In the first of three previews, Lisa Jenkins discovers what visitors can look forward to at this year's HRC show at Excel London
HRC (formerly Hotelympia) is now one event split into four shows: the Foodservice Show, the Professional Kitchen Show, the Interiors and Tabletop Show and the Hospitality Tech Show.
All four offer foodservice and hospitality professionals the chance to meet with a range of leading suppliers, to taste, test and source new products and services to drive their business forward for 2020 onwards.
Buying bonanza
Fresh Montgomery, the organisers of HRC, has announced the launch of the first HRC Buyers' Club in London – a dedicated hosted buyer scheme for the hospitality and foodservice industry.
The Buyers' Club will bring together the UK's most influential procurement and purchasing professionals from leading hotels, restaurants and catering businesses to offer a host of exclusive benefits.
The Club provides one night's hotel accommodation near the venue with free parking, exclusive content, an invitation to the HRC Street Food Festival, and unlimited access to the Terrace, the event's VIP lounge.
In exchange, Buyers' Club members will commit to conducting a minimum of eight pre-arranged appointments from a choice of 650 leading hospitality and foodservice suppliers.
Phil Howard, category development manager at Foodbuy (Compass Group) and HRC Buyers' Club member, said: "Being a member of the HRC Buyers' Club allows like-minded procurement specialists the facility of networking and looking at future opportunities within the industry for the benefit of both the employees and the company.
"As the current category manager for uniform, catering, cleaning and media equipment, plus the hire of catering and banqueting equipment, we are always looking for more suppliers to present to us with a view to working with Foodbuy, which will enable us to see what is new, what innovation is available and, of course, price."
To join the HRC Buyers Club, visit www.hrc.co.uk/hrc-buyers-club
Join the FEA trails
From March 2020 the Catering Equipment Suppliers' Association (CESA) becomes the Foodservice Equipment Association (FEA). Members of the FEA secretariat will be on stand P621 to explain the new structure of the association, including sector-dedicated committees that are tasked with informing the market about new developments. There are 14 committees covering areas such as refrigeration, beverage systems and service and spares.
The FEA is also organising the HRC Trend Trails, a route around the Professional Kitchen show constructed to show how equipment can provide solutions for various operator challenges. For example, technologically advanced dishwashers can reduce water, energy and chemical consumption, reducing costs and enhancing sustainability credentials.
Visitors can pick up one of six Trend Trails maps from the FEA stand. The trials cover six broad areas: sustainability, cost management, operations, staff, customer focus and food. Each area is subdivided – for example, ‘Food' has two trails, one covering food safety and the other food and flavour trends.
Future vision
The Vision Stage at HRC is the go-to destination to learn about the latest trends from across the food, drink and hospitality industries. You can listen to talks, panel discussions and interviews from industry leading speakers and influencers. Dedicated sessions will tackle topics from the perspective of hoteliers, restaurateurs and catering professionals, all with a common theme covering foodservice throughout. Industry topics will include:
- Staff recruitment and retention – how can your business tackle the growing negative perception of working in hospitality? What alternatives can your business implement to improve the happiness and overall wellbeing of your staff?
- Sustainability and waste management – how can your business lessen the amount of food that goes to waste each day? Can your business be more self-sufficient? What resources are available for reusing food? And what about plastic-free alternatives?
- Health and wellbeing – what can you do to improve the health and wellbeing of your staff? How can you offer flexible working, mental health support and adapt your business model to change the way you do business for the better? This session will look at the rise in ‘experimental' offerings in hotels and the increase in health and wellbeing benefits for guests – ideas and inspiration to take away for your business.
- Marketing and branding masterclasses – the rise of influencers and how to work with them; how to make sure your offerings are ‘Instagrammable'; and social media tips and branding best practice.
- Alternative revenue streams and the future of restaurant design – the growth of food delivery opportunities, the increased number of ‘dark kitchens' around the UK, changes in restaurant design and how food delivery services are affecting restaurants.
- The great British drinks movement – with an increase in the range of drinks coming from our home soil, it's the best time to celebrate British drinks, both alcoholic and alcohol-free, while highlighting the next big drinks trends for 2020 onwards.
Visitor information
Where Excel London, 1 Western Gateway, Royal Victoria Dock, London Docklands, London E16 1XL www.hrc.co.uk
When 3 March (10am-5pm) 4 March (10am-5pm) 5 March (10am-4pm)
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