Now in its eighth year and firmly established as the leading trade event for the UK’s £6.9bn food-to-go market, lunch! show attracts buying teams from food-to-go operators, including supermarkets, multiples, contract caterers, wholesalers, distributors, travel caterers, cafés, coffee shops and sandwich shops.
lunch! show saw a 44% increase in attendees in the last two years and to accommodate growing demand from a raft of new food, drink, packaging, technology, and equipment suppliers looking to reach the grab-and-go market, a 25% increase in stands has expanded the show into an additional new hall on the Upper Feature level, taking the number of exhibitors to 350.
Chris Brazier, group event director at lunch! show, said: “Once again, the high demand for stand space at the show reflects the ever growing popularity of the food-to-go sector. Rebooking for lunch! 2015 smashed all previous records, leading to the show’s ground floor selling out in December, followed by the Middle Level in January, and the Innovation Zone in February.
“Even with the addition of a new hall, the show is on track to be sold out within a matter of weeks. It’s a testament to the show’s continuing success - and demonstrates just how important and essential lunch! has become to suppliers and buyers looking to do business.”
The new Upper Feature level will be home to the Innovation Challenge Showcase, VIP Lounge, new Artisan Ingredients Village, and the new Menu Innovation Theatre. It will host the live finals of the annual British Smoothie Championships, the Café Life Awards heats, and a series of coffee, smoothie, tea and juice master classes.
Also running throughout the two-day show will be the Working lunch! Theatre, hosting a number of high profile brands and industry leaders from across the food-to-go retailing and contract catering industry. The first headline Keynote to be announced for this year, is a Q&A with Roger Whiteside, CEO of Greggs.
The full Working lunch! Theatre programme will be unveiled over the next few months, with senior directors from EAT, Pret A Manger, M&S, Subway and Starbucks set to be announced.
lunch! will return to the Business Design Centre in Islington, London, on Thursday and Friday, 24-25 September 2015.