UKHOSPITALITY

Summer ‘22 Conference

7th June 2022

Hilton London Bankside

12—8pm

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Hospitality as a Catalyst for Nationwide Recovery and Leveling Up.

The Conference

The Agenda

12:00pm Registration and Networking

Networking and light refreshments

1:30pm Welcome to the Conference

Steve Richards, CEO, Parkdean Resorts and Chairman UKHospitality

1:50pm How hospitality will lead the levelling up revolution

UKH will set out how hospitality is imperative to the Government’s mission – and how this transcends party politics. Hospitality has also been widespread and democratic and this chimes with the aspirational objectives of spreading wealth.

Kate Nicholls OBE, UKH CEO

2:00pm Hospitality recovery

After two long years of the pandemic there are signs of stable recovery in sales growth. We will hear from market specialists on the latest trends on sales metrics – and a look at the critical pressures that are bearing down on the bottom line.

Karl Chessell — Head of Hospitality Operators & Food, EMEA, CGA

Thomas Emanuel — Director, STR

2:20pm Keynote Address:
Motivating and inspiring the workforce to demonstrate leadership and teamwork under pressure

Mandy Hickson, former RAF Fast-Jet Pilot

2:50pm Panel Session: Getting investment ready

This panel will discuss the current market, the opportunities and offer perspectives for operators

Luke Johnson — Entrepreneur/Investor

Jim Turner — Corporate Relationship Director, Barclays

John Miesner — Managing Director, Interpath Advisory

Curated by Peter Martin

3:20pm Break

Networking and light refreshments

3:40pm Keynote Address:
Local leadership and hospitality

There is an ongoing commitment to devolution in England to allow local communities to make decisions that are right for their local population. This session will provide a review on the success of devolution and highlight how businesses can constructively engage at a local level.

Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands

3:55pm Panel Session: Creating a healthy and sustainable food chain

Health inequalities were identified as a major issue in the discussion about levelling up. Food (and drink) is included as part of this discussion. This panel from across the food supply chain will discuss the role that industry can play in helping people lead healthy lives.

Kate Nicholls OBE — CEO UKHospitality

Karen Betts — Chief Executive, FDF

Terry Jones — Director General, NFU

Andrew Selley — Chief Executive, Bidcorp UK

Curated by Peter Martin

4:25pm Panel Session: The skills for the future

The pandemic has shone an even greater focus on the hospitality workforce, the sector’s greatest asset. Facing record vacancies and a severely disrupted talent pipeline, what can be done to ensure we can develop and access the high-quality workforce we need to deliver great hospitality? That is the question our acclaimed panel will be addressing.

Paul Flaum — Group CEO, Bourne Leisure

Sunaina Sethi — Co-founder & People Director, JKS

Stephen Cassidy — Senior Vice President and Managing Director, UK & Ireland, Hilton

James Nye — Managing Director, Anglian Country Inns

Curated by Kate Nicholls

4:55pm Panel Session: Creating pride in place

Hospitality is central to communities and always has been. One of the key ‘missions’ of levelling up is to restore ‘pride in place’, particularly those felt to have been left behind. This chimes with the high street agenda of recent years. This panel will debate how communities are revived.

Karin Sheppard, Senior Vice President and Managing Director, Europe, IHG

Suzanne Baker, Commercial Director, Stonegate Group

Will Beckett - Hawksmoor

Curated by Peter Martin

5:25pm Closing remarks

Kate Nicholls OBE, UKH CEO

5.35pm—8:00pm
Drinks Reception & Networking

Speakers

Steve Richards

CEO, Parkdean Resorts and Chairman, UKHospitality

Steve previously spent 30 years working in the UK leisure sector before becoming CEO of Parkdean Resorts in April 2019.

Having graduated from University College London in 1989, Steve spent the next 10 years at Allied Domecq plc before being appointed MD for Scottish and Newcastle plc.

Since 2003, Steve has led three PE backed companies including Spirit Group Ltd the Blackstone/TPG-owned pub and hotel operator; Novus Leisure Ltd the Barclays Ventures owned bar and nightclub operator and Casual Dining Group Ltd the UK’s third largest full-service branded restaurant group owned at the time by Apollo and KKR.

