Staying ahead of the curve at Peach 2020

How does an established international brand like Wagamama consistently stay ahead of the competition? Emma Woods tells all at Peach 2020.
Emma Woods, customer director at Wagamama

How does an established international brand like Wagamama consistently stay ahead of the competition? Emma Woods (pictured left) who, as customer director, is at the heart of the company’s culture, will be sharing her thoughts on maintaining growth and momentum at this year’s Peach 2020 conference.

And what of those just starting out? Stephen Finch, founder and managing director of Vagabond Wines, one of the hottest new concepts in town, will be just one of the new generation of entrepreneurs who will be on stage to talk about what drives them.

This year’s exclusive, invitation-only event run by CGA for the sector’s top executives and entrepreneurs is being held again at The Brewery, Chiswell Street, on Wednesday, November 21.

Finch and Woods, who is also non-exec at the expanding Gym Group, will be joined on the speakers’ roster by one of the sector’s most experienced executives Mike Tye, former boss of Spirit Group, David Lloyd, Premier Inn and Costa, and now chair of Moto and NED at The Restaurant Group, and Pho’s head of marketing, founder of Ladies of Restaurants, and diversity champion Libby Andrews.

Meanwhile, UK Hospitality’s ceo Kate Nicholls will be chairing a panel of experts from outside the sector on what a post-Brexit world will look like, especially when it comes to the supply of people and food & drink.

A key theme of Peach 2020 will be understanding the implications of what’s new and changing in this stingingly competitive marketplace, from consumer

Robin Rowland OBE, YO! Sushi founder

tastes and habits to legislation to operational innovation. CGA’s own team headed by CEO Phil Tate and strategic initiatives director Rachel Weller (pictured below-left) will use its industry-leading insight and data to present its latest thinking on future trends and market opportunities.

Industry leader Robin Rowland (pictured right) will again share the chairing duties at the conference with event founder Peter Martin. Rowland, who recently moved from an executive to non-exec role at YO! Sushi to become the operating partner at TriSpan brings a wealth of operational and senior management experience, being on the boards of Marston’s, Caffe Nero and Rosa’s Thai, as well as YO! Sushi.

With Peter Martin, he will be guiding the conference agenda and putting the tough questions to this year’s panellists. Speakers will be drawn from both the corporate and entrepreneurial sides of the business.

Full details of this year’s conference programme will be announced in coming weeks, but the agenda will cover the sector’s biggest issues – business pressures, politics, diversity, supply chain, international, technology and where to find growth opportunities.

As ever, the conference will be followed in the evening by the annual Peach Hero & Icon Awards dinner, honouring the best in the industry, and hosted by Peter Martin and Phil Tate. Industry voting that will help to draw up the final category shortlists will start later this month.

Rachel Weller, strategic initiatives director at CGA

The awards will honour dozens of outstanding operators across the out-of-home eating and drinking markets and will include the unique Icon awards, which recognise those individuals who have made an outstanding and lasting contribution to the sector.

VIP invitations for the 2018 event are being sent out now, and with over 150 industry leaders already confirmed to attend, organisers are planning for another sell-out.

The conference and awards dinner are both strictly invitation-only events, with places reserved for senior executives in operating companies. To inquire about attending please submit your request here: www.cga.co.uk/whats-on/peach-2020.

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