A new trade show for the casual dining sector was announced this week – at a time when quality catering is becoming increasingly central to garden centre businesses.
Diversified Business Communications UK, organisers of the award-winning lunch! exhibition, said the new show, Casual Dining, will take place at the Business Design Centre in London on the 26-27 February 2014.
The launch, following extensive consultation, fills a perceived gap for a dedicated trade show aimed at the highly successful casual dining market, in which the UK is rapidly becoming a world leader. It has long been felt that garden centres who take catering seriously are poised to take a significant market share.
The UK’s high streets are dominated by casual dining brands like Carluccio’s, PizzaExpress, wagamama, Strada, Nando’s, Gourmet Burger Kitchen and Cotê, whilst many traditional pubs now have a quality food offering. UK garden centre operators have invested millions in new or upgraded coffee shops and restaurants in recent years, contributing to a sector conservatively estimated to be worth at least £5 billion.
The concept has received universal support from leading industry operators, including the Gondola Group, whose brands include Ask, PizzaExpress and Zizzi. Glendola Leisure Group’s buyer Mark Bridge said a dedicated trade show that brings together, and offers inspiration and solutions for the sector was “well overdue.”
With the tag line ‘Inspiring Innovation’, the event will feature a seminar and keynote programme alongside an exhibition of around 150 hand-picked suppliers of of innovative products for casual dining businesses, including food and drink, equipment, interior design, furniture, technology and table top.
Chris Brazier, event manager of Casual Dining, says the launch is a direct response to feedback from visitors and exhibitors at the lunch! show, which was attended by a number of garden centres last year
Diversified Business Communications have a growing portfolio of successful events in the food sector (lunch! and The Natural Food Show in the UK, European Seafood in Brussels, Fine Food in Australia and India, and Restaurant & Bar in Hong Kong). lunch! won the Association of Exhibition Organisers’ Best UK Trade Show Exhibition (under 2,000sq.m.) Award in 2010 and 2011, and Best Marketing Campaign 2012.
The Casual Dining website was launched yesterday.
www.CasualDiningShow.co.uk.
