Montgomery Group launches umbrella brand for London foodservice shows

Events specialist Montgomery Group is bringing a number of its foodservice trade shows under a new overarching brand called Food, Drink & Hospitality Week.

The umbrella term will encompass IFE Manufacturing, IFE, The Pub Show and HRC, as well as chef competition, International Salon Culinaire.

Food, Drink & Hospitality Week aims to be a celebration of industry innovation, quality suppliers and valuable business conversations, providing opportunities to network, explore and discover products and services.

In addition to the core shows taking place on 25-27 March at ExCeL London, the Food, Drink & Hospitality Week brand will feature additional networking events, partnerships and conferences including the Campden BRI conference, the IFST (Institute of Food Science & Technology) conference and the Love Hospitality gala dinner organised by The Burnt Chef Project, which centres on hospitality mental health awareness.

Montgomery Group is expecting more than 30,000 industry representatives to attend, with around 1,500 UK and international suppliers already signed up to exhibit. The Food, Drink & Hospitality Week line-up will include debates, chef demos, panel discussions and new product pitches across 10 stages, as well as more than 100 live competitions taking place as part of International Salon Culinaire.

This year will see the launch of the IFE Manufacturing Ingredients Awards, in partnership with the IFST, networking events hosted by HOSPA, Arena and the FEA, and the return of Chef HQ - a demo kitchen, stage and networking area featuring leading UK chefs taking deep dives into a range of cuisines, trends and ingredients.

Montgomery Group’s portfolio director Philippa Christer commented: “The launch of the Food, Drink & Hospitality Week brand is an important step in an exhilarating period of growth for our March portfolio of events, expanding our partnerships with key industry organisations and diversifying our offering to the industry.

“Our vision for Food, Drink & Hospitality Week is a citywide celebration of everything that makes this sector unique: showcasing product innovation, connecting visitors with the trailblazers that can transform their business and providing a platform for discussions vital to the industry’s future.”