Horecava identifies trends such as slow coffee and new dutch

A world tour takes visitors along such innovative concepts such as Coffee News, The Tea Experience, ‘Horeca’s got Talent’ and a Social Media ‘First Aid’ Session; these are just a few of the countless new initiatives at the forthcoming Horecava. The restaurant, hospitality and catering sector is still busily searching for new ways of generating turnover. Horecava therefore provides a lively programme of innovative products, trend sessions, theme worlds, debates and competitions as well as 530 exhibitors. Everything which the consumer can expect from the restaurant, hospitality and catering sector in the coming year is on display at Horecava. Horecava 2011, the leading national trade exhibition for the restaurant, hospitality and catering sector, will be held in the Amsterdam RAI Exhibition Centre from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the period from Monday 10 January to Thursday 13 January.

Daily presentations of the 2011 trends
At the INNOVATE! theme world, trendwatchers will explain the latest Dutch and foreign news - from consumer to business. Every morning top barista Jeroen Veltkamp will present Coffee News featuring the latest trends such as Slow Coffee, which is restoring the popularity of filter coffee. Afterwards visitors are treated to a world tour under the guidance of Food Trendwatcher of the Year Hans Steenbergen. Among the food trends he is highlighting are New Dutch (hipper versions of traditional Dutch products), Vintage Chique, Fast Fresh and Local Hero. Consumer trends such as Organic, Rediscovered Classics, Do It Yourself and Homemade form the core of the latest trend presentation of publishing house PS. Entrepreneurs can get tips on how they can cleverly take advantage of this. Like coffee, tea is also a ‘hot item’ in the restaurant and catering business: The Tea Experience rediscovers tea as an ingredient for cocktails and dishes.

Innovations focus on sustainability and pampering
The INNOVATE! theme world also features an exhibition of photos of the products shortlisted for the Horecava Innovation Award, the prize for the best innovation in the sector. Products in keeping with the sustainability trend include reindeer moss as sound insulation, sustainable tablets for hot chocolate drink, and mushrooms grown in coffee grounds. Innovations that cater to people’s desire for luxury and pampering are single-helping tins of caviar, a wine cabinet for champagne by the glass and trendy Sex-and-the-City cup cakes. Other special exhibits are an intelligent plate that ensures you don’t eat too much, an anti-slip mat for knives and a ‘mind map’ book for creating vegetable dishes with your taste memory. Various shortlisted firms are also present as exhibitor.

5 theme worlds full of inspiration
Besides INNOVATE! there is a theme world for each restaurant, hospitality and catering target group: MARKET is the place where 50 traditional producers will arrange for their finest delicatessen to be sampled. MARKET will open on Monday with cooking demonstrations featuring Wagyu Beef. The Culinary Inspiration show will have a different theme each day. Flavour specialist Angélique Schmeinck will discuss mind mapping with your taste memory and organic cook Eric van Veluwen will talk about our ancestors’ eating patterns. And executive chef Guus Vredenburg will brief visitors on the discovery of umami - the fifth basic taste (besides bitterness, saltiness, sweetness and sourness).
HOTEL will feature debates in a 5-star ambiance between hoteliers and experts on trends and business in the hospitality industry. The topics will include the Hospitality Top 10 and new business concepts. New products and trends will be shown on the catwalk.
NIGHTLIFE for cafés, bars and discotheques will highlight the latest cocktail trends. Among the attractions will be a cocktail workshop for women and a competition to find the fastest bartender.
OUTDOORS is for everyone with a pavement café. Every day there will be practical tips for running a successful pavement café and visitors can take part in a pavement café competition. Who can serve the fastest? And Onno Kokmeijer of Ciel Bleu will provide some heavenly cooking.
FAST SERVICE brings together all suppliers to snackbars, lunchrooms and other fast service businesses. Fast service operators will also be able to get advice on sustainable business practices.

Battle between brigades and talents
How can the waiter and kitchen brigades work better together? What outstanding entrepreneur and his team will win ‘Horeca’s got Talent’? These exciting events are part of the XpertPlaza programme, a pavilion organised by no fewer than eight trade associations. Every day celebrities, talents and experts will debate topical themes. The National Hospitality Trade Championship will also be held at XpertPlaza. This includes such prestigious competitions as the Golden Toque, the Golden Hospitality Award, the Best Maître d’Hôtel and the Tastiest Filled Roll Competition.

Tips for social media
Restaurants, hotels and cafés pay much too little attention to the social media needs of their guests. This is a finding of a recent Horecava trade survey. More than half of the businesses also indicated that they were looking for practical tips. This is why a daily ‘Social Media First Aid’ session is being given by consultant Cor Hospes. Social media will also be theme of the HotelloTOP Conference and the social media day at the trade association’s XpertPlaza Pavilion. And for anyone who still has questions there’s also the Social Media Helpdesk at INNOVATE! Horecava itself is present in force in the social media, for example at www.twitter.com/horecava, on the social media walls in the exhibition hall and at the mobile website.

Trade association in the spotlight
Royal Horeca Netherlands is holding its major events at the Horecava. These include the Annual Conference (this year’s theme is ‘He who has the guest has the future’), the announcement of the Most Outstanding Hospitality Entrepreneur of the Netherlands and the Night of the Chinese Entrepreneurs.

For €7.50 to the RAI railway station
Admission to Horecava is restricted to trade visitors who are registered at the Chamber of Commerce. An admission ticket can be ordered at www.horecava.nl (€35.00 until 3 January and thereafter €50, which is also the price at the ticket office). Horecava encourages the use of public transport. For just €7.50 visitors to Horecava can travel second class on Netherlands Railways from any station in the Netherlands to Amsterdam RAI.

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Note for the editor (not for publication):
For more information contact the Press & PR Department of Amsterdam RAI, Anita Kanters, T 020 549 12 12, M 06 542 55 354, E a.kanters@rai.nl.