There isn’t going to be a Coke Food Fest 2019
Food is an essential part of Pakistani culture. It is, after all, food that we center most of our entertainment around in the absence of other forms of safe and inclusive public spaces. Therefore food related events have become a major attraction for Pakistanis. Sadly one of the biggest food events has shut down.
Coke Food Fest is not going to happen this year because Coke, it’s named sponsor, has pulled out
In case anyone was in denial about the state of Pakistan’s economy being in shambles; the fact that Coca Cola pulled out of the Coke Food Fest should be a big enough sign for anyone. The Coke Food Fest has been a staple in Pakistan’s event calendar since 2016.
It is apparently because of several reasons; the management for Coke has changed both on a regional and national level as well as the economic slow down Pakistan is currently going through which has also affected the company’s revenue.
According to Pakistan Today, the company is questioning the return on investment they’re getting from sponsoring the Coke Food Fest and apparently, it’s not enough since the company has completely pulled out from sponsoring the event. It’s a little shocking honestly.
After being the main sponsors for the event for several years, Coke has decided to abandon Coke Food Fest completely
But the event management company which organizes the festival, Active Media has stated that the event will go on as usual since they have other sponsors on board, and instead of the food festival it’ll be rebranded as the ‘Soul Food Fest’.
The event brought together the two great loves of every Pakistani; music and food. And since Coke is also in charge of Coke Studio, they would often have heavyweights singers perform at the event and bring Coke Studio hits to a live stage. But now, that might not happen.
Representatives of the company have shared why they pulled out of Coke Food Fest
There have, reportedly, been management changes which has led to the new team re-evaluating their priorities. There are also reports of mismanagement at the end of the organizers of the food festival.
According to a statement by Coke Pakistan’s communication head Fahad Qadir, the company is focusing its budget more on Coke Studio this year.
But it’s still hard to imagine that the company has completely abandoned the festival especially since the event itself was so successful, pulling crowds over hundred thousands. This might be because the company organizes it’ own food festival instead of merely sponsoring one. This possibility, according to Profit is not something Coke Pakistan has denied.
What do you think about the era of the food fest being over? Let us know in the comments below.
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Cover Image Via: tubelight.pk / dawn.com