Steve is also the Chairman of UKHospitality; the sector’s leading trade body which lobbies Government on the strategic issues affecting its 850 member companies and who between directly employ over 3.3 million people and contribute more tax to the exchequer than the manufacturing, aviation and pharmacy sectors combined.

Kate Nicholls OBE

CEO, UKHospitality

Kate Nicholls OBE has been CEO of UKHospitality, the powerful voice representing the broad hospitality sector, since its inception in 2018, having previously worked as CEO and Strategic Affairs Director of the ALMR.

Kate is Chair of the Tourism Alliance and co-Chair of the London Tourism Recovery Board, representing the needs of the wider tourism sector in discussions with Government and the Mayor of London. She sits on the Government’s Tourism Industry Council and Events Industry Board, the London Food Board and has previously Chaired the London Night-time Commission. She is a Board member of London & Partners, Best Bar None, PASS and is a trustee at Hospitality Action. In July 2021, she was appointed as the first Government Disability Ambassador for hospitality, promoting inclusivity.

Kate initially worked as a researcher in the House of Commons and European Parliament on food, employment and environmental policy before joining Whitbread to work in Strategic Affairs. She has extensive experience as a political and strategic communications consultant and is a graduate of Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge and Kings College London.

Karl Chessell

Head of Hospitality Operators & Food, EMEA, CGA

Karl worked with CGA as a partner and consultant for more than 20 years before formally joining in April 2018.

Karl is passionate about eating and drinking out and the sector has been a constant throughout his career, leading international teams at global businesses including Experian and TransUnion.

He and his team work closely with leading pub, bar and restaurant operators and food service companies to provide deep insight on the hospitality sector. This is based around data on market performance, sector shape & size, consumer trends and business sentiment to help inform investment strategy, brand strategy and key operational decisions.

Thomas Emanuel

Director, STR

Thomas Emanuel is a Director at STR. He is based in London, and leads a team focused on driving business with industry partners.
He has spent his entire career in the hotel industry, beginning in 2000 with Miki Travel, before joining Hyatt Hotel & Resorts, where he gained experience in corporate sales at both the worldwide sales office and at the property level. Thomas then led the corporate sales function for Hazlitt’s Hotels, a group of independent boutique hotels in London.

In 2006, Thomas joined the Deloitte HotelBenchmark team, where he was responsible for creating and leading the department’s business development function. He held this role until the international expansion of STR in March 2008 and has since focused on overseeing STR’s rapid growth outside North America. Throughout his time with STR, Thomas has gained a wealth of experience working with hotels, investors, developers, consultants, banks, governments, destination management companies and many others.

Karen Betts

Chief Executive, FDF

Karen joined FDF in December 2021. Prior to this, she was the Chief Executive of the Scotch Whisky Association for four years, representing the Scotch Whisky sector in the UK and export markets worldwide.

Before joining the SWA, Karen was a diplomat in the Foreign & Commonwealth Office for 16 years, where she held a variety of posts in London and overseas, including as British Ambassador to Morocco and non-resident Ambassador to Mauritania and Counsellor to the British Embassy in Washington.

She was also posted to the UK's Permanent Representation to the EU in Brussels and the British Embassy in Baghdad. In London, she served in the Cabinet Office and the Joint Intelligence Committee, as well as in several roles in the Foreign Office. Before joining government, Karen was a lawyer at Clifford Chance, working in London and Hong Kong. Karen is currently an Adviser to the UK Government’s Board of Trade.

Terry Jones

Director General, NFU

Terry Jones is Director General of the NFU, the Voice of British Farming, which represents 47,000 farming and growing businesses of all sizes and farming types throughout England and Wales. In his role, he works closely with the organisation’s elected farmer officeholders and spokespeople and he leads the team of 750 full and part-time staff which deliver the organisation’s policy, campaign and legal work.

Before re-joining the NFU in 2016 he spent five years running food industry trade associations. In 2011 he joined the Food & Drink Federation (FDF) as its Director of Communications, working on a wide portfolio of issues including exports, public health and skills & education. Leaving FDF at the end of 2014, he took up the post of Director General at the Provision Trade Federation (PTF), looking after the interests of businesses involved in the UK bacon and dairy trade.

