Welcome to hotelympia '96
At least 60,000 visitors are expected to descend on Earls Court from 6-11 February for Hotelympia '96, which will be the most comprehensive exhibition ever for the hospitality industry.
More than 800 exhibitors, occupying more than 50,000sq m of floor space, will also make it the biggest Hotelympia to date - an achievement because the event is also celebrating its diamond jubilee.
Hotelympia '96 is sponsored by Caterer & Hotelkeeper and Catering Update, along with the British Contract Furnishing Association and the Association of Catering Equipment Manufacturers & Importers.
Food buyers, caterers, restaurateurs, hoteliers, facilities managers, designers and specifiers from throughout the UK, as well as Europe, Australasia, the USA and the Far East are expected at Hotelympia, looking for new products and suppliers, keeping up to date with trends, and doing business.
Buyers representing the entire industry, from hotels and restaurants, pubs and clubs to contract caterers, sports and leisure centres, schools, prisons, hospitals and the armed forces, make Hotelympia one of the largest hotel and catering industry events in the world.
With a new layout and clearly defined sections, the exhibition should be easier to get around than ever before.
As usual, there is a Food and Drink Hall and Equipment Hall, as well as a section devoted to tableware and furnishings.
New for 1996 is the addition of Hotech, the established hotel and catering technology exhibition, which is moving to a logical position alongside Hotelympia. This will give Hotech the highest number of visitors ever, people from all areas of the industry who need to update technology and seek software solutions.
Alongside the exhibitors, there is a full programme of events and special features. Making its second appearance at Hotelympia is La Parade des Chefs, a working restaurant that provides not only an eating facility for visitors, but also the chance to experience an exciting competition that is growing in stature on the international circuit.
La Parade des Chefs will serve more than 180 covers during the exhibition. Previous events have been held in Luxembourg in November 1994 and Chicago in May 1995, and following Hotelympia the next stop on the circuit is the four-yearly Culinary Olympics in Berlin in September.
Not to be outdone, the UK's largest catering contest, the Salon Culinaire International de Londres, also known as the British Open Cookery Championships, will feature 1,500 chefs taking part in 86 competition classes in both the Display Salon and the Practical Theatre.
Classes include the National Chef of the Year Final, the Contemporary Cuisine Challenge, sponsored by New Zealand Lamb, and the prestigious Master Chef Grand Prix for national and international chef teams of three, where, in the Practical Theatre, three to four hours are allowed to produce a three-course meal from a surprise basket of ingredients.
