Event Timings

10.30am	Arrival and Coffee
11.00am	Optimising your Total Food and Beverage Business
11.45am	Drinks and Canape Reception
12.45pm	Three Course Seated Lunch
2.30pm	Panel Discussion plus audience Q&A
3.45pm	Drinks and Networking / Guests Depart

The Event

Over 200 hospitality and foodservice professionals will gather at the stunning Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park for Arena's final event of the year.  A day packed full of informative insight and inspirational speakers whilst enjoying the stunning hospitality of one of the best hotels in the world. 

What's on the Agenda?

Optimising Your Total Food & Beverage Business

The event kicks off with an informative insight session presented by Egg Soldiers and Prestige Purchasing. This session will take guests on a a step by step journey of how to get the best out of your business, brought to you from experts who make these benefits a reality.  The talk will explore everything from concept ideas to product purchasing, menu design to kitchen operations; how best to approach each stage and the positive impact small changes can make.

Fantastic Networking and Superb Hospitality  

Following our insightful session, guests will then enjoy a drinks and canape reception in the beautiful Carlyle Suite before moving into stunning Ballroom for a delicious three-course lunch with expertly paired wine. Throughout the day, guests will have the opportunity to catch up with existing industry colleagues, meet new hospitality and foodservice professionals and cement those all important business relationships as we move forward into 2024.

Navigating the Future

After lunch, our fantastic panel of industry leaders will take to the stage to take part in a panel discussion hosted by industry commentator and Co-Founder and Executive Director of Peach 2020 - Peter Martin.  Sean Haley, CEO, Sodexo UK & Ireland; Brian Trollip, Managing Director, Dishoom; Clive Chesser, CEO, Punch Pubs & Co and Katya Simmons, Managing Director, Nestlé Professional will discuss:-

Strategic Growth and Opportunities – against a backdrop of high costs, how are our leaders growing their businesses and what opportunities are they seeing?

Current Challenges –  what are the key challenges and how are they overcoming them?

Doing things Differently – now more than ever, operators must think creatively within their businesses.  What's new, what's different and what are they most proud of?

The Future – What does it Hold: Our panellists share their views on the wider sector and what to expect in 2024

 

Meet Our Speakers

Brian Trollip, Managing Director, Dishoom

Brian has been with Dishoom for over 10 years, and is an integral part of the company’s senior management team, led by co-Founders Shamil and Kavi Thakrar. His most recent role as Managing Director follows many years as the company’s ‘chief operations wallah’ and he continues to support the founders and co-ordinate the work of the company’s senior team.

 

About Dishoom

Dishoom was founded by cousins Shamil and Kavi Thakrar. The first Dishoom opened in Covent Garden in 2010, and Dishoom now has six cafés in London, one in Edinburgh, one in Manchester, and one in Birmingham, over a dozen delivery kitchens and an online store. Shamil, Kavi and Naved published their first book, “Dishoom: From Bombay with Love” in 2019.

Dishoom pays loving homage to the Irani cafés that were once part of the fabric of life in Bombay. Opened early last century by Zoroastrian immigrants from Iran, there were almost 400 of these cafés at their peak in the 1960s. Today, fewer than 30 remain.

These cafés broke down barriers by bringing people together over food and drink. They were the first places in Bombay where people of any culture, class or religion could take cool refuge from the street with a cup of chai, a simple snack or a hearty meal. People from all walks of life shared tables, rubbed shoulders and broke bread together.

Like the old Irani cafés, Dishoom breaks down barriers: in the restaurants, which employ and serve people from all walks of life, at events, and through charity, donating a meal for every meal served – 15 million meals so far. Dishoom serves a lovingly curated menu of Bombay comfort food and award-winning drinks in beautiful restaurants, each with a unique story. Everything Dishoom does shares their love for Bombay’s culture, heritage and people, and everyone is welcomed with warmth.

Sean Haley, CEO, Sodexo UK & Ireland

Sean is CEO of the UK and Ireland business, representing over 30,000 colleagues delivering food and FM services at over 2000 client sites across six distinct markets.  He was previously Chair of the UK&I business and CEO of Worldwide Service Operations which includes responsibility for procurement, technology, safety and expertise platforms.

Sean joined Sodexo as part of the acquisition of Atkins' asset management business in December 2011. Sean has played a critical role in supporting the transformation of the business, developing world-class infrastructure and creating the clear focus on growth necessary to deliver the company’s ambitious targets.

Sean has extensive knowledge of the FM industry, with 35 years of experience in the market and has an in-depth knowledge of both the public and private sector outsourcing.

Sean is a strong supporter of Sodexo’s diversity and inclusion (D&I) strategy, having chaired the award-winning ‘Generations’ workstream, one of six D&I workstreams at Sodexo, which seeks to forge understanding and better working relationships between the different generations in Sodexo’s teams.

