Hospitality Exchange 2022 to focus on labour problems

Hospitality Exchange 2022 is to be held on October 11 and 12 in Belfast’s Crowne Plaza Belfast, with labour problems in the industry a key focus.

Addressing  hotel members, suppliers and supporters at the launch, hosted by Pamela Ballentine, Northern Ireland Hotels Federation President, Stephen Meldrum, said: “This year’s event will consider a framework to facilitate the recovery of the sector, look at its future and examine the challenge of sustainability.

“To support the creation of meaningful content, the Federation has commissioned A Labour Market Report from the team at the Ulster University Economic Policy Centre. The research will address an important concern, the issue of people, a challenge that has had considerable repercussions for us all.

“Whilst labour shortages in the hospitality industry pre-date recent issues, Brexit and Covid-19 have seen the issue worsen in the last two years. We look forward to sharing findings with you in October.

“People remain a theme and we will be launching a new awards event for rising stars within the industry. This will form part of a suite of Key Awards to recognise and reward the excellent staff within our industry. There will also be an analysis of hotel development, industry support and innovative solutions.

“In addition to a full conference programme, there will be an opportunity to meet friends old and new at breakfast, lunch and of course the legendary President’s Party. The grand finale of Hospitality Exchange is something to look forward to and, this year, we will be allowed to dance. To be honest, based on previous performances, I’m not entirely sure if that is a good thing or not!”

The final programme for Hospitality Exchange 2022 will be released in late August and exciting elements will continue to be revealed this summer.