The calendar of in-person trade shows and congresses in the foodservice sector is starting to fill up again; a relief to all those who work in hospitality.
Early March sees the return of Madrid-based Hospitality Innovation Planet (HIP), a hybrid event combining a comprehensive conference programme with key note speakers addressing every element of hospitality and a trade show with manufacturers exhibiting on the show floor.
“HIP has come to be recognised among the most valuable professional events in the sector,” says event director Manel Bueno Ballesteros. “This is partly because of the contents of the Hospitality 4.0 Congress, which addresses every market segment, and on the other hand the innovation and inspiration brought to the event by our partners and exhibitors.”
An audience of 25,000 operators and executives from across the hospitality sectors expected to converge on IFEMA exhibition centre in Madrid and the exhibition space will be bigger than ever, accommodating over 500 companies that will exhibit new products and services and innovations from every aspect of the foodservice sector.
Alongside commercial kitchen equipment manufacturers are big foodservice brands including Makro, Caixabank, Barcelona Culinary Hub, Estrella Galicia, Unilever and Nestlé Professional.
Operating in a post-pandemic world
In February 2020, HIP was among the last goal live events to take place before Covid-19 hit the world and it was among the earliest live hospitality events to return to the calendar after the pandemic in 2021 and acted as a support to hospitality sector grappling with new requirements after the Covid placed demands on occupancy, health and safety, curfews and temperature checks to name a few.
The focus of the 2022 programme will be on learning to manage in a post-pandemic world with its new challenges – and opportunities – for operators.
Speakers will address the new concepts and business models that have appeared in tandem with new consumer demands and habits. “The objective is to help operators and hospitality executives to drive their businesses forward in this changing world,” says Ballesteros.
This 6th edition of the congress reflects the many changes that have happened in the sector since the last show – new elements include the plant-based forum, addressing the rapid rise in plant-based foodservice; and the CEO forum, exploring success stories from those at the helm of hospitality companies.
These will join all the regular sections of the programme, including hotel trends, restaurant trends, foodservice robotics pioneers, delivery and food as a service.
Resilience and adaptability
According to Ballesteros there’s a different modd among operators in the sector this year. “For them it is clear that 2022 will have to be the big year for to progress and to leave behind the worst moments of the pandemic and continue to grow as we move ahead,” he says. “In the current climate of change, getting together in person to learn and evolve is more important than ever to map out the route to recovery for a sector that has been severely hurt by the pandemic.”
Events such as HIP, he says, will be key to the onward path of recovery for the foodservice and hospitality sector.
“The Horeca sector has been among those worst affected by the pandemic, but it has shown its resilience and ability to adapt to new circumstances with agility,” he concludes. “It is important for me that HIP can play a vital part in helping the sector make the most of the opportunities that have come on the back of the challenging times of the past two years.”
HIP 2022 will take place 7-9 March 2022 at IFEMA exhibition centre in Madrid. For more information visit www.expohip.com
