Edinburgh I 7 - 8 October 2024

GRIF EDINBURGH PROGRAMME

7 October

12:00 Registration and welcome lunch hosted by The Balmoral Edinburgh

Chat with Lydia Forte, Group Director of Food and Beverage, Rocco Forte Hotels

13:00 Walking Study Tours

Study tours will leave from The Balmoral. Make sure you are rugged up and in good walking shoes. (This is not the time for heels!)

Hotel F&B Tour:

1. W Edinburgh hosted by Ken Millar, General Manager; Joshua Cowan, Director of B&F

2. Aizle at Kimpton hosted by Kieran Quinn, Hotel General Manager; Stuart Ralston, Chef & restraunter

3. Tigerlily hosted by David Hall, Co-founder, Tribe Kitchen

4. The Pompadour hosted by Dean Banks, Chef & Founder

Contemporary Tour:

1. Knoops hosted by Romy Miller, Chief Marketing Officer

2. Six & Somewhere by Nico hosted by Michael Sim, Chief Marketing Officer

3. Hawksmoor hosted by Caoimhe Duignan, Business Development Manager

4. Dishoom hosted by Vikki McKenzie-Shee, General Manager

Bar Tour:

1. DogHouse by BrewDog hosted by James Brown, CEO BrewDog Bars

2. Johnnie Walker Princes Street hosted by Robert Maxwell, Head

3. Panda & Sons hosted by Nicky Craig, General Manager

4. Tigerlily hosted by David Hall, Co-founder, Tribe Kitchen

Local Heroes:

1. Port of Leith Distillery hosted by Paddy Fletcher, Founder; Khalid Hussain, Hospitality Division Manager

2. Plaice hosted by Dean Banks, Chef & Founder

3. Cardinal hosted by Tomas Gormley, Chef Patron

4. Bonnie & Wild hosted by Ryan Barrie, Managing Director; Kate Russell, General Manager

Plaice, Bonnie & Wild, Cardinal

17:00 Drinks reception hosted by The Alchemist George Street

19:00 Freedom Dining

Please note that Edinburgh tends to wind down early, with last orders typically around 20:00 to 20:30. We will have some tables reserved at The Alchemist for those who would like to stay on and enjoy dinner, with the tab to be settled individually.

8 October

08:30 Arrival at Edinburgh International Conference Centre

09:00 Official Welcome

Kate Nicholls OBE, CEO, UKHospitality

09:20 Discover Scotland’s F&B Scene - why the world is paying attention

James Hacon, Managing Partner at Think Hospitality, in conversation with:

Dean Banks, CEO, Dean Banks Group

Kenny Blair, Co-Founder & Managing Director, Buzzworks

Marshall Dallas, Chief Executive, Edinburgh International Conference Centre

Julie Lin, Co-Founder & Chef, Ga Ga

09:45 Investor chat with Harry Goss, Partner at McWin

What is McWin's current strategy?

10:00 A focus on performance

Simon Farrow, Global Business Performance Director, Tao Group Hospitality shines a light on the black box of restaurant industry data - how to utilise internal and external data to drive better decision making, performance and development?

10:15 Internationalising your brand

Strategies for growth, finance and new market entry

Sven Sallaerts, Co-founder at Younique Concepts, in conversation with:

James Brown, CEO, BrewDog Bars

Nicolas Budzynski, Chief Executive Officer, LPM Restaurants & Bar

Grace Harding, CEO, Ocean Basket Holdings

Kurt Zdesar, Founding Partner, Chotto Matte

10:45 Networking Break

11:15 Remaining relevant at scale

As you get bigger how do you maintain what made you special and your connection with your customers and community? What are some of the pitfalls to avoid?

James Hacon, Managing Partner at Think Hospitality, in conversation with:

Thom Elliot, Co-Founder, Pizza Pilgrims

Romy Miller, Chief Marketing Officer, Knoops

Simon Potts, CEO, The Alchemist

11:45 Elevating hotel experiences

How are hotels rethinking their offerings to keep diners in their properties and and how are they working with third parties?

Heleri Rande, Partner at Think Hospitality, in conversation with:

Wayne Brown, Global VP of F&B Development, Ennismore

Lydia Forte, Group F&B Director, Rocco Forte Hotels

Marc Antoni Ledesma, Sr. Director, F&B Design and Development, EMEA, Marriott

Chris Miller, Founder & CEO, White Rabbit Projects

12:15 Insight into the Middle East market and consumer

Jennifer Pettinger, Co-Founder & Managing Director of GRIF, in conversation with:

Luigi Battista, CEO, Kuuru; General Manager, Leylaty Group

Fay Economides, Executive Director, M Management Company

Roaya Saleh, Owner, Villa Mamas Restaurants

Faisal Shaker, Founder, Board Member & CEO, Modern Food Company (MFC) & Modern Elite Company

12:40 Lunch at the EICC hosted by Leith's

13:30 Walking tour led by James Hacon to Virgin Hotel Edinburgh

There is also a bus available courtesy of Rabbie's Tours

14:00 Building Brand Legends with Purpose

Yasha Estraikh, Associate Partner, Piper

14:15 Doing the right deal

What are these investors looking for in the current market? Where do they see investment into the industry heading in the next 12 -24 months?

Michael Ingemann, Chairman at Think Hospitality, in conversation with:

Chris Miller, Founder & CEO, White Rabbit Projects
Robin Rowland OBE, Partner, Trispan LLP

Faisal Shaker, Founder, Board Member & CEO, Modern Food Company (MFC) & Modern Elite Company

Michael Toxvaerd, Executive Director, Nightcap PLC

14:45 Capitalising on the evolution of socialising

Looking at the continued rise of experiential socialising and eatertainment. Where are the opportunities for growth?

Laura Vana, Associate Partner, Think Hospitality in conversation with:

Nicola Blackford, Chief Commercial Officer, State of Play Hospitality

Nick Jones, Development Director, Lucky Voice

Jillian MacLean MBE, Founder & CEO, Drake & Morgan

Iain McPherson, Owner, Panda & Sons

15:15 Brands that have purpose are loved not liked – why purpose pays off financially

Lauren Scott–Harris, Founder, EARNT

15:30 Why purpose is so powerful and necessary

Jillian MacLean MBE, Founder & CEO of Drake & Morgan, in conversation with: