The forum, held last week at London’s Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors, brought together key figures in the foodservice industry to discuss ways of improving profitability and spotting the next relevant consumer trend.
Emma Read, director of marketing and business development at Horizons, said: “This is a very changing marketplace, Horizons’ research shows there are huge opportunities in areas such as snacking and breakfast while smaller business units are being developed for locations such as transport hubs and shopping malls.
“The challenge is to stay in touch with customer needs and be able to adapt to the way the sector is moving.”
Some of the speakers at the forum included Paul Pomroy, SVP and CFO for McDonald’s UK, who spoke about the importance of consumer insight; Max Luthy, of global trend-watching company Trendwatching.com, who spoke about identifying key trends relevant to a company’s business model; and Kate Ringham, of Oxford School of Hospitality Management, who addressed the audience on using revenue management to drive turnover.
Pomroy said: “You have to keep changing. Competition entering the market keeps us on our toes and the business sees this as a good thing. We remain market leading in the informal eating-out sector and that is down to our desire to evolve, whilst meeting the demands from our customers.”
Thought Leadership Forum is a regular Horizons event, providing a platform that allows industry leaders to shape and influence the future of foodservice. The forums take place over a morning, with an expert on an issue opening the discussion.
Horizons is a data and insight company and provides consultancy services, workshops and statistical information for people and businesses across the foodservice industry, from manufacturers and investors to trade associations and PR agencies.