HIP2021 was the first professional fair held in person throughout Europe in 2021, as well as being in charge of reopening IFEMA's doors after more tha

HIP2021 marks the way for the reactivation of fairs in Spain

SPAIN
Friday, March 26, 2021, 00:10 (GMT + 9)

• The Horeca sector event leaves an economic impact of 23 million euros in Madrid

• The roadmap for post-Covid recovery, sustainability, the delivery boom, automation and the rise of vegetable protein have been the central themes of this exceptional edition

• The first professional event held in person in Europe has had the support of the main authorities Reyes Maroto, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, Begoña Villacís, Fernando Valdés and Almudena Maíllo, who have shown their support for the horeca sector and the reactivation of the fair activity

Madrid - The fifth edition of HIP - Horeca Professional Expo 2021 has marked the starting gun for the recovery of the hospitality industry, demonstrating how, through innovation, reinvention and resilience, hospitality professionals are capable of facing any adversity. But, in addition, it has been an international milestone as it is the first professional fair held in person throughout Europe in 2021, as well as being in charge of reopening IFEMA's doors after more than a year without fair activity. The event has left an economic impact of more than 23 million euros in the city of Madrid.

Both exhibitors and visitors to the event have been able to verify how the safety of the attendees was guaranteed at all times, complying with strict protocols that have gone beyond those recommended by the health authorities. Some measures that the President of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, could see first-hand, who, together with the Deputy Mayor of the Madrid City Council, Begoña Villacís, inaugurated the event this past Monday. Díaz Ayuso took the opportunity to reiterate her support for the entire horeca sector and the return of activity to IFEMA as key vectors for the economic reactivation and business activity.

In this edition, and within the Hospitality 4.0 Congress, the first Safe Horeca Summit was held, starring the Torres Brothers, where the measures and protocols that the chefs have implemented to guarantee a safe hospitality have been analyzed, serving, as well as an example as a success story for other hospitality professionals.

This year Hotel Trends has once again welcomed the most important CEOs in the sector such as Jesús Sobrino, CEO of Palladium Hotel Group; Kike Sarasola, President of Room Mate Hotels and Raúl González, CEO EMEA of Barceló Hotel Group, who discussed the current situation and the future of the sector. In addition, they highlighted the need to establish dialogues with the administration, from which they expect direct aid to reactivate the sector.

HIP2021 has shown that it is possible to hold a face-to-face fair following the preventive measures and care stipulated by the authorities ►

On the other hand, the irruption of automation and digitization in the hospitality industry have also been part of the Hospitality 4.0 Congress. Paco Roncero, who has participated in the Summit Foodservice Robotics Pioneers, has analyzed the opportunities of this technology in catering. Another of the great trends that has exploded after the arrival of the pandemic, delivery, has also had its space in the congress, starring in a debate between the main actors in the sector such as Borja Hernández de Alba, CEO of Burger King Spain, Patrick Bergareche, CEO of Just Eat Spain, and Sergio Osona, General Manager of Spain and Portugal at Deliverect, whose main conclusion is that this sales channel has come to stay, which has been the main way out of the health crisis for many restaurant businesses, and that they should continue to invest in it as a new business segment. Linked to this trend, it has also been possible to learn more about dark kitchens, the evolution of restaurant kitchens to become production centers that serve many more channels than the dining room.

Sustainability, which was already one of the main axes of the congress in recent years, has taken on a new dimension after the arrival of the coronavirus and, therefore, has been one of the main protagonists of this edition. Through the Summit People Product Planet, and with the help of professionals such as Javier Olleros, chef and owner of Culler de Pau, Juan Diego Sandoval, Director of Coque, Coquetto, or Carlos Zamora, CEO Deluz y Compañía, the new approaches to restoration to achieve a successful business that has the capacity to offer sustainable alternatives to the most demanding consumers.

In this sense, in the exhibition area, visitors have been able to see first-hand the Drink Zeena proposal, a sustainable wine packaged in a can for delivery. Or the new 8-liter “bag in box” format by Bezoya, as well as the new Font Vella and Lanjarón packaging in 100% rPET bottles. Another of the great trends that is shaking the sector has also been present in the corridors of the exhibition area: vegetable protein, where Audens Food presented, among other products, its "chicken-free dumpling" as a vegan alternative for consumers.

In addition, leading firms such as Campofrío, Deloitte, El Tenedor, Fagor, Grosfillex, Heineken, Oms y Viñas, Pascual, Rational, Unilever Food Solutions, Winterhalter, CaixaBank, Danone, Estrella Damm, Gallina Blanca and Makro, among many others, have presented their latest innovations during the three-day HIP2021 celebration.

HIP2021 was the first professional fair held in person throughout Europe in 2021, as well as being in charge of reopening IFEMA's doors after more than a year without fair activity

Related news:

• Are robots destined to take over restaurant kitchens?
• The supply chain reinvents itself and reinforces its status as a key element in the new Horeca

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