Going on vocation
This year sees the launch of a brand new recruitment fair, the only one dedicated entirely to hospitality, and a must-visit event for anyone eager to make a career in this dynamic and rewarding industry.
Caterer.com Live is expected to draw about 2,500 visitors to the Novotel, Hammersmith, London, on 9 and 10 September. And those visitors, whether newcomers to hospitality or seasoned employees wanting to make their next career move, will have the chance to meet the cream of the sector's UK employers.
Among the 30 employers exhibiting are hotel brands such as Thistle, Accor and Radisson Edwardian; pub operators such as Greene King and Scottish & Newcastle; and the various divisions of contract catering giant Compass Group. All will be on the lookout for potential employees with the drive, determination and passion to carve out a successful career in one of the many strands of the hospitality sector.
Visitors will also be able to hear words of wisdom from top executives. Speakers in the series of seminars in the Live Theatre include one of the country's leading chefs, Michael Caines, chef-director at Gidleigh Park, Chagford, Devon; Karen Earp, general manager of the Four Seasons hotel at Canary Wharf, London, and Caterer & Hotelkeeper‘s Hotelier of the Year 2001; and Dan Wright, managing director of food service at contract catering group Aramark. Find out how they started out on such successful career paths, why they were drawn to the industry in the first place, and what continues to motivate them. These are informal sessions and there'll be plenty of opportunity to ask questions.
Other workshops will offer tips on drafting a CV, and advice on how to present yourself at interview from image consultant Fiona Ingham of the House of Colour.
It has been a roller-coaster year in the hospitality industry, with the events of 11 September 2001 causing massive upheaval and a great deal of uncertainty.
A year on, however, things are looking much brighter, says Roddy Watt, chief executive of hospitality recruitment specialist, the Berkeley Scott Group, and now is an ideal time to be entering the industry or making a step up the ladder.
"There is still a shortage of high-quality candidates and there are tremendous opportunities for capable, ambitious, hard-working people. Also, the more forward-thinking employers have realised that they are in a seller's market, that the candidate is king and that, in any case, it is the people who make a business successful or otherwise. Hence, the better companies have been making the recruitment process more coherent. The industry is unrecognisable from what it was five years ago."
So, come to the fair and be inspired, excited and even surprised by the fascinating career opportunities that this industry can offer.
Exhibitors
Accor Hotels UK & Ireland
Action Recruitment Europe
All Bar One
Ancer Recruitment
Berkeley Scott
Caffé Uno
Cataforce
Chiquito
City Inn
Cunard Line
Debenhams
Devco
Est Est Est
Etap
Eurest Retail Services
Formule 1
Frankie & Benny's
Garfunkel's
Greene King Pub Company
Halliday Catering Services
HCA International
Hilton Group - London
Houston & Church
Ibis
Iceland
Jurys Doyle Hotel Group
K West
Royal Lancaster Hotel
The Landmark London
Le Méridien UK & Ireland
Mercure
Moto
Moat House Hotels
Novotel
Portfolio International
Radisson Edwardian Hotels
Radisson SAS Hotels & Resorts
Red Carnation Hotels
Regent Recruitment
Restaurant Associates UK
The Royal Air Force
Scottish & Newcastle Retail
Sofitel Hotels & Resorts
Specialist Holidays Group
Spirit Group
Springboard UK
Thistle Hotels
