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Food innovation and the continued growth of the food-to-go market are among the topics in the spotlight at this year's UK Food & Drink Shows.
Bringing together businesses from across the industry at the NEC Birmingham next month from Monday 13 to Wednesday 15 April, the event comprises four shows: National Convenience Show, Food & Drink Expo, Farm Shop & Deli Show and Forecourt Show. Around 1,200 businesses will be exhibiting, and more than 25,000 visitors are expected to attend.
Food innovation will also be highlighted by the debut of the show's Taste the Future competition, which gives visitors the chance to sample and score 40 trailblazing products across a range of categories. The winning supplier from each category will go forward to the live final and will be given 10 minutes to pitch their product to a panel of industry experts. The brand chosen by the judges will win a package worth £5,000 from consumer testing agency Stickybeak.
One new feature that is impossible to miss is revamped branding for the event that has been designed to reflect the evolution of the shows and the energy and ambition of the industry. The new look retains the event’s existing colour palette but features a contemporary typeface and new background textures.
Once again, The UK Food & Drink Shows promises a programme of panels, expert speakers and demonstrations on the topics and trends driving the convenience retail industry. Here is just a taste of the dozens of sessions taking place across the three days:
- The Convenience shopper: Everything you need to know: Join food and drink insight experts, Lumina Intelligence and get under the skin of your customers with the latest data and insight on the convenience shopper. Understand where they shop in convenience, why they shop in convenience, what they buy, how often they visit and much more. More importantly, find out how this has changed over time, the outlook for the future and how you can adapt to capitalise on these trends.
- Co-Op Wholesale & Nisa - A fresh perspective: Co-Op Wholesale managing director Katie Secretan discusses the story behind the Nisa rebrand and what it means for retailers, partners and customers.
- Sustainability in UK convenience retail: Challenges, innovations and opportunities: Leaders and innovators will share actionable insights and success stories that prove going green can also mean growing profits. Join us to discover how convenience retailers can lead the charge toward a cleaner, smarter and more sustainable UK retail landscape.
- The female leaders shaping convenience: Join this session as some of the most inspiring and influential women in the UK convenience retail sector will discuss how their careers began, the challenges they overcame and the advice they would share to aspiring females looking to build a successful career within convenience.
To ensure visitors make the most of their visit, an online digital event companion will offer a comprehensive event guide, interactive floorplan, seamless indoor navigation and real-time notifications.
The UK Food & Drink Shows is organised by market-leading business information provider William Reed. Covering industries ranging from food and drink to pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, William Reed publishes digital and print media, including The Grocer, Restaurant, The Morning Advertiser and Convenience Store, and organises prestigious awards, business events and conferences.
To find out more and register for free tickets visit the National Convenience Show website.
