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lunch! opens today!

lunch! opens today!

26/09/2013 in Press Releases, Show News

With the doors set to open at 10am today, this year’s lunch! show looks set for a record turnout as thousands of professional food, drink, packaging and equipment buyers from all across the UK prepare to converge at the Business Design Centre, in London.

lunch! 2013 – the UK’s only dedicated trade event for the food-to-go industry, will feature an unprecedented 290 exhibiting companies having recently sold out of all available exhibition space at its three-floor venue (including the newly expanded upper feature level).

The latest exhibitors to confirm their spots include EPOS specialist Wedderburn; children’s table top activities supplier Craftis; Immergruen – the exclusive UK distributor of Neuner’s, Landgarten and Sonnentor; fish and seafood supplier Lupetti Ltd; and mobile marketing company Movanta.  The full exhibitor list is available to view online at http://onlineexhibitormanual.com/divlunch13/exhi/exhibitorList.aspx.

Working lunch! Theatre

Now located in the show’s new upper feature area, this year’s show highlights in the Working lunch! Theatre (sponsored by Magrini) include essential market updates from Horizons, Allegra and Leatherhead Food Research.  Plus, there’s debut sessions from Manaaz Akhtar, head of marketing at Subway, discussing catering for the family audience; Elliot Cantrell, Adelie Food Group’s senior food technologist and current British Sandwich Designer of the Year; Mark McCulloch, former head of marketing at YO! Sushi and Pret a Manger; Mike Bond, catering mark manager at The Soil Association; and Andrew Sherick, former senior buyer with M&S Foods.

“It’s essential to know your market place,” says Sherick, “that’s why lunch! is so key.  I think it’s the only trade show that’s 100% focused on the impulse market.”

“lunch! is the premier place for food retailers to get an insight into all the food innovation that is happening across the country,” agrees Andrew Walker, the former MD of Pret, who will also be hosting an opening day headline Keynote.

Drawing on over 12 years of experience working at Pret, including four-and-a-half-years as UK managing director (during which time sales grew from £223m to £350m and EBITDA doubled to £58m), Walker will divulge strategies on how retailers can maximise their sales during the “magic two hour [lunch] window”.

The full programme, including session details and timings, is available online at http://lunch.fauxdiscx.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Working-lunch-theatre.pdf.

Innovation Challenge Showcase

Another show feature that has already generated a wealth of visitor interest is the Innovation Challenge Showcase, which currently includes over 50 entries.  With many launches timed specifically to coincide with the event, attending buyers can enjoy an exclusive preview of exciting new product developments.

Always a popular destination, for the first time at lunch! visitors to the showcase will also be able to vote for their favourite new innovation (10am-4pm on Thursday 26 September).  The fifteen products to secure the most votes will then be invited to ‘pitch’ their products live to a panel of industry judges at noon on Friday 27 September; with the results to be announced just a few hours later at 2pm.

This year’s judges for the Innovation Challenge Awards include Faith MacArthur, co-founder of EAT.; Maria Bracken, deputy editor of Lunch Business magazine; and Simon Stenning, foodservice strategy director at Allegra.

British Smoothie Championships

Taking place at noon on Thursday 26 September, the popular live finals of the annual British Smoothie Championships (sponsored by Magrini) has built an exciting reputation for keeping the lunch! show audience firmly on the edge of their seats.

Open to all professional smoothie baristas in the UK, the championships feature nine shortlisted contestants, who put their considerable talents to the test as they move through heats to earn a place in the grand final.  Audience participation is a key ingredient of the judging process, and the competition is widely-recognised as an inspirational catalyst for new ideas for never-before-tasted smoothie recipes.

The eventual 2013 British Smoothie Champion will enjoy a wealth of industry prestige, plus grand prize of a Blendtec Chef blender worth over £1100, whilst attending buyers and out of home food and drink retailers can also share in the success by enjoying invaluable tips from some of the best smoothie baristas in the business.

The lunch! App

The event’s organiser Diversified Communications UK have recently launched a new lunch! show app for 2013, which has been designed to provide attendees with everything they need before, during and after their visit; including a map to the venue, exhibitor details, a floor plan and Working lunch! Theatre listings.

Simply search for lunch! 2013 in the Apple App Store (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/lunch!-2013/id699018860?ls=1&mt=8) or Google Play (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.adorecms.lunch_show_2013).  Alternatively, use the following link for Windows Phones and Blackberry Torch (http://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/adorecms-webapps/divbuscomms-app-1197001/index.html#home).

With 4,403 attendees last year, lunch! may need little introduction within the industry it serves.  However for those that have yet to enjoy the lunch! experience for themselves – 2013 may be the perfect year to give it try.

“So many innovations, new trends and suppliers under one roof – lunch! is the essential date in my diary!” says Ketal Patal, procurement category manager at EAT, just one of thousands of visitors looking forward to another helping of this vibrant show’s much talked-of “buzz”.

 

Media enquiries to:

Emma-Louise Jones, PR Manager
t: +44 (0)1273 645134                 e: [email protected]

Website:              www.divcom.co.uk
LinkedIn:            www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=5009585
Twitter:               www.twitter.com/DiversifiedUK
Facebook:          www.facebook.com/DiversifiedUK

Exhibitor enquiries to:
Chris Brazier, Group Event Manager
t: +44 (0)1273 645123                 e: [email protected]
Website:              www.lunchshow.co.uk
LinkedIn:            www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=3143327
Twitter:               www.twitter.com/lunchexhibition
Facebook:          www.facebook.com/pages/lunch/106355532742317

Notes:

lunch! won Best Marketing Campaign of the Year at the Association of Event Organisers (AEO) Excellence Awards in 2012, and Best UK Trade Show Exhibition (under 2,000sqm) in 2010 & 2011 (it was named a finalist in both categories in June 2013).
 
High resolution imagery is available upon request:

 
Visitor information: TRADE only.  Register free in advance online (door charge may apply on the day)

  • Business Design Centre, 52 Upper Street, Islington, London N1 0QH
  • 10.00-17.30 on Thursday 26 September and 10.00-17.00 on Friday 27 September.

 
Diversified Communications UK Ltd (Diversified UK) is a fast growing trade event organiser and publisher based in Brighton and Nailsworth (Glos).  In addition to lunch!, Diversified UK’s portfolio includes Casual Dining (new for 2014); The Natural Food Show (part of Natural & Organic Products Europe); Nordic Organic Food Fair in Malmö, Sweden (new for 2013, co-located with Natural Products Scandinavia); Ocean Business (including Offshore Survey Conference & Ocean Careers); MARELEC Marine Electromagnetics conference in Hamburg, Germany; camexpo; office*; SITS – The Service Desk & IT Support Show; SITS Europe in Berlin, Germany (new for 2014); Natural Products magazine; and the Natural Beauty Yearbook.
 
Diversified UK is part of Diversified Communications, a leading international media company with a successful portfolio of sector leading exhibition, conferences, publications and websites.