The last ever Hotelympia in its current guise was hailed by visitors and exhibitors alike as a huge success, with new stages and immersive features providing an irresistible draw, returning the UK’s largest and most prestigious hospitality event to the very top of the bill.
The introduction of four contemporary events, united under one roof, added greater clarity to the show’s offering, with exhibitors attesting to meeting high quality visitors with purchasing power consistently throughout the four days.
Samantha Weller, Marketing Manager, Tevalis, said, “When exhibiting at Hotelympia, we’re always confident we’ll be put in front of our target audience who have a strong interest in the technology solutions we provide. This year was no different, we saw a great footfall and from a buying audience. A fantastic event which we’ll continue to attend in the future.”
Ben Forbes, Head of Marketing, Essential Cuisine, commented, 'From an Essential Cuisine perspective, Hotelympia is a great place for us to meet quality leads. Our stand was bustling throughout the four days with the right types of visitor – chefs, caterers, development chefs, end users – giving us the opportunity to network, discuss challenges, introduce people to our class-leading range and hopefully come away with some great new contacts.”
Justin Thomas, Brand Manager, RM Curtis & Co. Ltd, said, “As a first-time visitor to Hotelympia we were incredibly impressed with the organisation and the huge variety of exhibitors on show. The talks and speakers were invaluable – we got some great insight on the latest new trends. We’re excited to come back in 2020 for the new and improved HRC show.”
On the back of such a positive reaction, organiser Fresh Montgomery has reported a record exhibitor reservations for Hotel, Restaurant and Catering Show (HRC) 2020 – the new name for Hotelympia – as it continues to evolve and refine its offer, introducing an industry-first £150,000 hosted buyer scheme.
Portfolio Director Ross Carter attributes the success to a mix of the 2018 show’s revitalised offer and a wave of excitement and enthusiasm for the 2020 event, commenting, “Without doubt the changes we sought to implement to the 2018 show have paid off for our exhibitors, who were able to connect with more quality delegates than ever before. We as organisers have been delighted with the response to plans to further focus the show offer, and this is reflected in the wave of stand reservations.”
Elsewhere on the show floor, brand new feature stages, Hospitality Futures, The Launchpad and Café Commerce, kept visitors informed and inspired with programmes of highly focused and relevant content, covering everything from Brexit to breaking the glass ceiling, the rise of delivery to dining in the digital age and customer experience to the creation of more female entrepreneurs.
The final day of Hotelympia was dedicated to inspirational female figures in hospitality as the show marked International Women’s Day with a full programme of progressive discourse and mentoring sessions.
A live signing by organisations including Greene King, Georgian House Hotel and The Institute of Hospitality, of a 10-point Diversity in Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure charter, dedicated to accelerating the process of gender inclusivity in the industry, provided yet another high point in a day described by visitors as: “Amazingly empowering”, “informative and inspirational” and “a celebration of diversity”.
Experiential feature The Ultimate Dining Experience brought to you by SquareMeal lived up to its billing as 2018’s most comprehensive deep dive into the needs of today’s consumers. The show worked with design, project management and development company LXA to bring to life the results of a UK-wide piece of insight which explored diner nuances on everything from lighting to music, menus, artwork and front-of-house uniform preference. The end result, the beautiful ‘Violet’ restaurant, proved wildly popular with visitors.
The show’s chef audience was also amply catered for; International Salon Culinaire – divided into Live Theatre classes, young chef showcase, The Skills Theatre, fine dining challenge, La Parade des Chefs and the craft of Salon Display – providing action, entertainment and no shortage of medals.
The Staff Canteen Live, sponsored by Westlands, also welcomed a host of cooking talent, including Paul Ainsworth from Paul Ainsworth at Number 6, Sat Bains and John Freeman from Restaurant Sat Bains, Dan Doherty from Duck and Waffle, Gareth Ward from Ynyshir Restaurant with Rooms and Great British Menu winner Pip Lacey.
Hoteympia has now fully rebranded as the Hotel, Restaurant and Catering Show (HRC), returning the show to its original, heritage-rich 1935 identity.
The move is designed to lend greater clarity to the event’s offer and further reinforce its relevance to the entire hospitality and foodservice sector. Introduced in 2018, The Foodservice Show, The Professional Kitchen Show, Interiors and Tableware Show, Hospitality Tech Show and Café Commerce will continue as key pillars of the revitalised HRC proposition, sitting alongside chef competition, International Salon Culinaire.