New Casual Dining show serves up 3,655 attendees
Casual Dining – one of the year’s most hotly-anticipated trade event launches – proved a big hit with buyers last week. The two day show, which opened at the Business Design Centre in London on 26-27 February, attracted 3,655 attendees (excluding revisits) from across the casual dining sector.
Combining a bustling central trade exhibition with a packed programme of standing-room only Keynotes, Casual Dining delivered on its promise to be the dedicated event that this dynamic sector had been waiting for. Offering established and new casual dining operators the opportunity to meet up with existing and potential suppliers, to network, discover new products, and keep up with changing market trends, Casual Dining was hailed as a significant and overwhelming success by its organiser, Diversified Communications UK. More importantly, feedback from across the show floor has been full of praise for the launch.
Busy, vibrant, relevant, innovative, excellent, and essential – are just some of the words attendees have used to describe the 2014 show so far; with one visiting Orkney hotelier commenting that it was “well worth the 1,500 mile round trip”.
Louise Direito, from the pipeline innovation team at YUM Restaurants International, was another satisfied attendee. “Casual Dining is an excellent show. It is great to have an event that finally brings the industry together,” she says.
“Casual Dining was packed full of quality seminars with excellent speakers and great suppliers,” agrees Paul Pavli, operations director at Punch Taverns. “It’s a trade show that I’m sure will become a must do every year.”
Anthony Pender, managing director at The Yummy Pub Co (who appeared at the show as part of the Future Directions of the Pub Sector panel, hosted by Propel Info’s managing director Paul Charity), was equally upbeat – calling Casual Dining a “welcome change” to the trade show calendar, and complimenting its “diversity of stands”. He added that he “would definitely recommend more pub operators visiting Casual Dining next year”.
The show’s aisles were buzzing with a ‘who’s who’ of the sector, with many of the UK’s biggest pub groups and branded restaurant chains in attendance – including Amber Taverns, Ask Italian Restaurants, Browns Restaurant & Bar, Carluccio’s, Drake & Morgan, Enterprise Inns, Fuller, Smith & Turner, Giraffe Concepts, Gondola Group, Greene King, Hard Rock International, Jamie Oliver Restaurant Group, JD Wetherspoon, LAS Iguanas, Living Ventures, Mitchells and Butlers, Nando’s, Spirit Pub Company, T G I Fridays UK, The Restaurant Group, Tragus, Wagamama, Wahaca, Whiting & Hammond, Whyte & Brown, Yo! Sushi, and Zizzi Restaurants.
More than 1,300 independent outlets were also represented; of those, around a fifth (21%) cited a corporate spend in excess of £500,000.
Restaurants, pubs and bars, and wholesalers and distributers were by far the show’s biggest audience (31%, 23% and 15% respectively), followed by contract caterers at 12% and hotels at 9%.
“Casual Dining promised something different. What we got was buyers and operators looking for authentic, innovative, imaginative ideas. They came with open minds and eager to learn. It was our pleasure to spend two days doing what we do well, being appreciated and gaining new clients,” says exhibitor Angus McKenzie, managing director, of Kimbo Espresso Italiano.
The high turnout at the show (both in terms of quality and quantity of visitors) reflects the growing popularity of casual dining within the hospitality industry. Having doubled in size in just over a decade, the casual dining market is now worth £7bn, according to Peter Backman, managing director of the insights firm Horizons (host of the show’s opening Keynote). For many, the launch of the show itself was a clear sign that casual dining was thriving and gaining in both recognition – and sales.
“Big thanks really must go to all our exhibitors and partners who have supported the launch of Casual Dining right from the start,” says group event manager Chris Brazier. “We knew that expectations were going to be high – particularly because there’s been nothing quite like it before. But the way it has been so positively received – by thousands of suppliers and operators, from right across the UK – has been truly amazing.
We now have an exceptional foundation from which to grow and develop over the coming years. I’m looking forward to Casual Dining 2015 already!” he says.
Looking ahead to 2015, Diversified UK estimates that over 85% of the show’s 118 exhibiting companies will rebook (many have already requested to increase the size of their stands). Whilst growing interest from a raft of new companies ensures that exhibition space will certainly be expanded to include some of the Upper Feature Level at the Business Design Centre next year.
In addition to hosting the show’s awards, the Casual Dining Keynote Theatre was a hive of activity throughout. Powerful Keynotes – led by a stellar line-up of industry big hitters including Jens Hofma (Pizza Hut Restaurants), Peter Martin (CGA Peach), Simon Stenning (Allegra), Alex Reilley (Loungers), and Andrew Guy (Ed’s Easy Diner Group) – ensured that the comprehensive free education programme was one of the most commented upon features of the event.
“It’s fantastic to finally have a trade show dedicated to this part of the dining out sector. The keynote speakers brought a huge amount of insight and knowledge and were well worth the attendance alone,” comments Aaron Moore-Saxton, COO of Pizza Hut Restaurants.
