British Hospitality & Tourism Summit 2013: Time for hospitality to realise its potential

19-May-2013 - Last updated on 30-Jul-2024 at 11:19 GMT

The British Hospitality Association's second British Hospitality and Tourism Summit will aim to bring together the industry and promote careers within it

The hospitality industry will need to invest in its future workforce if it wants to realise its full potential in 2013 and beyond, the British Hospitality Association has warned as it prepares for its second British Hospitality and Tourism Summit.

The summit, which takes place on 11 June at the InterContinental Park Lane, will see a host of industry names come together to discuss how to make the hospitality sector an attractive place for young people, boost youth employment and reduce sector skills shortages to enable it to create the targeted 300,000 new jobs by 2020.

Last year's inaugural summit saw industry leaders pledge to work together to lobby the Government over issues while this year the focus will be on moving things on and actively looking at how the industry can fulfill its potential.

“Our industry has so much to offer the UK in terms of job creation, skills and growth. It’s important we come together so that those who have a hand in our success – Government and our partners in the financial, transport and retail sectors for example – hear from us with one voice," said Stephen McCall, managing director UK and Ireland, IHG, a patron sponsor of the event.

Summit programme

This year's programme will include keynote speeches from Willie Walsh, chief executive of International Airlines Group and chairman of the London Chambers of Commerce and Culture Secretary Maria Miller; a panel debate about how best to work in partnership with other businesses; a focus on apprenticeships and speeches from Whitbread managing director Patrick Dempsey, BaxterStorey chief executive Alastair Storey and McDonald's chief executive Jill McDonald.

Other panellists and speakers include Domino's Pizza Group chief executive Lance Batchelor, Industry head for travel at Google Nigel Huddleston and VisitBritain chairman Christopher Rodrigues.

BHA chief executive Ufi Ibrahim said: “The BHA is the agenda-setter of the hospitality and tourism industry and the summit is the industry’s opportunity to come together and speak to government with a united voice and ensure that they listen and act upon our agenda for growth.”

British Hospitality & Tourism Summit 2013 speakers list: