Great Hospitality Show 2019

On January (23-25) we will enjoy a new edition of Great Hospitality Show, the UK’s largest exhibition for foodservice and hospitality. The managing director of the show, Toby Wand's, has answered us some questions in order to learn more about the major platform for the sector. If you are planning to attend, don't miss a detail!

What do you think makes it stand out from other shows?

The show offers so much under one roof and its diversity is its strength.

Nowhere else in 2017 will give you the chance to see Michelin-starred chefs rubbing shoulders with the up-and-coming stars of tomorrow. No other show can offer the very latest and most pertinent trends, the hot-button issues debated, or offer the chance to privately discuss business challenges with industry experts.

And absolutely nowhere else will give visitors such a broad snapshot of the latest, greatest innovative products on the market, sourced via a host of exhibitors from across hospitality.

The show is also the perfect place to discover cutting-edge products across food and drink, technology or equipment. What are the coming trends?

Well if I told you, I’d ruin the surprise! What I can say is that as far as the Great Hospitality Show is concerned, New Year means new products, and we’re keen to continue the tradition of bringing the very latest innovations to the public’s eyes, first. For our roster of exhibitors, the R&D barely ceases, which is why we are bringing back the Great Product Awards – set up to crown the ten finest hospitality products of 2017.

The final ten are set to be on show in a dedicated area throughout the three days while an overall winner will then be selected by an esteemed panel of judges and announced on the Business Briefing Stage at 4 pm on Monday 23 rd January. Show visitors will also be able to have their say in a very special People’s Choice accolade – decided via a Twitter vote.

The trend-spotting doesn’t stop there. The Business Briefing Stage will play host to a specially-curated programme of panel discussions which should help demystify a number of highly-pressing issues including Brexit, skills, apprenticeships, sustainability, careers, trends, branding, productivity and retention, revenue management, marketing, ground-breaking products and smarter kitchen design.

And on the same line, what can you highlight from the next edition? What is going to be the novelties?

This time around, the show is strengthened by a team of dedicated Ambassadors, representing the many facets of the industry-at-large. Sally Beck, GM of London’s Lancaster Hotel and a passionate champion of young talent in the industry, joins highly respected chef and bastion of kitchen skills Cyrus Todiwala OBE; Michelin-starred restaurateur, Andreas Antona and Mike Coldicott, director of kitchen design pioneers, Tricon. Each will be involved in events in and around the show throughout the three days.

Now in its fourth rotation, the Great Hospitality Show’s highly successful business mentor programme also returns to help show visitors with a host of challenges including design & branding, menu development, PR & marketing, staff motivation, revenue management, technology, kitchen management, legal and skills and development. The programme offers visitors completely FREE, bookable face-to-face business surgeries with some of the best in the business including, Senior Director at Michels and Taylor, Krupesh Patel, Client Services Director at Jellybean Creative, Susan Bolam, founder of Rixon Associates, Kellie Rixon, MBE, Sodexo Prestige Chef, Gareth Billington and wine consultant, Alistair Morrell.

In a Great Hospitality Show coup, one of the UK’s most admired and yet most enigmatic hoteliers, Ken McCulloch, will, alongside his wife, Amanda Rosa, be discussing a long and illustrious career as a creator of One Devonshire Gardens and the world famous Malmaison. Amanda is the creative genius behind the design of many of the world’s most beautiful hotels, making this dual interview one not to miss!

Exciting new elements will join old favourites in creating a serious buzz on the show floor when one of the world’s premier culinary competitions, Salon Culinaire, returns bigger and better.

The Salon Display category, sponsored by Compass Group, returns with a range of challenging platters, restaurant plates and pastry classes as well as the ever-popular sugarcraft which, for the very first time, will invite talented teams to work in collaboration on stunning displays.

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