.

www.gamainnovation.com

About Gama

Gama is a global provider of business information and services specializing in product innovation and international trade.

Through our worldwide network of over 200 experts in more than 50 countries, we offer high-quality news, research, analysis and partnering services. We deliver actionable insights, enabling you to make more informed decisions and supporting you to unlock new business opportunities.