The Casual Dining Show opened its doors today and immediately announced that it will rebrand to the National Restaurant, Pub & Bar Show from next year.
Organisers of the event, which is now in its 10th year and takes place at London ExCel, said the new name is designed to better reflect the full range of hospitality operators who regularly attend the event.
Chris Brazier, group event director for the show, said: “This is big news and follows feedback from the industry, with both operators and exhibitors feeling that a more inclusive name will attract even more operators to the industry’s favourite event, which is already famous for its focused atmosphere, our industry leading seminar programme, and the high quality of operators attracted to the event.”
Mr Brazier said Casual Dining would still very much continue to be part of the show’s DNA, with a dedicated Casual Dining Theatre, but he hoped that changing the name will appeal to an even bigger audience.
“The new name also reflects the strong link with our incredibly successful Northern Restaurant & Bar Show in Manchester, and sets the tone as the country’s leading restaurant, pub, and bar event.”
One of the long-term catering equipment exhibitors at Casual Dining is Unox and it gave its response to the news this morning.
UK managing director Scott Duncan said: “Taking Casual Dining, which is already an exceptional hospitality event, to new heights is super exciting. Bringing more great people together is a win-win for us all.”
The Casual Dining Show kicked off at 10am this morning and will run for a second day tomorrow.
