Propel Multi-Club Conference & Summer Party 2018

This year we are continuing our long standing sponsorship of the excellent Propel Multi Club, the UK's largest conference series for multi-site operators. The summer edition, followed by a barbeque and party.

We will have a stand in the networking area, where lunch will also be served. As always we'd be delighted to catch up and please do keep an eye out for The 'Team Tahola' bikes as we will be cycling on the day to raise money for Bloodwise.

The Propel Summer Conference will be followed in the evening by the free Propel Summer Party, which this year includes a trip to Junkyard Golf in Oxford, a barbecue, and live band karaoke.

Operators of multi-site companies can claim two free places by emailing Anne Steele on: anne.steele@propelinfo.com

Schedule:

8.45am-9.45am: Registration

9.45am-10.15am: Matt Coles, of Morar HPI’s food and drinks team, will examine key trends in alcohol consumption and the rise of a new “just say no” generation, and look at the performance of the emerging alcohol alternatives and predict winners and losers in the drinks market.

10.15am-10.45am: Peter Edwards, chief operating officer of Zonal, will examine how table bookings can be used to build better guest relationships.

10.45am-11.15am: James Hacon, sector consultant, will provide insights derived from the Propel/ALMR Study Tour to New York, including learnings from UK operators in the city, time spent with legendary restaurateur Danny Meyer’s business and Danish entrepreneur Claus Meyer, the founder of New Nordic cuisine philosophy, as well as key trends in New York’s foodservice scene.

11.15am-11.45am: Martin Morales, restaurateur, chef and entrepreneur known as the pioneer of Peruvian food, who was named Innovator of the Year at this year’s Propel Marketer & Innovator awards, will talk about his career in the foodservice industry, from giving up a successful career in the music industry to operating four restaurants serving four different types of Peruvian cuisine, bringing together elements of fine dining, casual eating, regional cuisine and street food.

11.45am-12.00pm: Angela Malik, board member of the London Food Board, sets out details of the mayor of London’s new London Food Strategy.

12.00pm-1.00pm: Lunch

1.00pm-1.30pm: Gavin George, chief executive of Laine Pub Company, will talk about how the company has developed a
22-strong London estate of pubs, whose like-for-like sales rose 22.5% last year, with an enhanced customer experience that includes circus and cabaret performers, live music, immersive and arcade gaming, and on-site brewing, and will talk about the company’s “managed expert” partnership with Ei Group.

1.30pm-2.00pm: Matthew Kirby, chief executive of Chozen Noodle, will talk about expanding the brand and its sub-brand Chow Asian kitchen in different formats, the challenges and opportunities of trading in motorway service stations, the retail landscape, and future plans.

2.00pm-2.30pm: David Abrahamovitch, founder of genre-busting Grind, which combines an independent coffee and cocktail bar, will talk about his brand’s USPs, expansion in London, raising £2m on Crowdcube, its partnership with SSP to open in train stations and airports, and future plans.

2.30pm-3.00pm: Andreas Karlsson, group chief operating officer of Sticks ‘n’ Sushi, will talk about expanding the business from its Copenhagen roots to the UK and the learnings and progress it has made here.

3.00pm-3.30pm: Coffee Break

3.30pm-4.00pm: Simon Mitchell, managing director of Kerb, which operates six street food markets across London, will talk about the current street food scene, how Kerb develops traders through its specialist workshops, and how he sees the sector evolving.

4.00pm-4.30pm: James Baer, managing director of Amber Taverns, will set out the company’s progress in creating a 130-plus estate of community pubs, the strengths of its management model, its investment criteria, development of its Hogarths Victorian-style gin palace brand, and future plans.

4.30pm-5.00pm: Could expanding your delivery service jeopardise your brand?HGEM insight manager Rich New and Jason Horn, HGEM lead client manager, will report findings from an exclusive survey of consumers on their perceptions and experience of delivery – and how it affects their brand perceptions.