Before working at FDF and PTF Terry worked for the NFU from 2002-2011 in a variety of roles including Head of Government Affairs, Head of Food Chain and Director of Communications.

Andrew Selley

Chief Executive, Bidcorp UK

Andrew has spent 24 years with Bidcorp primarily developing the Food Logistics business in the UK, as well as businesses in Turkey, the Middle East, the Baltics and Spain. He became CEO of Bidfood in 2014, and sits on the global leadership Foodservice Group within Bidcorp, Bidfood’s parent company. In 2020, Andrew also took the reins of sister company Bidfresh, which supplies fresh produce, fish, meat and dairy products.

Bidcorp employs more than 6,200 people in the UK with a shared focus on service excellence, sustainability, food innovation and delivering great value.

Andrew was also appointed Chairman of the Federation of Wholesale Distributors in January 2017, handing over the role at the end of 2019. Andrew is also a commissioner on the FFCC, and sits on the advisory board of the National Food Strategy with Henry Dimbleby.

Prior to joining Bidfood Andrew’s career began at Coca-Cola Enterprises, where he worked his way up from Graduate Trainee to Trading Director of the wholesale division.

Luke Johnson

Entrepreneur/Investor

Luke Johnson has been involved in the food and drink business for almost 40 years. In the 1990s he served as chairman of PizzaExpress PLC and was part of the team which took it public. He also served as a director of public bar/restaurant business My Kinda Town PLC, and co-founded the restaurant business Strada. He chaired and part owned Caprice Holdings, which included The Ivy restaurant, for seven years. He served as chairman of Giraffe restaurants for nine years, which was sold to Tesco for £50m. He was the largest shareholder and a director of Elegant Hotels PLC which was sold to Marriott in 2019 for $200m.

He has been a co-owner/director of Gail’s artisan bakeries for 10 years, which was recently valued at over £200m, and serves as chairman of Brighton Pier Group PLC. He owns the All Star Lanes tenpin bowling business and is co-owner of the contract catering business Genuine Dining. He served as chairman of Channel 4 Television for six years and wrote a weekly column on business matters in the FT, Sunday Telegraph and Sunday Times for 20 years.

John Miesner

Managing Director, Interpath Advisory

John leads Interpath’s Debt Advisory team, providing advice to borrowers on all aspects of raising debt finance and managing their capital structures.

John previously led KPMG Debt Advisory’s advice to large corporates, having joined the business in 2002.

John has helped more than 200 businesses, raise over £20bn of debt finance, to support acquisitions and growth or to transition to new lenders, debt products or markets.

John’s has advised companies across the leisure and hospitality sectors, on pre-COVID expansion, through challenging COVID negotiations and is now supporting businesses emerge from the pandemic with the appropriate finance in place.

Jim Turner

Barclays

Jim is a Relationship Director in the UK-based Hospitality and Leisure team, with over 14 years’ corporate banking experience. His portfolio spans licensed trade, leisure operators and hotels and the team support a wide-ranging client base with their dedicated specialist approach, industry knowledge, and sector-specific products and services

Andy Street

Mayor of the West Midlands

Andy Street was elected as the first Mayor of the West Midlands in May 2017. Andy was re-elected to serve a second term as Mayor in May 2021. The primary function of the role is to chair the West Midlands Combined Authority and brings with it significant powers over transport, housing, skills and jobs.

Before becoming Mayor, Andy combined a career with John Lewis, Britain’s most successful workers’ co-operative, with a host of high-profile economic development roles, working with local and national government.

Starting on the John Lewis graduate scheme, Andy rose through the ranks to become Managing Director, overseeing one of the most successful periods in the company’s history.

He was the Chair of the Greater Birmingham & Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership between 2011 and 2016, helping to build the relationships that have underpinned the economic growth of the region. Additionally, he has been lead non-executive director for the Department for Communities and Local Government as well as a member of the Prime Minister’s Business Advisory Group.

Outside of work, Andy is passionate about the arts, particularly in the West Midlands, having previously served as Vice Chairman of Performances Birmingham Limited, which is responsible for running the City’s Symphony and Town Halls.

In June 2015, Andy was awarded the CBE for services to the national economy. He was named the ‘Most Admired Leader’ of the year by business magazine, Management Today in 2014. He received the ‘President’s award’ from the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce in for his work in the region. He holds three honorary degrees, from Birmingham City University, Aston University and the University of Birmingham.

Mandy Hickson

Former RAF Fast-Jet Pilot

Mandy Hickson has over 30 years experience within aviation. She joined the Royal Air Force in 1994 and flew the Tornado GR4 on the front line, where she operated in hostile environments, including patrolling the ‘No Fly’ zone over Iraq. Since leaving the RAF she retrained as a facilitator and coach in human performance factors. Drawing on her experience of calculated risk-taking, decision-making under pressure and the critical role of the human in the system, she transfers vivid lessons from the cockpit to other management and leadership contexts.

Mandy is now a highly demanded keynote speaker across a range of business sectors, where she talks with humour and great passion to inspire those around her. She has been invited to share her insights with some of the most successful organisations across the world where she describes the strategies & behaviours that can be adopted when the stakes are at their highest. She has recently launched her bestselling book, ‘An Officer, not a gentleman’, her inspirational journey to become a pioneering female fighter pilot.

Stephen Cassidy

Senior Vice President and Managing Director, UK & Ireland, Hilton

Steve Cassidy is Senior Vice President & Managing Director, UK, Ireland and Israel for Hilton, and is responsible for the company’s multi-brand 170 strong portfolio across these regions. He joined Hilton’s revenue management team in 2009, moving into hotel operations in September 2011. His remit expanded in 2015 to include all Hilton’s owned and managed properties in UK & Ireland, and later in 2020 to include all franchise hotels.

Steve is responsible for the operations of hotels including London Hilton on Park Lane, Hampton Edinburgh Airport and Hart Shoreditch, Curion Collection by Hilton. He has driven the development of Hilton’s management services in the UK and Ireland, innovating and enhancing Hilton’s proposition to owners.

The UK portfolio expands this year with the opening of Lost Property St Paul’s London, Curio Collection by Hilton, Hampton by Hilton Bath City and Hilton Woking which forms part of the town’s rejuvenation. In Ireland Steve is responsible for seven hotels including Conrad Dublin and in Israel the portfolio includes Waldorf Astoria Jerusalem. Steve is proud that Hilton has been ranked No. 3 Great Place to Work in the UK, a testament to the 15,000 strong Team Members who have showed incredible fortitude during the most testing times. With more than 30 hotels in the pipeline in the UK the Hilton team is set to grow and deliver exceptional service to even more guests.

Steve is vice chairman of UK Hospitality which has been instrumental in representing the industry during what has been its worst ever crisis.

Prior to joining Hilton, Steve forged a successful career with British Airways where he spent almost two decades in a number of senior management positions. During this time, he gained the CIMA qualification after graduating from Edinburgh’s Napier University with a degree in accountancy.

Paul Flaum

Group CEO, Bourne Leisure

Paul Flaum started his career as a chartered accountant at PWC and then for the last 25 years has held senior roles across the whole of the Leisure, Tourist and Hospitality Industry ( from Cinemas to Hotels to Pubs to Restaurants to UK Holidays). He has been the Group Chief Executive Officer for Bourne Leisure since 2017. Previous to that he was the Managing Director for Premier Inn and Whitbread Restaurants for a number of years. He is also a Director of UK Hospitality ( the Industry Lobbying Group). His charitable interests include Holocaust Education Trust. Paul is married to Gail and has 5 children. He is also QPR season ticket holder (unfortunately!).

Sunaina Sethi

Co-founder & People Director, JKS

Sunaina oversees the People strategy across the business overseeing HR, Recruitment and Learning & Development with an aim to encourage growth and progression of all JKS staff. In 2017 she completed the WSET diploma and set up JKS Restaurants to become an approved WSET programme provider in 2019

James Nye

Managing Director, Anglian Country Inns

Suzanne Baker

Commercial Director, Stonegate Group

Suzanne Baker is the Group Commercial Director within the biggest UK pub company, The Stonegate Group. Responsible for all commercial contracts across the business Suzanne built her career within hospitality holding Board positions in a number of hospitality companies including Town and City Pub Group Limited, Bay Restaurant Group Limited, Laurel Pub Company and JD Wetherspoon. Suzanne is passionate about the Bar to Boardroom ethos within Stonegate and works to mentor females across the business in promoting their careers. Suzanne won the prestigious The Retailers Retailer Hero Award 2021.

