Casual Dining’s organiser Diversified Communications UK is celebrating a big win at the exhibition industry’s annual AEO Excellence Awards, just four months after the show first made its debut at the Business Design Centre in London.
Over 1,000 events industry professionals attended the awards ceremony, which was hosted by comedian Jimmy Carr at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London’s Mayfair on 4 July.
Casual Dining – the UK’s first dedicated trade event for the multiple and independent pub and restaurant sector – is the first launch show (UK and international) in over five years to triumph in the AEO’s hotly contested ‘Best Tradeshow Exhibition under 2,000sq.m’ category.
Previous winners of the award include Diversified UK’s lunch! show in 2010 and 2011.
Having already won widespread support from across the casual dining sector, Casual Dining can now count the AEO’s judges amongst its fans.
Impressed by the show’s highly targeted approach to its “well identified market”, the judges commented that “great marketing and strong innovative ideas resulted in very high customer satisfaction levels.”
Group event manager Chris Brazier, speaking on behalf of the Casual Dining team said:
“To have the honour of Casual Dining winning Best Trade Show under 2,000sq.m is something very special.
“The fact that Casual Dining was a new show that has been developed with, and supported by, pub and restaurant groups, as well as our incredible exhibiters, makes it even more special.
“We share this award with them and we couldn’t be happier.
“A special mention must go to the amazing team here at Diversified Communications, who have worked so hard to deliver a much loved, sector defining event in such a short space of time.”
The show’s marketing manager Grace Allwright said:
“We really couldn’t have asked for a better endorsement for the show than this.
“A big thank you must go to the whole industry, including our valued media and association partners, for supporting the show from the very beginning and helping to make Casual Dining the show that this important sector truly deserves.”
From 118 exhibiting companies in 2014 to around 170 next year, Casual Dining’s rapid expansion mirrors the growing success of the UK’s £6.9bn casual dining market; which is now attracting an extra 47m visits each year compared to five years ago.
This strong market performance, combined with glowing testimonials from attendees, has seen increasing demand from new companies looking to exhibit in 2015 and has already heralded the announcement of a 45% expansion in exhibition space, taking the show up to the venue’s upper feature level for the first time.
With over 4,000 attendees from across the casual dining sector expected to attend (up from 3,655 in 2014), Lamb Weston, Gamble Food Service Equipment, Unox UK, Darta, Luscombe Organic Drinks, Nisbets, Taylors of Harrogate, UCC Coffee UK, Vivreau, Ambach UK, Catering Design Group, Stokes Coffee, Bar & Restaurant Foods, Dr. Oetker (UK), and Eden Contract Furniture are just a few of the exhibitors already confirmed.
Casual Dining (including the Design Awards and Innovation Challenge Live) will return to the Business Design Centre, Islington, London, on 25-26 February 2015.
