Trade shows for the hospitality industry offer the perfect opportunity to stay ahead of trends, showcase your services, and connect with industry leaders – all while growing your brand presence and gaining fresh insights to elevate your business.
These events provide unique opportunities to boost your business. We’ll be popping by a few of them – so if you’re around, come say hi and let’s chat about how we can help your business thrive.
For hospitality operators who are juggling day-to-day challenges and shrinking margins, staying on top of operations can be tough. These trade shows are a great space to explore solutions that not only streamline daily tasks but also integrate seamlessly into your existing tech stack. By finding the right tools and technologies, operators can free up time to focus on growth and deliver exceptional customer experiences without disruptions.
In this article, we’ll explore:
- The difference between a trade show and an exhibition
- What is a trade show example?
- Why attend as an exhibitor?
- Why attend as a visitor?
- Must-attend UK restaurant and trade shows for the hospitality industry
- Logistics and cost to exhibit at trade exhibitions UK
- Building our brand at hospitality trade shows
The difference between a trade show and an exhibition
UK trade shows and exhibitions might seem similar at first glance, but they can serve different purposes. A trade show, like a restaurant equipment expo, is typically more about promoting new products and innovations within the wider industry.
These events are key for networking, gathering market insights, and generating leads or interest – even if buying and selling do not always happen on the spot.
Hospitality expos or exhibitions focus more on offering businesses their own platform to showcase their latest developments and collect feedback. Whether they’re food and drink expos or broader hospitality events, exhibitions help businesses refine their products, spot areas for improvement, and connect with customers, competitors, and potential partners.
What is a trade show example?
Examples of UK trade fairs include Restaurant & Takeaway Innovation Expo, Hospitality Tech Expo, and Hotel & Resort Innovation Expo.
These events spotlight the latest trends, technologies, and solutions for the hospitality industry, drawing in professionals from restaurants, hotels, and catering businesses.
Designed to connect industry leaders, vendors, and operators, they offer networking opportunities and showcase innovations to help drive business growth and improve customer experiences.
Why attend as an exhibitor?
Taking part in UK trade exhibitions is one of the best ways to increase brand awareness. These events allow you to put your products and services directly in front of your target audience.
For us, exhibiting at trade shows and food and drink expos is a chance to showcase our payment suite including our card machines and demonstrate to businesses how our dependable and reliable tech keeps them running smoothly.
Proving reliability and dependability
This kind of product exposure allows businesses like ours to prove both dependability and reliability in real time. Whether through live demos, brochures, or even hands-on experiences, we can demonstrate exactly how our payment systems support quick-service restaurants, full-service restaurants, and cafes and bars.
With live demos of our tech – which features 99.99% uptime – hospitality businesses can see firsthand how payments keep flowing smoothly, even during peak hours or unexpected outages.
Lead generation
Exhibiting at food and drink shows also offers plenty of opportunities for lead generation. With a reliable system for capturing leads, whether through business cards, QR codes, or digital tools, trade shows can boost your sales pipeline.
Plus, food and drink expos provide a great opportunity to generate social media content – highlighting your booth or live demonstrations is a great way to expand your reach online.
Why attend as a visitor?
Even if you’re not exhibiting, attending UK trade shows like the food and drink expo or QSR trade show can offer plenty of value. These events are perfect for gathering insights on industry trends, checking out what competitors are doing, and finding inspiration for your business.
For businesses attending hospitality trade shows in the UK, it’s all about making connections, staying on top of trends, and finding solutions that make a real difference. That’s where we come in.
By understanding the challenges you face firsthand, we’re able to deliver payment solutions that are reliable, easy to use, and built to keep your business moving. It’s all about helping you focus on what matters most – your customers, growth and vision.
Here’s how it all comes together:
- Networking: Trade shows provide a fantastic opportunity to meet industry peers, potential clients, and partners, expanding your business network.
- Market research: You’ll have the chance to explore the competitive landscape, learn about trending products, services, and topics, and see what your competitors are up to.
- Industry trends and knowledge: Stay informed about the latest developments in hospitality through key takeaways, insights, and emerging trends.
- Talks and seminars: Engage with thought leaders at seminars and talks, gaining expert insight and actionable advice to apply to your business.
There are also smaller industry events and conferences – like Hostech, organised by MCA – which offer a great mix of industry-leading speakers and networking opportunities with other operators in the eating and drinking out sectors.
