The Pub Show, part of Food & Drink & Hospitality Week, returned to ExCeL London on 25-27 March to connect pub owners and operators with industry peers and innovative suppliers.  

More than 30,000 industry professionals and key buyers across hospitality, foodservice, catering, retail, wholesale and more visited Food, Drink & Hospitality Week to source new products, network and keep on top of all the latest trends.  

Toni Naylor, Pub Marketing Manager, Thwaites Brewery, commented: “The Pub Show is a great industry event! Having never been before, I wasn’t sure what to expect but I found it all really informative and interesting. The seminars in particular were really insightful. We have access to lots of trends and consumer data but it’s always really useful to hear industry experts’ interpretations.  

“I always find these types of events get my creative juices flowing as I take time out of the business to look at what we do and how we do it, with completely fresh eyes and The Pub Show was a perfect event to do just that! Lots of take aways and food for thought (pardon the pun!).” 

The Pub Stage  

The Pub Stage was a hit for the 2024 event, with a programme created in partnership with the British Institute of Innkeeping covering everything from health & wellbeing to quality assurance to unlocking new revenue streams. 

The show kicked off with a session from Katy Moses, MD of KAM, Karl Chessel, Director at CGA and Ollie Coulombeau, Manager of The Turk’s Head Twickenham, who discussed the major hospitality trends set to define 2024.  

Laura Willoughby MBE, Co-Founder of Club Soda - The Mindful Drinking Movement, spearheaded two key sessions on driving revenue through low & no and meeting customer demands for lower strength beer, wine and spirits. 

"Trade shows like The Pub Show are perfect for exploring a new category like low and alcohol-free drinks," she commented. "Visitors heard from the experts, spoke to the producers and were able to execute stunning ranges for their venues."

The session ‘Workforce: putting the spark back in pub careers’ saw BII CEO Steve Alton lead a discussion with Tyler Davidson Joyner, National Partnerships Manager at The Skills Network, Dawn Lawrence, Founder of HospitalityJobsUK and Nick Hemming, Chef Owner of The Heron Malpas and The Flaming Chef Cornish Streetfood.  

The discussion included the launched of the BII’s new, free-to-use membership platform, Workforce, promoting the incredible career opportunities available in pubs and providing practical support and inspiration for everyone working in the sector. 

Flo Pearce, Head of People at The Tollymache Arms, commented: “This is the first year I have visited The Pub Show and I was super impressed. There were some great suppliers, the layout was great and it felt like the buzzing hub of the whole show. The panels involved were insightful and discussing many relevant topics all people within the pub world are experiencing.” 

The Beer Garden, designed by Black & Stainless Creative Metalwork 

The Beer Garden at The Pub Show was THE place to be for industry networking and the beating heart of the event.  

Hashtag Hosts were on hand throughout the three days of the show to get the party starter with bingo and pub quizzes using the company’s innovative software.  

Simon Wilson, Managing Director of Hashtag Hosts, commented: “We had a wonderful time at The Pub Show 2024, where we were so privileged to showcase the HQ FM Quiz and Bingo Software, on both the main Pub Stage and in The Beer Garden. Our fellow stallholders were supportive of the Quiz and our fun element of our business too. 

“We can't wait to be there next year to deliver more quiz and bingo for everybody and support this amazing team. Thanks for everything and see you next year.” 

Visitors also had the opportunity to sample a range of beers and ciders from up-and-coming breweries including Beyond Belief Brewing, 71 Brewing Co., Kentish Pip and Powder Monkey Brewing in The Taproom, in partnership with Flightcase Bars. 

The Pub Show returns to ExCeL London on 17-19 March as part of Food, Drink & Hospitality Week. Keep up to date with the latest show news, and subscribe to The Pub Show newsletter, at thepubshow.co.uk.