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05/01/2006
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16.970 professionals visited Horeq 2005
Of the total number of visitors, 24.26% were restaurant and fast food personnel; 15.20%, were from hotel and catering; 19.57% from bars and cafeterias, and 7.57%, catering services
The trade fair widened its geographical reach, with professional visitors from Portugal, France, Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom and Mexico
The presence of managers increased by 53.04%, compared with last years edition
Between 19th and 22nd October 2005, HOREQ 2005, the Hotel and Restaurant Equipment Show, held its third edition in Feria de Madrid. It was considerably successful, both because of the high growth registered in the professional visitors section, especially from abroad, and because of the level of activities carried out. Besides this, the trade fair experienced an increase in participation of exhibiting companies that reached 784, against 541 present in the 2003 edition.
The final visitor figure, with 16,970 professionals, that is to say 13% more than two years ago, confirmed the expectations of the organizers of the event. By segments of activity, we must emphasize that of the total present this year, 24.26% belong to restaurants and fast food establishments; 15.20%, to hotels and lodgings; 19.57%, to a cafes and bars, and 7.57%, to catering professionals.
As regards the national scope, the geographical reach of this edition is worthy of special mention, with more than half of the visitors coming from outside Madrid. There was also a notable presence of professionals from Castille-León, Castilla La Mancha, Andalusia, Valencia and Catalonia. On the other hand, it is necessary to mention the growing international projection of the trade fair, shown by the visitors from above all Portugal, France, Italy, Germany, United Kingdom and Mexico.
Furthermore, HOREQ 2005 has been strengthened by the great presence of managers. This is an increase of 53.09% when compared with data from the last edition.
. A wide programme of activities
The good results achieved confirm the level reached by HOREQ. It included a wide and new exhibition offer and a full programme of activities and highly interesting technical conferences for all of professionals in the sector. The latest new ideas in equipment were presented hand in hand with the most prestigious companies.
Innovations in new technologies were very important, as well as exclusive designs in the textile sector and new ideas for information technology products.
A the same time as the commercial offer, the trade fair gave special treatment to Cold Line. This is an exhibition where for four days several presentations were given to publicize how the system works and the advantages it has as regards the conservation and preparation of meals.
On the other hand, HOREQ developed the elimination of architectural barriers, with the reproduction of a Bar without Barriers. This complied with the access requirements for disabled people.
Besides this, the exhibition was converted into a scene for competitions and tasting sessions. On the one hand there was the 1st Cocktail Festival, a competition in which 10 prestigious barmen participated in live cocktail making. They were then tested and tasted by a specialized Jury. The winner was Fermín Román, the barman of Hotel Orfila. The show finished with a show by Dennis Varela, a flair bartender who delighted visitors with an acrobatic spectacle launching bottles and cocktail makers. Consequently, the Excellence Contest for Wine Waiters took place, in which the three last winners of Excellence, a course that took place in Madrid, with the coordination of the specialized journalist Gonzalo Sol. Óscar Ayala Briz, a wine waiter from the ¡§La Nueva Fontana¡¨ restaurant, was the winner of this first edition. Tasting sessions were also held, for example ´Each Wine with its Glass´ and ´Harmony of cheeses and wines¡¨. These used the best range of products.
Along the same lines, HOREQ became the framework for the staging of the 8th National Gastronomy Exhibition, in which eleven candidates from different regional associations competed in the creation of a dish based on ox fillet and two garnishes of choice. Víctor Marta, a chef from Aragon, with the support of Raimundo Elcacho, was named champion of the competition. He will represent Spain in the 2nd International Hispanic Cooking Trade Fair in 2006. A skills exhibition also took place, and Raúl Contín from Zaragoza received best Maitre award in Spain.
. Forum for debate
Besides the activities, technical conferences also took place such as the round table ¡§Hotel and Catering: The Importance of Service¡¨. This tackled some of the main problems the sector is suffering. The speakers mentioned the unattractive offer for the future professional in terms of salaries and hours; lack of motivation, and lack of future perspectives. These were the problems that needed to be resolved. In the Fifth Conference on Ready-to-Serve Cuisine, participants tackled aspects such as cold line in catering for banquets, and the Interior Air Quality Programme; practical solutions to the law on tobacco in hotels. Here, they analyzed the legal and technical aspects of this new law. A Conference on Hotel and Catering Training: ¡§Equipment for Hotel and Catering¡¨ was held. It tackled, amongst other things, the reach of the Contract market, access channels and the criteria for selection of furniture by the main hotel chains.
On the other hand, the exhibition was also the scene for sectorial meetings such as the 3rd General Meeting of IMEQHOS and EURCAREM 2005. It was a very interesting programme that closed with the Aula Fundetec. This is an initiative aimed at bringing new technologies to society, through sessions where basic notions on the workings of the computer and Internet were taught.
The Hotel and Restaurant Equipment Show, HOREQ 2007,is already working on the parameters of its fourth edition, which will be held in Feria de Madrid, between 19th and 22nd October 2007.
Madrid, November 2005
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(Source: Ifema, Feria de Madrid)
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