teambuilding/hospitality 31 2013 show surpasses expectation
The Hotel & Catering Show 2013 (H&CS) returned to Bournemouth International Centre in style last month, with a fresh, dynamic clutch of new show features by new owners Evisstar, designed to support and engage hospitality operators in the south and across the UK.
H&CS delivered on every level, with senior hospitality professionals from independent and small businesses piling through the doors to meet over 120 exhibitors spread between two halls. A vibrant market-style atmosphere delighted as local suppliers and producers enticed show visitors with tempting tasters of regional delicacies.
Cheese Cellar impressed with the unveiling of Cropwell Bishop‘s new melt-in-the-mouth blue, Beauvale, as well as offering cuts of 2012 Best New Cheese award winner Francis. It teamed this with detailed commentary on each artisan cheese maker represented.
Purbeck Ice Cream and Cider Company, from Wareham in Dorset, rallied similar queues for samples of their unusual, gluten-free ice cream in flavours including Dorset Watercress and Dorset Blue Vinny Cheese. Jessica‘s Farmhouse Cakes was also a crowd-pleaser, with a spread of handmade cookies, tray bakes and cakes made using high-quality raw ingredients.
Other big-name, nationwide suppliers included Villeroy & Boch, Farrow & Ball, Movenpick and MSK Ingredients.
In collaboration with the Craft Guild of Chefs, Chefs‘ Kitchen saw giants Compass and Sodexo perform in individual chef team ”pressure tests”, with the brief to plate up outstanding four-course menus on each day of the show for 60 VIP guests including the mayor of Bournemouth, councillor Phil Stanley-Watts.
Alongside Chefs‘ Kitchen,12 practical business seminars delivered free, expert guidance on cutting-edge challenges for today‘s hospitality operator, including loyalty marketing techniques, food trends analysis, digital strategy and the relevance and role of restaurant ratings systems such as The Good Food Guide, Michelin stars and user-generated review websites like Yelp.
Delivering a keynote entitled ‘Tourism: Holding the reins of economic recovery in the south‘, on the opening morning of the show, Deirdre Wells OBE, head of tourism for the department for culture, media and sport, outlined the Government‘s commitment to supporting tourism in southern England saying: ”With 80% of UK tourism coming from the domestic market, it‘s really important that we all work
together [tourism attractions, hotel owners and the Government] to create a positive image of the UK, educating consumers about what is on their doorstep and reminding them of what is great about holidaying in Britain.
”Over four years, VisitBritain‘s international campaign, including GREAT, will invest more than £130 million in inbound tourism to the UK. A £2m GREAT Britain marketing campaign for the domestic market will launch this autumn to build on the success of the 20.12% ‘Holiday at Home‘ campaign.”
Speaking of the success of this year‘s H&CS, Richard Joslin, show director, said: ”We‘re overwhelmed with the impact H&CS has had on visitors and the feedback has surpassed expectation. Exhibitors are thrilled with the quality of the buyers walking the aisles and the reaction to our newly-introduced show features like The Staff Canteen LIVE and the seminar programme have been hugely positive. Tradeshows are under-credited for setting and responding to the immediate and future hospitality industry agenda and we‘ve worked really hard this year to design a two- day programme that delivers practical, helpful tips and networking opportunities to guide businesses to become more profitable and relevant in the long-term.”
THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – SOLENT & SOUTH CENTRAL – APRIL 2013
www.businessmag.co.uk
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36