FCSI Europe, Africa, Middle East (EAME) has released the full agenda for the 2026 HEART ‘26 Conference, which will take place at The Titanic Hotel in Liverpool, England, on 28–31 May 2026. At the Conference, foodservice industry professionals from across the region will connect and share insights to bring the global foodservice industry together, driving harmonization and strengthening its communities.
This year’s program centers on five topics under its umbrella theme: Humanity, Environment, AI/Automation, Responsibility, and Togetherness (HEART). The agenda features keynote speakers, expert presentations and panel sessions. The event will again be moderated by 1473 Media’s Michael Jones and Tina Nielsen.
Professor Bryce Evans (pictured below), food historian at Liverpool Hope University, will deliver the opening keynote, focusing on Liverpool’s role in global food history and culture, highlighting its pioneering Chinatown and maritime influences and telling the story of Liverpool through its connection to foodservice.
The next session will address Olympian-sized achievements as Invito Design’s Danny Potter FCSI will give an interactive walk-through of how the brief to bring Olympia, London’s newest entertainment destination and a £2.6bn regeneration project, was delivered by his team and its partners. The session will explore the challenges and design approach, and will feature additional insights from Lewis Bruce, of Foster Refrigerator and Gamko UK, Richard Fordham of Sicotronic UK Limited, and Simon Parke-Davis of Alto-Shaam, Inc.
The first pillar of the Conference’s central HEART theme, ‘Humanity’, will then be explored with a panel featuring Glenn Campbell FCSI from Cohesion Consulting, Claire Moss FCSI from Kreate, and Marta Cebrián López FCSI from MCL Food Consulting, that will focus on ‘Human engineering in foodservice design’.
The afternoon of Day One will see a presentation from FCSI’s Emerging Professionals in Consulting (EPiC) members, while Alexandra French, CEO of Xampla, will address the ‘Environment’ pillar of the Conference with a presentation on replacements for single-use plastics in foodservice. Day one’s agenda will close with an interview with Liverpool-based restaurant operator Nisha Katona MBE (pictured below), founder of Mowgli Street Food. Katona is also an author, TV presenter, and the founder of the Mowgli Trust charity, which donates more than £500,000 to local and world charities every year.
The day will close with attendees enjoying dinner at Everton Football Club’s stunning new Hill Dickinson Stadium, which opened in Liverpool in 2025.
Responsible foodservice
Day Two will kick off with a consultant-led panel addressing how ‘AI/Automation’ is impacting both the role of the consultant and commercial kitchens in general. It will feature Khaled Halabi FCSI from H+K United and Primoz Cernigoj FCSI from PROprima.
Emma Best, operations director, Eurest (part of Compass Group and the market leader in the provision of food and support services to the business and industry sector), will address ‘What is a responsible business?’, focusing on Eurest’s approach to sustainability targets, managing waste, and food sourcing.
A panel featuring the FCSI Worldwide board will then address the topic of ‘Togetherness’. Exploring global industry collaboration, Frank Wagner FCSI, Julian Edwards FCSI, Brent Hall FCSI, and Phil Llewellyn FCSI will discuss how industry collaboration is creating a bright future for FCSI members.
And it’s not all about conference room speeches and discussions. On the Saturday afternoon, delegates will explore the sights and sounds of Liverpool. Experiencing firsthand the spectacular regenerative aspects of this vibrant city. Delegates will have the opportunity to meet and discuss informally and build new relationships while re-energizing before the finale event back at The Titanic’s Rum Room on the Saturday evening.
Making industry connections
The Conference will include multiple opportunities for attendees to network over coffee, lunch, and evening dinners.
Julian Edwards FCSI, chair-elect of FCSI EAME, said: “This year, I am particularly excited about the quality and caliber of the speakers and the central HEART theme as the thread of the program. This comprehensive program is designed to inspire delegates to take actionable insights back to their organizations. All attendees will leave with a new insight, method of working, and a knowledge of Liverpool they never knew before. and very long-lasting fond memories of #HEART26.”
Elonique Dalhuisen executive director, FCSI EAME, added, “We are proud to bring the industry together in such a vibrant city. Liverpool is the perfect setting to foster collaboration and innovation within the foodservice community, and we can’t wait to bring the industry together for this wonderful event.”
Further details:
Would you also like to be part of #HEART26? It’s not too late! Get in touch via office@fcsi.eu to explore the opportunities. Let’s create something impactful together.
Lauren Hurrell
