A new industry focused conference is to be held at Penrith’s top visitor attraction, The Rheged Centre in February 2011.
The Taste Cumbria Food Tourism Summit is the first event aimed specifically at the Cumbrian food and drink industry. Organised by the team behind Taste Cumbria, the annual food and drink festival, the aim of the Food Tourism Summit is to provide participants with a credible platform to discuss and debate hot industry topics with an audience comprised of sector peers and respected experts.
For many businesses within the sector, trading conditions may be proving challenging at the moment – the Food Tourism Summit provides an opportunity to gain insight and share experiences, ultimately providing delegates with the right tools and tangible information for improved profitability.
Inspiring industry heavyweights including Guardian critic Matthew Fort and broadcaster Jay Rayner will be debating and presenting subjects including:
- How ‘keeping it local’ benefits Cumbrian businesses
- Menu planning vs. the bottom line
- Food and Tourism – how they help to sustain a regional economy
- The critic's point of view
- How to market a business more effectively
- The importance of media training in a food business
Other speakers and presenters include former Masterchef judge and Northern Chef of the Year John Benson-Smith, food marketing expert Rob Ward and local food champion John Geldard, of Kendal-based Plumgarths.
In addition, the Food Tourism Summit will provide delegates with a unique opportunity to network across the industry and to meet and trade with a variety of Cumbrian producers during the day.
The Food Tourism Summit is open to all sectors of the Cumbrian food and drink industry, and the event organisers recommend strongly that representatives from the following businesses attend:
- Restaurant owners looking at ways to raise their profile and their profit
- Cumbrian food businesses wishing to buy, sell, network and learn
- Small producers looking to supply restaurants, hotels and tourist attractions
- Local B&B’s wishing to either source local produce or help fill bed spaces
- Hotels who could benefit from social marketing, serving local food to raise their
profile & ways to help fill their restaurants and increase their profit
- Tourist attractions who would like to hear more about how by improving their
food offering, they could attract thousands more tourists
- Anyone involved in the food tourism sector or food media
Katie Read, Tourism Partnership Director for West Cumbria, said: “This is an incredibly exciting event to take place in the region. Our food and drink offer is second to none and is known world-wide for its diversity and quality – every year thousands of visitors descend on the region to try and buy our exceptional produce. This is the sector’s opportunity now to come together and shape the future of Cumbria’s food tourism proposition.”
The Food Tourism Summit is to be held at The Rheged Centre, Penrith on Monday 28th February 2011 from 10.00am – 4.00pm.
Tickets are £25.00 plus VAT, which includes coffee and lunch and are available by calling event organisers SK Events on 0151 522 9362.