The Restaurant Conference 2018
Wednesday 19 September 2018 – Marriott Grosvenor Square, London
Be the first to hear about the 2018 conference by registering your interest below.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER YOUR INTEREST IN THE 2018 EVENT
Delegates will get a presentation of key findings from MCA’s UK Restaurant Market Report 2018
MCA analysts will present key findings from MCA’s UK Restaurant Market Report 2018, focusing on the trends, challenges and opportunities shaping the restaurant industry. Order the 2017 report or pre-order the 2018 report by contacting Laura Bicknell on 01293 610343 or emailing laura.bicknell@mca‑insight.com.
The Restaurant Conference 2017: Review
The Restaurant Conference is the flagship event in the restaurant industry’s calendar, drawing a 300-strong crowd of the sector’s senior executives in 2017. They came from all over the UK to hear insight from: Leading brands’ CEOs, founders of emerging concepts and thought-leaders.
5 key takeaways from the 2017 Conference
- Jinlong Wang, Chief Executive of PizzaExpress, told the conference he sees huge potential in the experience economy. He likened the restaurant industry to show business and called his brand’s blend of entertainment and dining ‘dinnertainment’.
- Lord Mark Price opened his talk on the power of employee engagement by sharing business lessons learned from his father, which became the foundation of his leadership as Managing Director of Waitrose and Deputy Chairman of the John Lewis Partnership. He explained 5 steps to workplace happiness: 1) reward & recognition 2) information sharing 3) empowerment 4) wellbeing 5) instilling pride & 6) job satisfaction.
- The Envisioners CEO, Dave Coplin, entertained delegates with a lively talk on creating physical relevance in a digital world. In conclusion, he said the sector must anticipate the expectation of customers and use tech to deliver value to the human being.
- Antonia Torr, Head of Immigration at law firm Howard Kennedy, reported a trend for decline in staff retention rates following an exodus of EU workers. She told the conference that lack of engagement with employees over Brexit strategy is a big issue.
- Operators to watch Blacklock, Rola Wala and Chick ‘n’ Sours/CHIK’N shared fascinating insights into the highs and lows of bringing a start-up to life. As well as passion, courage and conviction at the heart of their businesses, all three concepts said that balancing quality, value and excellent experience was vital to their success.
CLICK HERE to download the Restaurant Conference 2017 review, with soundbites from major industry players, social media conversations and an overview of sponsorship engagement.
