Some of the UK’s biggest brands will take part in the first ever B2B conference on Muslim lifestyle – a sector worth trillions of pounds.

There is now just over a week to go before MLE Connect brings together famous brands, businesses, sector experts, entrepreneurs and industry specialists to discuss how to tap into one of the fastest growing sectors in the world today.

The event is the first event of its kind ever held in the UK and will feature seminars from industry experts, workshops, panel discussions and networking sessions across a number of sectors such as fashion, food and drink, travel and finance.

Confirmed names set to attend include supermarket giants Tesco and Asda alongside investors, SMEs across a variety of sectors, social enterprises and entrepreneurs from across the country.

The Muslim consumer lifestyle market is today one of the fastest growing sectors globally with a recent report estimating the global expenditure on food and lifestyle sectors at £1.36 trillion.

The UK is seen as key market with brands and businesses keen to connect with consumers.

Tahir Mirza, founder and director of MLE Connect, said: “We are delighted to welcome some of the biggest brands, investors and SMEs which is shaping up to be a key ground-breaking event.

“The UK is a very important market which brands are keen to tap into and this is a great forum for networking, gaining expertise and sharing business and as a knowledge forum.  

“This conference is open to anybody regardless of faith and will be a great way to network and develop new partnerships. We expect a number of companies to generate business from this event.”

The event will attract entrepreneurs and businesses from across the UK keen to understand the Muslim lifestyle market.

It will feature a series of workshops seminars and networking panel discussions sessions on a range of topics including how to reach the Muslim consumer, business start-ups, crowdfunding, modest fashion, halal food, halal travel Industry and Islamic finance.

Guest speakers at the event include Sultan Choudhry, CEO of Al Rayan Bank, Altaf Alim, Commercial Director of modest fashion brand Aab, Shelina Janmohammed, Vice President of marketing agency Ogilvy Noor, award winning TV producer Navid Akhtar and Moe Nawaz, Mentor and Strategic Advisor to FTSE 100 Leaders.

MLE Connect 2016 will take place at the Grand Connaught Rooms in London on April 7,2016 with Human Appeal as the headline partner sponsor.

Last year, the team behind MLE Connect, organised the Muslim Lifestyle Expo 2015 that took place at the Ricoh Arena, Coventry.

It brought together 7,000 visitors from across the UK and 85 exhibitors from countries including Malaysia, Norway, Turkey, USA and South Africa. Earlier this year, the Expo won the Services in Creativity and Technology category at The British Muslim Awards 2016.