He is a Director of Springboard, the charity which supports disadvantaged and underprivileged people into employment within hospitality, leisure and tourism.

Sean is a Fellow the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors.

About Sodexo

Sodexo employs around 30,000 people in the UK & Ireland, and delivers services that improve the quality of life to clients at some 1,850 locations in the corporate, healthcare, education, leisure, justice and defence sectors. The services Sodexo delivers are wide ranging from catering, cleaning, reception to asset management, security, laboratory and grounds maintenance services, enabling clients to focus on their core business.

Clive Chesser, CEO, Punch Pubs & Co.

Clive has enjoyed a successful career in hospitality spanning over 25 years, including 14 years in the pub industry. Before taking on the leadership of Punch Pubs & Co, Clive held senior positions with Greene King Pub Partners and Brewing & Brands, Ei Group, Haagen-Dazs and SSP.  Clive is passionate about the Great British pub, beer, and the people who make all of this come to life, taking active roles in Cask Marque and key industry initiatives.

Clive joined Punch in June 2018 as CEO and has overseen a strategic transformation to create a progressive, forward-thinking Pub Co that operates with its people and pubs at the heart of everything it does. 

Navigating the pandemic and overseeing a successful sale of Punch from Patron and May Capital to Fortress Investment Group, one of the leading investment groups in the world, are amongst the team's groundbreaking achievements under Clive's leadership.

He lives near London with his wife and three children and is a keen runner, having completed several marathons raising money for Macmillan Cancer Support. Clive is taking on the New York Marathon in November this year (2023), having also joined colleagues from across the industry to cycle over 450km from the west to east coast of Sri Lanka, raising more than £250k for two fantastic charities – Only a Pavement Away and The Licensed Trade Charity.

About Punch Pubs & Co

Punch Pubs & Co.: Punch is an independent pub company with around 1,300 pubs across the UK. Punch is committed to empowering and working together with the very best Publicans to build and grow best-in-class community pubs.

It was recognised as the Best Leased and Tenanted Pub Company 2020 & 2022 by the Publican Awards. It offers award-winning training programmes delivered out of a brand-new Training Academy. It has invested in excess of £90 million into its pub estate since 2019 and continues to make significant investment within its pub estate.

Katya Simmons, MD of Nestlé Professional in UK & I

Katya started her career in the Nestlé Group in Russia in 2002, with a number of Sales, Category Management and Marketing positions before becoming the Managing Director for Nestle OOH business in Russia and Eurasia in 2015.  In 2017, Katya transferred to Nestle UK&I and since 2018 has held her current position Managing Director of Nestlé Professional of UK & I since then.

Katya loves and is passionate about Out of Home, believes in its strategic importance for the group and bright future.Katya holds a master’s degree in engineering as well as several certifications obtained from the following business schools: IMD, London Business School and Vlerick Business School. 

Originally from Sibiria, Katya now lives in Kent with her husband and two young children and enjoys sport, socializing, good food and coffee.

Meet Our Panel Host

Peter Martin, Founder and Executive Director, Peach 20/20

Peter Martin is one of the most respected and experienced influencers and opinion-formers in the hospitality world, with over 40 years experience as entrepreneur, columnist, editor, media owner, market analyst and board adviser.  He is founder and executive director of Peach 20/20, one of hospitality’s most influential events programme, which includes the flagship Peach 20/20 conference and Hero & Icon awards ceremony held in London every November.

Over the years, he has launched and run a raft of business magazines, newsletters and conferences, including the M&C Report newsletter, now renamed MCA. He remains a regular columnist and contributing editor.  He later co-founded Peach Factory, a specialist media, consultancy, research and events business, which created the Coffer Peach Business Tracker, the definitive sales barometer for the pub and restaurant sector. Peach Factory was acquired by CGA, the global data and insight specialist, in July 2013.

He remains a strategic advisor to a number of companies, including CGA and Harri, the on-line people management platform based in New York and London. He is a founder of the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers (ALMR), the trade organization for the UK pub, bar and casual dining sector, and now sits on the advisory council of UK Hospitality, the lead hospitality association formed by the amalgamation of ALMR and BHA.

He is a trustee of the Tim Bacon Foundation, the cancer charity created in memory of celebrated restaurant and bar entrepreneur Tim Bacon.

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Event Bookings Terms and Conditions: 

​For bookings cancelled 28 days or more before the event, a full monetary refund will be given. For bookings cancelled between 21 and 28 days prior to the event, a credit against a future event will be given. No refunds or credits will be given less than 21 days before an event. No refunds or credits will be given for non-attendance of the event​.