The annual conference brings together ‘an insightful speaker programme with excellent networking opportunities’. On the first day the FEA will hold at Annual General Meeting followed by an informal opening night dinner and the Charity Endeavour Awards.
On day two, the event kicks-off with an introduction from FEA chair Emma Brooks, who will welcome attendees. Then strategic adviser and futurist Simon Stenning will share with delegates his insight into the latest foodservice and hospitality trends.
The keynote speaker closing day two will be Spencer Kelly a presenter on BBC’s Click, a regular programme exploring the latest tech innovations shaping our lives. Kelly has been hosting conferences, chairing panels and presenting keynote sessions on technology around the world for almost 20 years.
In this time he has interviewed some of the biggest names in the business, including tech giant and billionaire Bill Gates, film director James Cameron, music legend Paul McCartney, ‘security threat’ Edward Snowden, as well as UK national treasure David Attenborough and even managed to talk technology with the late Queen.
Another session will be a live podcast session of Kitchen Curiosity, a podcast for the foodservice market presented by Radford chancellor of Macintosh Foodservice Consultants. The podcast covers everything from menu planning to business planning, catering equipment and cocktails.
Also speaking at the event will be Pierre-Yves Paslier, co-founder of Notpla, who will deliver a session on how the company is ‘revolutionising’ the food packaging market with its 100% natural seaweed coating.
In 2022, the London-based start-up won the Earthshot Prize in the ‘Build a Waste-Free World’ category, with its plastic-free consumer packaging products made from seaweed and plants. To date, Notpla has replaced almost 3m units of single-use plastic that would have entered the environment.
Tim Radcliffe from NHS England will be speaking about the NHS’s journey towards Net Zero and the issues it is facing, how Trusts are dealing with them, and how the NHS plans to negotiate any ‘bumps in the road’ on its way to implementing the Net Zero strategy.
Peter Russell, chief technology officer at the Russell Partnership, has been working globally with leading hotel chains, among others, on the application and implementation of AI solutions. He will share what the partnership has done, what has been learnt and, in particular, what it means for a commercial kitchen both now and in the future.
Oliver Rosevear, director of sustainability at pub and hotel group Fuller Smith and Turner, will talk about how 10% of all his kitchens are now primarily powered by renewable energy and all electrical equipment is now 100% powered by renewable power.
And Dr Samantha Mudie, director of Hospitality Energy Saving & Technology, will share ‘ground-breaking’ research on how energy efficient kitchens of the future may be specified. For more information on the FEA Conference, visit here.