If you're attending this year's Hostech, be sure to catch our CFO, Nick Fryer, in conversation with Tech on Toast. It's a great chance to dive into some insightful discussions and connect with peers in the industry.
Must-attend UK restaurant and trade shows for hospitality industry in 2024 and 2025
If you’re planning to attend hospitality trade shows or hospitality expos in the upcoming months, make sure these key events are on your radar.
Key hospitality trade shows in 2024
Restaurant & Takeaway Innovation Expo / Hospitality Tech Expo as part of the Hospitality B2B Portfolio show - October 15/16 2024, Excel
This event is a must for discovering the future of hospitality tech.
We’ll be showcasing our robust payment solutions and how they provide uninterrupted service even during glitches and outages. Visit us at stand P20 in the Restaurant & Takeaway Innovation Expo section and come say hi – we’d love to chat about how we can help your business thrive.
Hostech - 22nd October 2024, London
The UK’s leading conference for pioneers of hospitality’s AI, tech, and digital revolution, organised by MCA.
Our CTO, Nick Fryer, will be joining key discussions on the future of payment technology.
Upcoming hospitality events in 2025
Catch us at these events next year:
Retail Tech Show - 2-3rd April 2025, Excel
A must-attend event for those in the retail and hospitality industries, focusing on the latest in tech innovation.
We’ll be there, showcasing how our reliable payments keep businesses running smoothly.
Food & Drink Expo - 7-9th April 2025, NEC
One of the UK's biggest events for food service and hospitality businesses, offering networking and growth opportunities.
Catch us demonstrating our tech in action, designed to support seamless operations during the busiest times.
More industry highlights
Hotel, Restaurant & Catering (HRC) - 17-19 March 2025, Excel London
A leading event for hospitality professionals. From the latest innovations in food service to industry networking – it’s an essential stop for anyone in the sector.
British Tourism & Travel Show - March 2025, Birmingham
Ideal for businesses involved in domestic tourism and hospitality.
Eat & Drink Festival - March 2025, London
A celebration of modern cuisine, mixology, and independent food and drink producers.
London Wine Competition - March 2025, London
Focuses on recognising and promoting wine brands that target specific wine drinkers.
Christchurch Food Festival - May 2025, Dorset
A lively event featuring street food, independent restaurants, craft beer, and live entertainment.
Hotel Summit - May 2025, London
A personalised event for senior hospitality professionals and key suppliers to meet one-on-one.
Natural & Organic Products Europe - May 2025, London
The go-to trade event for natural and organic products.
World Retail Congress - May 2025, London
Bringing together senior retail executives to discuss world-class retail strategies.
London Wine Fair - May 2025, London
A global meeting place for the wine trade.
Eat & Drink Festival (May 2025, Glasgow): Celebrating modern cuisine and independent producers.
BBC Good Food Show Summer - June 2025, Birmingham
A popular event for food lovers, offering a mix of new products, retailers, and demonstrations.
IFEX Ireland - June 2025, Belfast
A showcase of the latest products in food, retail, and hospitality.
Casual Dining - 24-25 September 2025
A major event focused on the casual dining sector, this trade show brings together key players to explore new trends, innovations, and opportunities in the industry.
Logistics and cost to exhibit at trade exhibitions UK
Setting up a stand at a UK trade fair takes some planning and investment. Budgeting up to £5,000 for a stand is common, depending on the event and location, with an expected ROI of 25-34%.
Beyond the general cost of UK trade shows, preparation is key – make sure you’ve got all the right materials, from sales collateral to lead capture tools and a strategy for following up after the event. If you need more details on stand costs or logistics, you can always get a quote to help plan your budget for restaurant trade shows.
Choose Dojo
Hospitality trade shows aren’t just about making connections – they’re about showing your customers and competitors that your business is reliable and dependable.
Whether it’s through our robust payment systems or showcasing our impact in action, we help decision-makers focus on growth and strategy while we take care of the rest. Ready to start accepting card payments? Get a quote to get started.
For more industry takeaways, check out our Dojo and Tech on Toast series and blog.
Whether you're attending as an exhibitor or a visitor, UK trade shows and hospitality expos are an essential part of growing and strengthening your small business or enterprise. They offer opportunities to showcase your products, gain valuable insights, and connect with key industry players. And with us by your side, you can focus on what matters most. See you at the next restaurant trade show!
