250 exhibiting brands, 6851 business visitors in attendance over three days, 564 B2B meetings successfully concluded, eight concurrent events that further attracted 252 delegates, FHW 2015, which recently concluded in Mumbai has proven to be the undisputed leader in its space. The success of a trade show in the B2B space can only be judged by the quality of delegates and real-time networking, business building and procurement done on the floor. Keeping these yardsticks in mind, we are proud to say that the show has received a thumbs up from the buyers, vendors, delegates, et al. It was truly encouraging to observe the buzz on the floor and to welcome established and focused players of the industry who are there in it as real-time entrepreneurs. Key procurement heads, hotel F&B managers, category heads and managers from organised retail, importers, chefs, traders and owners of restaurants and hotels were seen sharing and learning and it was humbling to receive kudos from such industry leaders.
Special seminars and conferences on the sides attracted a quality audience who were there to listen to speakers – thought leaders, experts in their respective fields. Hospitality Think Tank: The GM’s Conclave, held on the topic of ‘Effective People Management – Mentoring and Skill Development’ witnessed participation from general managers of leading hotels in Mumbai who shared their insights on mentoring, team building, manpower shortage, skill development, to name a few. While Hospitality Knowledge Exchange: Serving up in Style, focused on the importance of striking a balance between food presentation and aesthetics along with maintaining hygiene and food safety standards. The session also covered topics on the emerging trends in the cutlery, crockery and tableware scene.
Apart from these knowledge seminars, FHW 2015 also witnessed a few firsts – live cooking by two celebrity chefs – Chef Shailandra Kekade and Chef Harpal Singh Sokhi. The Power of Purchase registered a record turnout of over 57 procurement professionals and HPMF members at the event; FHW also hosted ‘Hospitality Procurement Awards’ in two key categories – Emerging Procurement Person of the Year and Green Procurement Person of the Year; and FHW 2015 partnered with AHAR which had a robust turnout of over 59 members, heads of committees of the different zones of AHAR in Maharashtra. The stage is now set for our next edition in Bengaluru.
And finally, it’s budget time again and the list of requests are too long, from service tax exemption to industry status. Let’s see what Budget 2015-2016 has in store for the hospitality sector.
Reema Lokesh
Editor