Food and beverage (F&B) represents one of the largest segments of the hospitality industry and is a vital component in driving ancillary revenue growth within your hotel.

THE TOP FOOD & BEVERAGE EVENTS TO WATCH IN 2020

It seems that 2020 is going to be an eventful year for the food and beverage industry, carefully catered for everyone, from those who are health conscious to the chocolate lovers out there! Here are some examples of the most important F&B events and trends to help hoteliers develop their digital marketing strategy for 2020. 

UK Coffee Week (April 27th – May 3rd)

UK Coffee Week (April 27th – May 3rd) is a nationwide celebration where coffee shops, brands and businesses raise money for Project Waterfall (a charity aiming to end the water crisis and bring sanitation and education to coffee growing communities). Hotels can show their support by participating while increasing brand awareness and improving their brand image. This can in turn create differentiation in what is a highly competitive industry.

World Whisky Day (May 16th)

World Whisky day, first celebrated in 2012, is an international event which is set to take place on the 16^th of May.  This fun-filled day is celebrated globally with events taking place to celebrate all types of whisky while encouraging responsible consumption of course.

Hotels are already participating in this global event by offering special whisky flights with tasting notes and personalised tours of distilleries to educate guests on the famous Scottish drink. However, hoteliers can expand their F&B offerings by offering special dine and stay packages or offers on whisky based food and drinks. Subsequently creating a unique experience and growing revenue.

World Chocolate Day (July 7th)

World Chocolate Day (July 7th), also referred to as International Chocolate Day, is an annual event dedicated to enjoying everyone’s favourite guilty pleasure, chocolate!  Typically, chocolates and home-made chocolate cakes are gifted to your special someone and people spend the day indulging in chocolate tastings.

Hotels have started to participate in this international day by offering guests special dining experiences. Examples of these include ‘chocolate hour’ consisting of chefs participating in live demonstrations to engage guests, speciality tastings and chocolate making classes catered for everyone. Moreover, unique dessert experiences incorporating sweet indulgences and drinks are also being offered to guests.

Afternoon Tea Week (10th – 16th August)

This social event commemorates the long-lasting British tradition of Afternoon Tea with exclusive events such as children’s tea parties, celebrity hosted afternoon tea, and special tastings.

The popularity of this British tradition continues to grow with Afternoon Tea bookings increasing year on year, turning this tradition into a modern trend. Hotels and hospitality venues are continuously seeking new methods to market this event. Competition has become extremely fierce with the standard of offerings increasing. It is no longer enough for hotels to simply provide special discounts or offers. Hoteliers must stand out from the crowd by developing innovative and creative options to encourage and appeal to consumers.

World Vegan Month & Day (November / November 1st)

World Vegan Day and Month are annual events celebrated around the world during the month of November. World Vegan Day (November 1^st) was first established in 1944 by the World Vegan Society which soon evolved into World Vegan Month. This world event celebrates the benefits of a vegan lifestyle and encourages as many people to take part.

IN SUMMARY

These events are just some examples of the most popular F&B events that are taking place in 2020.

However, what is important is how hotels leverage these F&B events to create an attractive and memorable experience which is key in reinforcing a hotel’s brand and growing revenue.