Hostex 2020

Hostex 2020 took place at Sandton Convention Centre from Sunday 1 to Tuesday 3 March. Every participant geared up to ensure that ‘the show that delivers’ more than meets industry expectations.

“ Hostex 2020 delivered innovation and opportunity, with a wide range of leading exhibitors and a jam-packed calendar of curated content at IndustryLive! as well as a wealth of specials, demos, competition, and more – all designed for our savvy hospitality, food & drink industry,” says Nick Sarnadas, Hostex 2020 Event Director

Hostex, which has been an industry highlight since 1984, is Africa’s top hospitality, food and drink trade show. This year it included:

• Products, services, and new and innovative solutions
• IndustryLIVE! curated and relevant seminars, panel discussions, talks, and demonstrations by leaders in their field
• Three key districts – Food & Drink Africa, Contract Furnishings Africa, and Tea & Coffee Africa
• SA Chefs Association’s The Skillery and SA Chefs Village
• SCASA (Speciality Coffee Association) at the Tea & Coffee District is hosting the National Barista Championships, the pinnacle event of South Africa’s speciality coffee scene, as well as other competing disciplines including the Cup Tasters competition, the Latte Art competition, and other hot and cold beverage demonstrations
• Theme days (sustainability, women in hospitality, and education) to grow awareness and insight into the state and development of these key areas in the industry
• The seven Hostex 2020 ambassadors, who are captains of industry and will be at the show at different times, presenting and interacting with visitors and exhibitors
• Incubator Hub supported by the Department of Trade & Industry (DTI), that will give SMEs the opportunity to grow by showcasing and selling their products and services on the leading industry platform, while also adding to the large range of products and services on show
• An array of show specials, promotions, and new launches

Excellent calendar of events

IndustryLIVE!

The three-day carefully curated programme featured relevant content with 23 great talks, panel discussions, demonstrations, and new insights. Highlights include:

Sunday Day 1

• Sustainability cooking demos by top chefs James Khoza and Franz de Waal
• Top 5 Innovations reshaping the hospitality industry by Dr Jeff Y-J Chen, PhD Lecturer, Gordon Institute of Business Science
• Four food truckers – lively and interactive panel discussion with Sumting Fresh, The Chairman, Eighty 8’s, and The Balkan Burger

Monday Day 2

• Power women in hospitality – five leaders share experiences and knowledge
• The conscientious diner: revolutionising a sustainable restaurant landscape by Lexi Monzeglio, Owner Lexi’s Healthy Eatery
• Sustainability in coffee by David Walstra

Tuesday Day 3

• Between the dream and the dirty dishes – life lessons from Arnold Tanzer
• Changing dynamics in fmcg, hospitality and foodservice by Dylan Piatti from Deloitte Africa
• Social media in hospitality by Gilbert Kumpukwe from Version Eight

SA Chefs Association – Chefs Village & The Skillery (Hall 1)

SA Chefs hosted a full, enticing and interactive program running over three days. Mingling with SA Chefs members, experience the latest industry trends with trending products on display, enjoy interactive skills demonstrations, and be entertained (and maybe even judge) our chefs as they go head to head with some fun and exciting challenges. Fantastic prizes were up for grabs.

Exhibitor demos

Scotsman Ice Machines – international guest star and world-renowned barista, Michalis Dimitrakopoulos (World Coffee in Good Spirits Champion 2016) was on the Scotsman ice Systems stand daily at 10:30 and 14:30 to talk to the coffee community about the chemistry of cold brewing and prepare some of his signature cold brews cocktails using Scotsman Ice.

Keep an eye open for other exhibitors who will run demos on their stands, including GPS Food Group, Caffenu, Filigrano Tart Shells Sycro Equipment, Sycro Food, Equipment Café, and Vulcan.

Products and services

A wide range of exhibitors will delivered a host of innovative products and services to ensure one-stop sourcing of solutions for visitors. The selection of categories includes coffee, coffee equipment and accessories, cooking, catering, foodservice, bakery equipment, ice machines, chef wear, hospitality software, retail capital, beds, bedding and linen, labelling equipment, spices, ready-cooked meals, crockery, glassware, and melamine, sprinkles for food applications, lamps and lighting, fresh produce and juices, and many more solutions.

Among the top industry suppliers on show are Importalia, Caffenu, inventor of the world’s first cleaning capsule for coffee capsule machines, Vulcan Catering Equipment, BCE Foodservice Equipment, GPS Food Group, Core Catering, Frigrite, Continental, Tramontina, Koldserve, Adriatic, Scotsman Ice Systems (Official Ice Sponsor of Hostex 2020), and others.

See you at Hostex 2022

Thomas Overbeck, General Manager of SA Chefs Association, says, “Hostex is a critical milestone in the hospitality industry every second year. SA Chefs celebrate the partnership of 35 years and we are deeply grateful and honoured to have Specialised Exhibition Montgomery as a patron of SA Chefs, and the opportunity to share this platform.”

Sarnadas adds, “Hostex 2020 is a comprehensive platform where industry can do business, learn, share knowledge, network, be impressed and inspired, and enjoy themselves.”

To register for Hostex 2022, visit www.hostex.co.za

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