HIP: a must-attend event for professionals in the hospitality industry
Sensorility
Cooking Europe.Tilburg, 15th March 2023
Hospitality Innovation Planet 2023 has closed its doors breaking records with a total of 43,800 attendees from the hotel, restaurant, and tourism industry.
HIP (Hospitality Innovation Planet) 2023 took place between March 6th and 8th at IFEMA in Madrid. It was undoubtedly a must-attend event for professionals and investors in the hospitality, restaurant, and tourism sectors. It was an excellent opportunity for industry entrepreneurs to discover the latest technology, products, and services that can help them improve their customers’ experience and increase their profits.
Of course, Cooking Europe did not want to miss this international Horeca event, which brought together more than 40,000 hospitality professionals.
Erika Silva, director of the HIP congress, and Manel Bueno, COO of Next Business Exhibition, started the conference by making their debut on stage and welcoming us to this special event for the world of hospitality. With a total of 600 exhibitor firms and hospitality professionals, we were able to observe the new trends in hospitality, as well as tools and solutions from the sector.
The digitization of the Horeca sector is no longer an option, it is a reality. In recent years, technology has had a significant impact, transforming the operation of hospitality businesses and offering a wide range of services to customers. More and more restaurants and hotels allow customers to make online reservations, permitting restaurants to better plan their resources. Digital menus and personalized customer service are other aspects where digitization has made a difference, saving on staff and creating unique experiences for customers.
Hotels and restaurants prefer to manage inventory and cost control through specialized software, thus achieving an increase in profit through better cost control and efficiency in their companies. In general, digitization has brought many benefits to the hospitality sector. However, we must always keep in mind that the implementation of technology in our company may require significant initial investments, which is why we must conduct a thorough study to choose the most beneficial option.
Another star concept of the conference was sustainability. Hospitality entrepreneurs increasingly keep in mind that customers consider policies and actions in favor of the environment. Consumers are interested in choosing establishments that are environmentally friendly and care about their social impact.
That’s why we find more and more hotels and restaurants opting for sustainable gastronomic experiences, which are not only linked to environmental criteria, but also to social and cultural criteria. Because sustainability is also linked to promoting economic activity in the area (local employment, purchasing local products, supporting local entrepreneurs, etc.).
Some ways to make our company or gastronomic concept sustainable are through reducing energy consumption, results management, and the use of sustainable products. But also by providing training and awareness to staff to implement and increase sustainable practices.
Erika Silva emphasized in the final presentation of HIP 2023 the importance of talent management in the hospitality industry. We must provide our talent with a personalized experience within our company and not a simple experience that they will forget quickly. It is useless to train our talent but let them leave. We must adapt to new generations and make our industry attractive to them to make them want to stay and grow with our company.
By properly managing the workforce, we can ensure quality customer service, operational efficiency, innovation and creativity, and the retention of talented employees. Investing in talent can achieve a competitive advantage in an increasingly competitive and demanding market.
And of course, another of the major segments was gastromarketing and the importance of a proper marketing strategy for your restaurant. Making proper use of social media, adapting it to the storytelling of our company, can mean the success and differentiation of our gastronomic concept. A unique and differentiating marketing strategy will allow us to promote our business and increase our visibility and appeal to our customers.
The customer seeks a complete experience and it begins even before entering our premises.
Currently, we are glued to our mobile phones, and platforms like Tik Tok or Instagram will help us reach consumers and grow our gastronomic brand. We must identify and attract the target audience, and create memorable experiences for the customer.
In conclusion, the HIP 2023 expo was an unforgettable event for all those dedicated to the hospitality and restaurant industry, and at Cooking Europe, we cannot wait for the 2024 expo. It will undoubtedly be a unique opportunity to learn, connect, and discover the latest innovations in this exciting sector in 2024. See you at the next fair, hospitality lovers!
Other interesting Food & Beverage articles from our blog:
Identity of the gastronomic concept
June 16th, 2022
How to create an innovative and profitable concept for your hospitality business.
How to start a Marketing Plan
May 30th, 2022
Do you know how to position a hospitality business? What is the best marketing strategy for your restaurant?
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