The Big Hospitality Expo to tackle topics including mental health and staff retention

30-Aug-2022 - Last updated on 30-Aug-2022 at 15:07 GMT

Topics affecting the hospitality sector including mental health, staff retention and NFTs will be addressed at next month’s The Big Hospitality Expo.

On Monday 26 September chef and broadcaster Ravneet Gill will host the discussion ‘Putting staff before profit: prioritising positive mental health’ alongside Kris Hall, founder at The Burnt Chef Project; Emma Heal, managing director at Lucky Saint; Simon Blake, chief executive at Mental Health First Aid; and Olajide Alabi, brand equality, inclusion & wellbeing partner at Turtle Bay Hospitality.

The panel will discuss the importance of staff wellbeing and share their tips on how businesses can build a more supportive workplace.

The issue of staff retention is also being tackled at the expo with a panel discussion on Tuesday 27 September.

Rich Fox, co-founder and chef at plant-based business Jampa’s; Jeremy Scorer, licensed trade director at HIT Training; and Robert Richardson, CEO at The Institute of Hospitality, will be looking at how businesses can unlock their staff’s potential through continual training and discuss what the top talent of today is looking for from their careers and how to make this work for hospitality businesses.

The rise of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) will be put under scrutiny with an expert panel asking whether they are just a passing fad or a viable mainstream future form of payment.

The panel, comprising Rich Ford, strategy director at Sherlock; Ryan Aitken, managing director at CD Corp; Tayyab Shafiq, owner at Pakistani cafe Chai Ada; Murdo McCandlish, co-founder and marketing director at CD Corp; and Michael Robertson, co-founder at Aberdam Dutch Fries, will discuss the relevance of NFTs to UK operators and the pros and cons of using them.

“We are proud to announce a programme of content that covers the latest innovation hitting the UK hospitality industry, as well as covering the real topics and issues impacting businesses,” says Julie Adlington, exhibitions marketing director.

“We are going to lift the lid on NFTs and balance the opportunities and challenges they pose, whilst also shining the spotlight on the staffing crisis, giving visitors actionable advice around staff wellbeing, loyalty and mental health.”

Running from 26-28 September at London’s Olympia, The Big Hospitality Expo, sponsored by Uber Eats, is the must-attend event for restaurateurs and chefs, casual dining operators as well as pub and bar operators.

To register for your free badge and attend The Big Hospitality Expo, click here.