Online Event "HoReCa": Food trends, emotional customer loyalty and sustainability are future topics
17 ottobre 2022
Current food trends, an emotional customer approach and different aspects of sustainability were the focus of the online event "HoReCa" on 12 October. In advance of Ambiente welcoming the national and international consumer goods industry to Frankfurt am Main from 3 to 7 February 2023, the online event "HoReCa" provided a head start in hospitality and front-of-house business knowledge. More than 300 interested parties from 53 countries learned more about the latest developments in the HoReCa sector at the online event.
What are the new trends in meat substitutes? How are unforgettable experiences created in gastronomy and what role does emotion play here? How has the corona virus pandemic changed the industry? These and other current questions were answered at the online event "HoReCa". With the expertise of four international speakers, the online event provided an exclusive additional offer and added value for the global hospitality industry.
In the first lecture, Hanni Rützler spoke about "Future Food - How mankind will feed itself in the future". The food trend expert from Austria took a look at alternative foods such as in-vitro meat, insects and algae. Her key message on this was that already now the development towards meat substitutes is in full swing and will continue to develop. "At the same time, the importance of regional products and vegetarian or vegan food continues to grow. There is a real food change. Every regional cuisine has to find its way to accompany this trend while remaining authentic," says Rützler, who sees this as a real challenge. She advises that every restaurant owner or hotelier has to find their own focus in order to stand out from the crowd, whether with purely vegetarian cuisine, with new interpretations of traditional cuisine or a focus on regional products.
The US hospitality expert Anna Dolce spoke about emotion and customer loyalty in her lecture "How to turn your guests into regular customers". Winning new customers is the most difficult, expensive and time-consuming task. So why not, therefore, inspire regular customers anew each time and turn them into advertising ambassadors for your own restaurant or hoteI, according to their thesis. "Fifty percent of customers are regulars, so if they advertise through word-of-mouth, you gain more than if you target new and unknown customer groups," Dolce says. "Hospitality and emotion should always be the focus, because that's what the customer remembers. The combination of service and quality is only perfect when emotion and feeling good occupy at least as much space."
The online event was rounded off with a special highlight: the "Hospitality Trends Talk" with Jesper Efferbach, designer, influencer and consultant for the international tableware industry, Jeff&Co Group from Denmark, and Dave Turner, US journalist for TabletopJournal. At the beginning of the discussion round, the two speakers addressed the changes that the coronavirus pandemic meant for the HoReCa industry and how to deal with them. "Creativity was and still is in demand. During the pandemic, it was about customer loyalty and adapting to their desires, keyword takeaway. Now it's about emphasising the experience of going to a restaurant and focusing on hospitality," says Turner. At the same time, Efferbach emphasised the importance of regionality and sustainability: "The origin and cultivation of food is just as important today as the interaction with the staff. A good atmosphere in the restaurant should be just as present as proof of the origin of ingredients. Vegetarian and vegan products and dishes are also experiencing an upward trend and equally belong to the sustainability category."
The expert lecture by Anna Dolce and the roundtable discussion with Jesper Efferbach and Dave Turner were recorded in German and English.
They are available free of charge at any time at: ambiente.messefrankfurt.com/horeca-online.
Hanni Rützler's lecture was not recorded for copyright reasons, but her presentation slides are available for download at the above link. The lecture "Emotion & Passion 360 Degrees" by Hubert Sterzinger unfortunately had to be cancelled due to short-term illness.
The next Ambiente will take place from 3 to 7 February 2023.