FEA Conference to explore hospitality operators of the future

The Foodservice Equipment Association (FEA) will be looking towards the future of the hospitality industry during its 2026 conference.

The event will be taking place on 18-19 November at the Staverton Park hotel in Northamptonshire for the first time.

A split programme for the business day on 19 November will see the morning focusing on economic and business insight, while the afternoon looks at training and development – with an eye on FEA’s NextGen initiative, which is looking to attract young people to the industry and subsequently support them.

The business day will begin with Vicky Pryce, chief economic adviser at the Centre for Economics and Business Research, giving an economic update and projections on what the future holds for hospitality, while Mike Jones, editor of Foodservice Consultant, will look at foodservice trends around the world. The conference will also hear from the Zero Carbon Forum about ‘operators of the future’.

Henry Francis, senior strategy and projects manager of Deliveroo, will present during a mid-morning ‘powerhouse’ session, followed by one of the keynote speakers, Mika Halttunen, chairman of Halton, ending the morning with his talk, ‘Building a winning culture, globally’.

Attracting young professionals will be the afternoon’s theme. Following an update on NextGen’s progress, DWP’s John Spraggett of the Strategic Relationship Team will look at government initiatives, such as the youth guarantee, and consider strategies for moving forward. More youth-focused presentations will include a panel session looking at training, and considering whether the equipment supply chain is doing enough to support operators.

FEA chair Emma Brooks said: “This year’s speaker platform looks incredible, and we’re not finished yet. Our conference team is doing a fantastic job – I can’t wait to see the final lineup.”