Top industry names join ‘Working lunch!’ seminar line-up
lunch!, the UK’s premier food-to-go trade show, returns to London’s Old Billingsgate next month on 29-30 September, with a host of inspiring Keynote and demo sessions led by some of biggest names in the out of home food and drink industry.
Since training and development is key to the running of any successful business, lunch!’s free ‘Working lunch!’ programme offers visitors a wealth of insight and expertise in to how to thrive in the food-to-go market.
Spanning a broad range of topics, this year’s Keynotes open with a session by Tony Keating, CEO of SSP UK & Ireland, discussing ‘Tailored solutions for today’s travellers’ and how SSP achieves consumer loyalty in the diverse travel market. SSP is the leading operator of food and beverage brands in travel locations worldwide, with Keating himself responsible for over 700 units, including the Airports and Railway station businesses, Millie’s Cookies retail chain, and Rail Gourmet, which focuses on 'onboard' train catering and logistics in UK and Europe.
“Whilst it is imperative to keep an eye on the wider food market, lunch! is a fantastic forum to focus 100% on what we do at SSP – food to go,” says Keating. “I relish the opportunity to discuss ideas and innovations with my colleagues across the industry and to discover new ways in which to grow our exciting business segment.”
Other confirmed Keynote speakers, to date, include industry guru Nellie Nichols, who’ll be hosting an exclusive, interactive ‘Sandwich and snack surgery’ designed to provide practical advice to food-to-go businesses (visitors wishing to submit questions for this session, should email cbrazier@divcom.co.uk before 28 September); Andrew Rhodes, UK director of operations at Food Standards Agency, explaining ‘The new food hygiene rating scheme – how it works and what it means for your business’; and Steve Bartlett, the former CEO of Coffee Republic, discussing his experience of being at the top of a major high street coffee company, as well as his theories behind the triumph and flaws of corporate franchise in ‘Anyone can can’t do it’ (11.45am, Friday 30 September).
In addition to his Keynote session, Bartlett will also feature in a panel debate on the UK’s sandwich market, chaired by Simon Ambrose, Editor of International Sandwich & Snack News. He’ll appear alongside Felicity Aylward – senior food development technologist at Wild Bean Café (BP) and chair of The British Sandwich Association Management Committee for 2011 – Subway®’s R&D food technical manager for Europe, Georg Burkhohl.
One of the most important aspects of any event is the quality of its speakers, and lunch!’s on-going partnership with the British Sandwich Association – the voice of the British sandwich industry – helps to bring a broad industry perspective to this annual gathering of key buyers and decision-makers from the UK’s £11.3bn out of home food and drinks sector.
"It's really great to work with an exhibition team that listen to the needs and interests of the industry and deliver just that," says BSA Director Jim Winship. "This year's show is particularly important coming just before the 250th anniversary of the sandwich and at a time when many are thinking of starting new sandwich businesses. We hope, through the seminars and workshops, we can point newcomers in the right direction and help those already in the industry to gain from the work and experience of others."
Winship’s Keynote, ‘From the Olympics to the 250thanniversary – what’s in store’, will outline how the BSA plans to celebrate next year’s milestone anniversary of the ‘invention’ of the sandwich, which was named after John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, in 1762. The BSA’s director will also sit on the industry judging panel for the show’s new lunch! Innovation Challenge (1.45pm, Keynote Theatre, Thursday 29 September), in which participating exhibitors will vie to have their ideas awarded ‘Gold’ or ‘Commended’.
Complementing the show’s Keynotes is lunch!’s Demonstration Theatre, home to The British Smoothie Championships, sponsored by Magrini (12.45pm on Thursday 29 September), and the BSA Training Academy. Notable Demonstration Theatre highlights include financing your sandwich business (from Adam Tyler, chief executive of The National Association of Commercial Finance Brokers), tips on commercial sandwich design (from multi-Sandwich Designer of the Year winner Mark Arnold), and two fantastic ‘Learning from experience’ sessions featuring leading operators – Barry Hampson (Nuvo), Victoria Bishop (The Armadillo Café), Ben Sibbald (Made by Ben), and Peter Dore-Smith (Kaffeine) – discussing their experiences and sharing some of the lessons they’ve learnt along the way.
There’s also an opportunity to be inspired by the ‘Founding Fathers’ – some of the key innovators responsible for helping to shape the modern sandwich industry – Jesper Toft (founder of Toft Foods), Philip Brown (founder of independent sandwich shop chain Philpotts) and, making his lunch! debut, Ray Raynor (founder of Raynors Foods – winner of the 2010 BSA Sandwich Manufacturer of the Year Award at The Sammies) talking business while making their favourite sandwiches.
Other familiar faces at the show include independent restaurant consultant Franklyn Boltman, founder of independent sandwich bar Thanks for Franks. Following a standing room only session at last year’s show, Boltman is delighted to be invited back for 2011.
“Ask not what you can do for your country... Ask when lunch! 2011 opens. It’s the award winning food show that brings to market all that's new in product and great ideas. I'm very proud to participate,” says Boltman.
Due to the anticipated popularity of his talk on ‘How to Build a Successful Café or Sandwich Business’, Boltman will be speaking at 11am in the Demonstration Theatre on both days of lunch! 2011.
“We are absolutely thrilled with the quality of the education programme at this year’s show, which features some of the best speakers and most influential names in our industry today. It is without doubt our best programme yet,” says Chris Brazier, event manager of lunch!.
The show’s organiser, Diversified Business Communications UK, is due to release the full details of the ‘Working lunch!’ education programme later this week.
lunch! is free to attend for pre-registered trade visitors. For further information and to register, please visit www.lunchshow.co.uk quoting priority code LUN11009.
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Media enquiries to:
Emma-Louise Jones, PR Executive
t: 44 (0)1273 645134 e: ejones@divcom.co.uk @DiversifiedUK
lunch! exhibitor enquiries to:
Chris Brazier, Event Manager
t: 44 (0)1273 645123 e: cbrazier@divcom.co.uk @lunchexhibition
NOTES:
If reproducing this press release in print, please include the Priority Code: LUN11009.
In July 2011, lunch! won Best UK Trade Show Exhibition (Under 2,000m2) at the Association of Event Organisers (AEO) Excellence Awards for the second year running.
lunch! is the UK’s only dedicated trade show for the £5billion quality lunchtime food-to-go market. Developed in consultation with leading industry suppliers and retailers, lunch! provides owners and managers of quality sandwich bars, juice bars, cafes, coffee bars and contract caterers, to source new products, find out about all the latest food-to-go market trends and network with 1000's of industry professionals all in one dedicated arena.
Website http://www.lunchshow.co.uk
LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=3143327&mostPopular=&trk=tyah
Twitter http://twitter.com/#!/lunchexhibition
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/lunch/106355532742317
VISITOR INFORMATION:
Admission: Free to pre-registered trade visitors, £20 on-the-door
Location: Old Billingsgate, London EC3R 6DX
Opening days: Thursday 29 & Friday 30 September 2011
Members of the media can reserve press passes to lunch! by contacting Emma-Louise Jones at ejones@divcom.co.uk.
Diversified Business Communications (UK) Ltd (Diversified UK) is a fast growing event organising and publishing company based in Brighton. In addition to lunch!, Diversified UK also organises Natural & Organic Products Europe, camexpo, the Independent Health Store Conference, office*, and the Service Desk & IT Support Show. It publishes Natural Products – the industry’s leading trade magazine, and the Natural Beauty Yearbook.
Diversified UK is part of Diversified Business Communications, a leading international media company with a successful portfolio of sector leading exhibition, conferences, publications and websites.
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