Following record attendance at this year’s lunch! & Casual Dining, organiser Diversified Communications has announced that both shows will expand for their 2024 editions.
After feedback from both visitors and exhibitors, companies from this years co-located Commercial Kitchen will now fully integrate into these two shows. Due to the integration and the success this year, the overall footprint of the two award-winning shows will be bigger than the total footprint of the three shows this year.
This year’s event saw a record attendance, with an increase of 11% and these developments will give equipment suppliers even more opportunities to do business with key decision makers, from multi-site and independent operators including the biggest buyers from across restaurants, pubs, contract caterers, hotels, food to go, cafes, coffee shops, bars, and supermarkets.
Following this year’s success, hundreds of stands were rebooked on site, with Commercial Kitchen exhibitors now being offered stands within the extended lunch! or Casual Dining shows.
“We’ve been a loyal supporter of Commercial Kitchen since day one, but we see this news as a really positive development for the future. We look forward to whole heartedly supporting these shows in 2024 and beyond.” Says Scott Duncan, Managing Director of UNOX UK, who will now be exhibiting at Casual Dining.
Other major equipment suppliers such as Panasonic, Valentine, Rollergrill and Fri-Jado already exhibited at Casual Dining and lunch! last month, all rebooking for 2024. There was also considerable interest from new equipment companies interested in joining lunch! and Casual Dining next year.
“Casual Dining is always a great show. We recorded excellent leads and had conversations with buyers who are really looking for new products and concepts,” says Steve Elliott, Sales Director, Valentine & CuisinEquip.
Group Event Director for lunch! & Casual Dining, Chris Brazier explains, “Like the rest of the industry, many Commercial Kitchen exhibitors recognise that lunch! & Casual Dining are arguably the two busiest and best shows for attracting senior decision makers from across hospitality.
Given the huge successes seen by equipment companies already exhibiting in lunch! and Casual Dining, we wholeheartedly agree that it’s time for those shows to fully absorb Commercial Kitchen and look forward to welcoming all the Commercial Kitchen exhibitors into either lunch! or Casual Dining depending on their key objectives. We are fully committed to supporting all equipment suppliers and expect to see even more equipment exhibitors across the two shows next year.”
Stand sales for lunch! & Casual Dining open at 9am on Monday 23 October ahead of their return to ExCeL London on 18 – 19 September 2024.
For more information, please visit www.lunchshow.co.uk or www.casualdiningshow.co.uk.