Karin Sheppard

Senior Vice President and Managing Director, Europe, IHG

Karin Sheppard has worked for IHG Hotels & Resorts (IHG) for more than 20 years. She is currently IHG’s Managing Director for Europe, responsible for driving the performance, sustainable growth and reputation of IHG’s European business. Karin oversees more than 750 franchised and managed hotels across several IHG brands in 39 countries, including over 350 hotels in the UK.

Karin is also a member of IHG's Regional Senior Leadership Team for Europe, Middle East, Asia & Africa, and sits on IHG’s global Diversity & Inclusion Board.

In her previous role as Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Australasia & Japan based in Sydney, Australia, Karin led the operations and performance of close to 70 hotels in the region across IHG’s brands. In her three years as COO, Karin oversaw the market debut of the Holiday Inn Express® brand, the signings of the first Hotel Indigo hotels in the region, and the launch of IHG’s Rise programme for aspiring female General Managers, now a global initiative. She was also appointed a board member of both Tourism Accommodation Australia (TAA) and the Tourism & Transport Forum (TTF).

Over the course of her more than 19 years with IHG, Karin has held several senior roles in Europe, Australasia and the Middle East, spanning commercial, operations and brand development. Previous appointments include Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) for Asia, Middle East & Africa (AMEA) based in Singapore, and Vice President, Brand Management for the Europe, Middle East & Africa region.

Karin has more than 25 years of international experience in commercial functions across a variety of industries, including technology, telecommunications and hospitality.

Will Beckett

Co-founder & CEO, Hawksmoor

If you have any questions about the UKH Summer Conference 2022, please email Hannah Adlam at hadlam@ukhospitality.org.uk

About

ABOUT US

UKHospitality

UKHospitality is the single, authoritative voice of hospitality. Protecting the commercial interests of hospitality venues and those who supply the industry. Representing venues from coffee shops, hotels, escape rooms, pubs, restaurants, leisure parks, nightclubs, contract caterers, entertainment, wedding venues, holiday homes, bowling alleys and visitor attractions across the UK.

Advocating for a fair operating environment as well as promoting hospitality as a career of choice - we are the voice of hospitality.

Supporting the industry

770

MEMBERS

100,000

VENUES

13

SECTORS

Highlights from UKH Summer Conference 2021.

Thank you to our sponsors

Upcoming Events

Upcoming events

We host a range of member-only and industry events throughout the year to ensure that the industry is protected. For more information about our upcoming events, visit our website.

UKH Christmas Lunch

Back by popular demand, is our highly anticipated Christmas Lunch, taking place at Old Billingsgate, 13th December.

The perfect end of year celebration, to reflect on the outstanding efforts of our hospitality teams and professionals.

Bringing the entire hospitality industry together to network and look forward to a strong year of trading in 2023.

Join us to meet colleagues, friends and industry peers for a day not to be missed.

For more details about our upcoming events, please email events@ukhospitality.org.uk.

Become a member of UKHospitality

To find out more about UK Hospitality membership, the benefits of becoming a member, and the amazing work we do for the Hospitality sector contact the membership team.

RSVP

UKHOSPITALITY

Summer ‘22 Conference

7th June 2022

Hilton London Bankside

12—8pm

The Agenda

5.35pm—8:00pm Drinks Reception & Networking

Speakers

If you have any questions about the UKH Summer Conference 2022, please email Hannah Adlam at hadlam@ukhospitality.org.uk

ABOUT US

UKHospitality

Supporting the industry

770

MEMBERS

100,000

VENUES

13

SECTORS

Thank you to our sponsors

Upcoming events

UKH Christmas Lunch

Become a member of UKHospitality

5.35pm—8:00pm
Drinks Reception & Networking