The Hotelympia show says its Big Event gala dinner has raised more than £70,000 for industry charity Springboard.
The dinner on the second night of the show last Tuesday (1 March) was attended by around 550 people and themed around St David’s Day. Springboard also benefited from funds raised from a Hotelympia 10K run two days earlier. The money will support Springboard’s ‘Into Work’ programmes and fund new ones that help to get young, unemployed and disadvantaged people into careers in hospitality.
Springboard chief executive Anne Pierce said: “We are delighted at the amount we raised through The Big Event at Hotelympia. The support we were shown was phenomenal and it’s a privilege to be the beneficiary charity for Hotelympia’s Gala Dinner. It was a thoroughly successful evening of entertainment and the funds raised for The Springboard Charity will make a significant impact on people’s careers and lives.”
Hotelympia meanwhile reported a 15% increase in visitor numbers at its 2016 show. Around 26,000 people attended over the four days of the event, which runs every two years. Nearly 1,000 companies exhibited. Toby Wand, managing director at Fresh Montgomery, said: “We’re proud to yet again provide the perfect platform for our innovative exhibitors to do what they do best, proud to provide visitors with the most relevant tools and insight to face 2016 head-on, and immensely proud to smash 2014’s attendance record.”
