Daily Archives: October 9, 2024

Innovation Challenge 2024 – the results

Discover new innovations before your competitors with the Innovation Challenge winners. New innovations were showcased from across the show floor including food, drink, technology and equipment products, the Innovation Challenge was the first port of call for visitors looking for products to differentiate their customer offering. The shortlisted companies pitched their products live on stage on day 2, the products were then tested by a panel of judges who determined whether it deserved a gold, silver of bronze award. The winners: Biff’s Plant Shack Lion’s Mane Mushroom Steak The judges said: “Bang on trend. Natural, healthy and agree that this is the steakiest vegetable…

Robust Approve and Deny System Drives Success at Casual Dining and lunch! 2024 

Casual Dining (now The National Restaurant, Pub & Bar Show) and lunch! celebrated their best ever shows at ExCeL London last week. The premier events in the hospitality, foodservice and food retail sector welcomed an impressive 8042 attendees – despite a robust approve and deny system put in place ahead of the show.    The implementation of the new vetting system, in response to exhibitor feedback expressing concerns about suppliers attending primarily to sell to exhibitors at industry trade shows, led to the rejection of 20% of visitor applications. Despite this rigorous screening process, the total event audience experienced only a marginal 8%…

Casual Dining Show Opens with Major New Announcement

The highly successful Casual Dining has opened its 10th anniversary show today at ExCeL London with the announcement that the show will change its name to the National Restaurant, Pub & Bar Show. This important name change, made possible with support from the industry, will better reflect the full range of hospitality operators who regularly attend the event.    Chris Brazier, Group Event Director for the show says “This is big news and follows feedback from the industry, with both operators and exhibitors feeling that a more inclusive name will attract even more operators to the industry’s favourite event, which…

lunch! and Casual Dining open at ExCeL London this week!

Decision makers across the UK are preparing for the most important shows of the year, Casual Dining, and lunch! which return to London this week.   lunch! – the definitive event for the café, coffee shop & food-to-go sector will co-locate with the 10th anniversary edition of Casual Dining – the definitive trade event for the restaurant, pub & bar sector when they return to ExCeL London on 18-19 September.  Together the shows will feature over 500 exhibitors, 6 Keynote Theatres (Casual Dining theatres sponsored by Uber Eats and lunch! Theatres sponsored by Lipton Ice Tea), and two Innovation Challenge Galleries…