Michelin-starred chef Shaun Rankin and Chris Galvin have joined a group of industry luminaries to put their names behind Hotelympia 2010. Fresh RM, the organisers of Hotelympia, has called upon an “inspiration team” to consult on content for the show, which takes place from 28 February to 4 March at London’s ExCel, and is expected to see an audience of approximately 40,000 people.
The Hotelympia Inspiration Team, which includes Michael Godfrey, executive head chef at Bekynton, Eton College and Tim Payne of Hell’s Kitchen fame, head chef at the Paradise By Way of Kensal Green, co-founder of Hotel du Vin and now owner of Hotel TerraVina Gerard Basset as ambassador for wine; Andrew McKenzie, Caterer and Hotelkeeper’s current Hotelier of the Year and MD at the Vineyard at Stockcross, will be on hand to lead, advise and pass on their knowledge in the run-up to the show in line with the exhibition’s three major themes for 2010 – reaching out to the buyers of tomorrow (Generation Y), sustainability and innovation.
The team covers all hospitality bases and each focused area that Hotelympia encompasses in 2010. Dr Rebecca Hawkins will be representing sustainability and Sandra Russell, head of catering, Warwickshire County Council will be leading on public sector catering. It also includes World Barista Champion Gwilym Davies, David Russell of the Russell Partnership driving content around food and delivery for 2012 Olympics, Billy Waters from Yo! Sushi lending his IT expertise and 2009 Acorn Award winner Vincent McKevitt of Tossed representing entrepreneurs. Last year’s Catey Special Award winner Anne Pierce, MBE, chief executive of Springboard, will be spearheading careers and Stephanie Briggs, director of design for Malmasion and Hotel du Vin will be overseeing issues surrounding design.
Chris Galvin, chef-patron of Galvin Restaurants said: “I believe it is very important for the younger generation to visit Hotelympia, I’ve been going to the show since I was a teenager and it’s provided me with a great deal of inspiration over the years. There is so much to learn and with the exciting new features at the 2010 show, it is sure to be an invaluable, inspirational experience. I encourage my staff, both in the kitchen and front of house to visit Hotelympia to encounter industry innovation and come back to work and put into practice.”
The Inspiration Team will be appearing across the Hotelympia marketing campaign in video clips, on blogs and in person at the show, as well as judging the inaugural Hotelympia Innovation Awards. Confirmed show highlights include Gerard Basset divulging secrets on stocking a successful range of wines and and Gwilym Davies commentating at the UK Barista Championships. The UK Barista Championships take place on Stage 75, Hotelympia’s new showcase celebrating its 75 year history, which includes an interview with Gary Rhodes as part of the line up.
Visitors will also be exposed to a series of “inspirational nuggets” from the Hotelympia Inspiration Team, who will each share their knowledge via touch-screen Innovation Pods, situated at various points around the show.
Toby Wand, group exhibition director at Fresh RM, commented: “The Hotelympia Inspiration Team brings a new dimension to the show, demonstrating to operators of all backgrounds and experience what can be achieved if you put your mind to it. Thanks to the Inspiration Team we now have an unparalleled pool of knowledge and experience at our disposal. Our aim is to use it to drive the show forward to be at the cutting edge of the industry’s future trends as any world-leading event should - and inspire visitors of all ages and sectors.”
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By Amanda Afiya
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