CGA Peach Panel – The Chain Gang
CASUAL DINING INNOVATION CHALLENGE AWARDS 2014
“As a way of showcasing London Velvet to our potential customers, Casual Dining delivered on every level. We were able to engage with both independent free trade operators and large restaurant and pub groups alike – a perfect visitor mix,” comments David Green, owner of London Velvet. A crafted blend of Porter Ale and Fine Cider, William Sharvatt’s London Velvet was commended at the event’s first Innovation Challenge Awards.
Designed to promote and celebrate genuinely new ideas in the market, including brand new innovations and new twists on established concepts, the Innovation Challenge Live saw 15 finalists pitch their ideas to a panel of industry judges on the second day of the show. The panel included Karen Jameson, acting head of food at Nando’s; Jo Haslam, director at TLC Inns; and Simon Stenning, foodservice strategy director at Allegra.
Casual Dining Innovation Challenge Gold Award recipients were Haywood Drink Products for Liquor Whipped – a 14% premium vodka infused drink and dessert topping; and Purbeck Ice Cream for Dorset Blue Vinny Ice Cream – a natural and versatile ice cream made with Dorset Blue Vinny Cheese.
“We are thrilled and excited to win this award, recognising the accolade for the product as well as the imagination and creativity of our fabulous team!” says Hazel Hartle, co-founder of Purbeck Ice Cream.
Winterhalter’s UC Series DeMatik warewasher was also commended for it eco-credentials.
CASUAL DINING INTERIOR DESIGN AWARD WINNERS 2014
Show highlights included the announcement of the winners of Casual Dining’s prestigious Design Awards. Reflecting the importance of design in conveying brand identity, creating ambiance, and, ultimately attracting and retaining customers, the awards highlighted the abundance of creativity at work in today’s casual dining establishments. The shortlist included selected interior design projects from thirty-nine finalists.
Under the chairmanship of leading design commentator David Worthington, chairman of Designersblock and H&M Group, the judges (Afroditi Krassa, founder of Afroditi Krassa Design, who was commissioned by Julian Metcalfe to design the Itsu brand; Theo Williams, creative director of Designed and Sourced, and former head of design at John Lewis Home; and Simon Kincaid, associate director of Conran and Partners) applauded the number of exciting award entries; commenting that had inspired much debate among the panel.
Best Designed Independent Restaurant winner: Graze Bar, Brewery & Chophouse in Bath (operated by Bath Ales, designed by Simple Simon Designs) – “It looks great, stylish, welcoming,” said the judges.
Highly commended for its “integrity and creativity”: Rosa’s Thai Café, London (operated by Rosa’s London Limited, designed by Gundry And Duckers/Buro Creative).
Best Designed Multiple Restaurant winner: Vapiano with sites in Austria and Germany (operated by Vapiano Franchising International GmbH, designed by Matthew Thun, Milan) – singled out by the judges as a brand that “works anywhere in the world”, they praised its “integrity of concept, and application to site”.
Highly commended for its “strength of brand”: Chilango, London (operated by Chilango, designed by I-AM Associates).
Best Designed Casual Dining Pub winner: No 11 Pimlico Road, London (operated by Darwin & Wallace, designed by Buro Creative/Fusion DNA) – “Classy, fresh and considered” said the judges, they also praised its “careful selection of simple but classic fittings”.
Highly commended for its “excellent architecture”: Hall & Woodhouse, Portishead, Somerset (operated by Hall & Woodhouse Ltd, designed by Mackenzie Wheeler).
David Worthington presents Melanie Marriott from No11 Pimlico Road with the Best Designed Casual Dining Pub Award
Casual Dining (including the Design Awards and Innovation Challenge Live) will return to the Business Design Centre, Islington, London, on 25-26 February 2015. For more information, please visitwww.casualdiningshow.co.uk.
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Media enquiries & photography requests to:
Emma-Louise Jones, PR Manager
t: 44 (0)1273 645134 e: ejones@divcom.co.uk
Website: www.divcom.co.uk
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Exhibitor enquiries to:
Chris Brazier, Group Event Manager
t: 44 (0)1273 645123 e: cbrazier@divcom.co.uk
Website: www.casualdiningshow.co.uk
Twitter: www.twitter.com/CasDiningShow
Diversified Communications UK Ltd (Diversified UK) is a fast growing trade event organiser and publisher based in Brighton and Nailsworth (Glos). Diversified UK’s portfolio includes Casual Dining (new for 2014); lunch! (winner of Best Marketing Campaign of the Year at the Association of Event Organisers Excellence Awards in 2012, and Best UK Trade Show Exhibition (under 2,000sqm) in 2010 & 2011); The Natural Food Show (part of Natural & Organic Products Europe); Nordic Organic Food Fair in Malmö, Sweden (co-located with Natural Products Scandinavia); Geo Business (new for 2014); Ocean Business (including Offshore Survey Conference & Ocean Careers); MARELEC Marine Electromagnetics conference in Hamburg, Germany; camexpo; office*; SITS – The Service Desk & IT Support Show; Natural Products magazine; and the Natural Beauty Yearbook.
Diversified UK is part of Diversified Communications, a leading international media company with a successful portfolio of sector leading exhibition, conferences, publications and websites.
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