Events
9th European Foodservice Summit
People, Passion & Food Perspectives As in previous years, the learning and networking platform offered a concentrated package of content and community. Besides international key-note speakers from science and research, as well as from related sectors and the IT scene, not to mention interestingcase studies and an expert panel discussion, the Summit programme also provided a host of opportunities to make new contacts – for a cross-border 'we' feeling.
'Business in the Time of Social Networking – Trust & Technology, Food & the Future' was the general motto of the two-day 'Think Tank for the Restaurant Industry' that was, as always, skilfully and confidently chaired by Professor Christopher Muller of the University of Central Florida. A rousing start to the event was made by trend expert Dr. David Bosshart, Director of the Zurich-based Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute, who took the audience on an intellectual tour de force of a food world where the affluent society is a thing of the past. Today, against a background of globalisation, global warming and growing prosperity in the threshold countries, food is not only in danger of becoming a scarce resource but also the subject of a worldwide struggle in which it could even be used as a weapon. The scenario painted by Bosshart left no doubt that a completely new outlook on our food is urgently required.
This was followed by a vital subject – people & passion – that was tackled by several speakers. As many of them said, people are the key to the long-term success of service brands. The speakers – from Robert Brozin (founder and CEO of the South African chicken QSR chain Nando’s with about 800 outlets around the world (see our interview on p. 48) to Jim Parker (ex CEO of the highly successful US airline, Southwest, and author of bestselling book, 'Do the right thing') – also agreed that this insight places a great responsibility on managers and the extent to which they breathe life into corporate culture. Brozin’s compelling plea for a staff and value-oriented corporate culture was one of the summit highlights – “Nando's is not about chicken, it’s about values!”
The opportunities and challenges of the internet were another main theme in Zurich – and discussed by e-technology experts Aaron Allen from the USA and Beat Bühlmann of Google Switzerland. Their joint message to the audience: without a professional internet site, foodservice players are in danger of loosing their communicative links to a generation that grew up with the worldwide web.
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Next event:
10th European Foodservice Summit
(23),24-25 September 2009
Zurich, Switzerland
More information
| 13 August 2008 |
