pep+ (PEPSICO POSITIVE) TAKES CENTER STAGE AT EXPO 2020 DUBAI OPENING DAY

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Oct. 2, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- As the Official Beverage and Snack Partner of Expo 2020 Dubai, PepsiCo celebrates the opening of the global event by inaugurating its three pavilions: The Plus (Pepsi ® and Lay's®), The Bolt (Gatorade®) and The Drop (Aquafina®). The latest innovations from PepsiCo, such as the Aquafina® Water Station and Pepsi ® Go, are also open to Expo 2020 Dubai visitors to experience new ways to snack and drink.

PepsiCo will offer a first look of pep+ (PepsiCo Positive) in action to visitors of Expo 2020 Dubai through the various experiences included in each pavilion. The company recently announced pep+, its end-to-end strategic transformation, putting sustainability at the center of how the business will create shared value and growth. PepsiCo is providing Expo 2020 Dubai visitors with positive food and drink choices, from Aquafina and Sunbites, and positive experiences as a showcase for its transformation.  

For more than 170 years, World Expos have been bringing people together and providing a platform to showcase the innovations and technologies that shape our shared future. PepsiCo is proud to be part of the first World Expo to ever be hosted in the Middle East, Africa, South Asia region. 

Ramon Laguarta, Chairman and CEO of PepsiCo, led the PepsiCo delegation throughout the Expo 2020 Dubai Opening Ceremony, officially inaugurating the PepsiCo Pavilions. The ribbon-cutting moment marked the official start of the PepsiCo experience at Expo 2020 Dubai, which will see the beloved global brand bring its unique sense of fun to the event while also leading conversations that will address some of the world's biggest issues.

"It is an honor to be in Dubai to celebrate the Opening Ceremony of Expo 2020 and PepsiCo's role as Expo's Official Beverage and Snack Partner. Expo 2020 Dubai will be a hub for innovation, creativity and cross-industry collaboration, and our amazing PepsiCo pavilions – The Plus, The Bolt, and The Drop – will demonstrate how we are leveraging these capabilities to support our pep+ vision of driving positive outcomes for people, the planet, and our business. With millions of visitors coming together from nearly 200 countries across the world, Expo gives us hope that together we can meet our shared challenges and build a more sustainable future for us all," said Ramon Laguarta, PepsiCo Chairman and CEO.

Experience PepsiCo's Pavilions
Visitors can immerse themselves in the fun and inspiring world of PepsiCo at The Plus, The Bolt and The Drop pavilions while also learning about the positive changes PepsiCo is making to create more sustainable products, packaging and supply chain for consumers around the world.

The Plus (located at the Opportunity District) - Two of the biggest brands globally, Pepsi and Lay's, come together at The Plus pavilion. Building a world of fun, visitors will be immersed in the sights, sounds, colors and tastes of these brands by getting to know flavor profiles from around the globe. Visitors can learn more about the initiatives that help build a better tomorrow, such as Lay's Replay, which showcases how empty chip bags are given a second life and transformed into sustainable football pitches.  

The Bolt (located at the Mobility District)- Celebrating anybody and everybody who lives an active lifestyle, The Bolt pavilion is centered around Gatorade and fueling athletic performance through personalization. Zig-zagging through the iconic Gatorade lightning bolt, the experience explores Gatorade's history, showcases the science and innovation in every bottle, the athletes that use it and how Gatorade is inspiring consumers to live healthier lives.

The Drop (located at the Sustainability District) -  Designed to look like a giant droplet and constructed from 41,000 recyclable aluminum cans. It aims to educate visitors on water sustainability in food and agriculture and inspire individual conservation efforts. Visitors will not only be immersed in the Aquafina brand experience, but also in PepsiCo's efforts to help farmers worldwide with sustainable water practices, smart use of water in manufacturing, and the brand's innovative efforts to reduce, recycle, and reinvent packaging.

Bringing the latest Food & Beverage Innovations
PepsiCo is bringing the latest in sustainable food, beverage and retail experiences to Expo 2020 Dubai, which are set to transform the food and beverage industry, from the way we consume to the way we shop. Through Aquafina and Sunbites, PepsiCo is helping achieve Expo 2020 Dubai's ambition of delivering the most sustainable World Expo ever.

The recently unveiled Aquafina Water Stations will be available at select locations throughout the Expo 2020 Dubai site, bringing sustainable hydration solutions to visitors. Expo attendees can use their own water bottle or go for the extra convenience of an Aquafina reusable water bottle equipped with a QR code to ensure their drink preference is saved and synced with every machine, ensuring every customized sip is just the way they like it. PepsiCo has also released co-branded Aquafina and Expo 2020 Dubai 100% aluminum, fully recyclable cans.

PepsiCo is also bringing compostable packaging for its beloved snack, Sunbites, exclusively to Expo 2020 Dubai. The packaging also boasts a lower greenhouse gas footprint compared to a traditional snack bag, meaning the entire production line is kinder to the planet.

Pepsi Go, the brand's first unmanned AI-powered store, offers a seamless, contactless check-out experience and is ready on site to welcome visitors to the future of retail. Expo 2020 Dubai's visitors will be able to walk into any of the four available Pepsi Go stores, authenticate their method of payment, grab snacks and beverages from the shelves and simply walk out. 

Even more to come!
PepsiCo has promised to bring its unique sense of fun throughout the six months of Expo 2020 Dubai, including world-class entertainment and appearances.

PepsiCo will also contribute to vital conversations on how to build a sustainable food system at Expo 2020 Dubai's thematic weeks, including Climate Week, Water Week, UN Goals Week, and Food, Agriculture and Livelihoods Week. These critical discussions aim to unite people, communities, and nations to deliver solutions to some of the most pressing issues facing the planet.

Visit the Expo 2020 website to find out what else PepsiCo will be bringing and follow PepsiCoArabia on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

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Media Contact: pepsicomediarelations@pepsico.com 

About PepsiCo
PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers more than one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated more than US$70 billion in net revenue in 2020, driven by a complementary food and beverage portfolio that includes Frito-Lay, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Quaker, Tropicana and SodaStream. PepsiCo's product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including 23 brands that generate more than US$1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.

Guiding PepsiCo is our vision to Be the Global Leader in Convenient Foods and Beverages by Winning with Purpose. "Winning with Purpose" reflects our ambition to win sustainably in the marketplace and embed purpose into all aspects of the business.  For more information, visit www.pepsico.com.

About Expo 2020 Dubai
From 1 October 2021 to 31 March 2022, Expo 2020 Dubai will welcome visitors from every corner of the globe to join the making of a new world, as it brings together the planet in one place to reimagine tomorrow.

• With the purpose of 'Connecting Minds, Creating the Future', Expo 2020 will be the world's most impactful global incubator for new ideas, catalysing an exchange of new perspectives and inspiring action to deliver real-life solutions to real-world challenges
• Expo 2020 will provide a visually striking and emotionally inspiring 182 days, as more than 200 participants – including nations, multilateral organisations, businesses, and educational institutions, as well as millions of visitors – create the largest and most diverse World Expo ever
• Expo 2020's sub-themes of Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability will inspire visitors to preserve and protect our planet, explore new frontiers and build a better future for everyone
• Expo is committed to building a more equitable and just world for everyone, while keeping visitors safe by following the latest guidance of the world's leading medical, science and health experts
• Expo 2020 is the first World Expo to take place in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region, located on a 4.38 sqkm site adjacent to Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai South
• Built with a meaningful and measurable long-term legacy in mind, the Expo site will transform into District 2020 – a model global community that will rethink the cities of the future – after Expo 2020 closes its doors

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SOURCE PepsiCo, Inc.