COMPARE SOLUTIONS
For café operators navigating rising costs, tighter labour markets and increasingly digital customers, the pressure to evolve has never been greater. Hospitality Tech360 launches at Excel London from 30 March-1 April as part of Food, Drink & Hospitality Week, offering a focused environment to explore the insight and strategy shaping the next phase of hospitality.
Positioned as a 360-degree marketplace for hospitality innovation, HT360 brings together payment platforms, EPOS providers, workforce management systems, marketing tools and data specialists under one roof. For cafés balancing high footfall with tight margins, the ability to compare solutions side by side (and hear directly from operators already using them) is a compelling draw.
The content programme reflects the realities facing operators. In the Hospitality Leaders Forum, ‘AI forecasting: Promise vs. reality. A C-suite blueprint for strategy and decision-making' will examine how businesses can separate hype from practical value when it comes to predictive analytics. For café groups managing multiple sites, better forecasting can mean sharper purchasing, improved labour deployment and less waste.
Integration remains a key concern, tackled in ‘Bespoke vs. off-the-shelf: Cracking the code of hospitality tech integration’, where operators including Prezzo, Brunning & Price and PizzaExpress discuss how to make systems talk to each other without spiralling costs. Meanwhile, ‘Culture eats software for breakfast: Why leadership still determines tech success’ reinforces that digital transformation only works when teams are engaged and supported.
SESSIONS FOR ALL
Operational insight continues in the Tech Talks Theatre. ‘Data clarity = better decisions = improved guest experience’ explores how to turn raw numbers into actionable intelligence, while ‘Meet Joshua; Pizza Pilgrims’ AI teammate’ provides a real-world example of AI supporting teams on the ground. For operators keen to stay competitive in a crowded market, sessions such as ‘How to market to algorithms: Generative engine optimisation in action’ and ‘Hairdressers, hospitality and the human touch: The new ROI of word-of-mouth marketing’ address how digital discovery and reputation management are evolving.
The exhibitor line-up reflects these themes. Square will showcase its integrated POS and payments ecosystem widely used across independent cafés and multi-site operators. Tevalis presents enterprise-grade EPOS solutions connecting front and back of house, while Sunday focuses on QR-code payment technology designed to speed up table payments and improve cash flow.
Workforce.com and Tenzo both address labour optimisation and performance analytics, helping operators forecast demand and manage staffing more effectively. Vita Mojo offers end-to-end ordering and kitchen management technology, and Tech on Toast provides advisory support to help hospitality businesses choose and implement the right tech stack.
Crucially for café operators, HT360 sits alongside HRC and IFE, allowing digital strategy to be aligned with product sourcing and menu innovation in a single visit.
DRINK IT IN
Coffee takes a central role at HRC. The Speciality Coffee Association (SCA) is hosting the UK Cup Tasters Championship, preceded by an educational coffee cupping workshop. As the most popular and enthusiastically supported competition organised by the SCA, this brings serious credibility and craft focus to the event. For café operators, it provides both inspiration and practical insight into sensory skills, quality control and standards.
Exhibitors across HRC strengthen the coffee and drinks proposition. Lavazza returns with its established foodservice expertise and global scale, while Melitta Professional Coffee Solutions UK Ltd showcases tailored machine, coffee, digital and service packages for the out-of-home sector. Speciality roaster RAVE Coffee brings its wholesale partnership model built around freshness and provenance.
On the food side, Cakesmiths continues to champion counter theatre with handmade traybakes, loafcakes and pastries delivered next day. Delightful Food Group (S576) combines IBC Simply’s syrups, frappes, smoothies and toppings with March Foods’ co-manufacturing and co-packing capabilities, offering opportunities for own-label retail lines or signature drinks. Delamere will showcase its flavoured milks and ready-to-drink iced teas, tapping into demand for indulgent and grab-and-go options.
Across at IFE, further product inspiration awaits. Wood Fired Coffee, who offer beans roasted over sustainably sourced speciality wood for a distinctive flavour profile and point of difference, will be running a workshop on how to pour the perfect flat white. Jersey Dairy brings rich, high-butterfat milk products suited to iced drinks, ‘thickshakes’ and soft serve, while Cedar Baklawa introduces premium chocolate baklawa designed for eye-catching retail displays. Ingredient specialist Leathams supports menu creativity with a broad sourcing portfolio.
Taken together, Hospitality Tech360 and the events making up the wider Food, Drink & Hospitality Week portfolio provide café operators with a genuinely joined-up view of the sector’s future – all under one roof.
Find out more and register for your free trade ticket at hospitalitytech360.co.uk.
