Foodbuy Supplier Conference

25 March 2022

The Foodbuy Supplier Conference has grown over the years to become a highlight in the Foodbuy calendar. The event is dedicated to our supply partners and provides them the opportunity to get together with Foodbuy colleagues and clients, gain insight into our plans for the year ahead and celebrate success with our supplier awards.

We spoke to Katie Howard, our Head of Project Management to learn more about what to expect from this key Foodbuy event. Katie is instrumental in planning our Supplier Conferences, planning the event a year before the date, taking care of every detail alongside the venue team, the Compass hospitality team and the event agency, BCD, to make it a memorable and valuable event.

What does a day at the Foodbuy Supplier Conference look like?

The previous Foodbuy Supplier Conference was held in The Capital Suite at ExCel, London and saw approximately 350 suppliers and 150 Foodbuy colleagues and clients.

A day of networking, presentations and workshops
At the start of the event, we welcomed all our attendees with breakfast before they made their way to the auditorium. The Foodbuy Exec members took to the stage to present our future business strategies, growth journey and unveiled the new Foodbuy branding. Robin Mills, Managing Director of Compass Group UK also presented to give insight into what is taking place and coming up at Compass Group.

One of the biggest perks of a conference is that you get to meet and talk with others in your industry. Throughout the day, suppliers were able to network with Foodbuy colleagues and clients and attend workshops to learn about what’s been happening and what to expect from each category.

An evening of glamour, entertainment, and celebration
In the evening, our event team transformed the auditorium into a truly special Gala Dinner in just over 2.5 hours. The attendees were treated to a champagne reception, a Gala Dinner with a delicious three-course meal, first-class entertainment, and the awards presentation.

We booked an A-list entertainment line-up with Michael McIntyre and Britain Got Talent star, Maddox Dixon putting on show-stopping performances. Maddox wowed the 500 guests with his magic tricks. At the end of the night, Michael graced the stage again to host the supplier awards. The award ceremony provided an opportunity to recognise and celebrate the outstanding contribution our suppliers have made to our business over the past year. In total, eight suppliers were recognised.

A great day is always had by all, with our supply partners, clients and colleagues coming together to celebrate the achievements over the past year - and ultimately gain insight into Foodbuy’s priorities for the year ahead and ways we can work better together.

At the end of each conference, we always review lessons learned to help us shape the next event.

What to expect at the 2023 event?

Rolling on from 2020’s success, the 2023 Supplier Conference will return to the Capital Suite at ExCel on 26 January 2023.

Maintaining and developing long-term partnerships with our supply partners is key to our business and that’s why the Supplier Conference is such a key event in the Foodbuy calendar. It’s a chance to get together with our supply partners and provide insight into the business and our priorities for the year ahead. There is a great networking opportunity throughout the day with attendees including Compass Group board members, sector leadership teams as well as Foodbuy clients. In the evening, guests can enjoy a star-studded Gala Dinner and celebrate our supply partners with our Foodbuy Supplier Awards.

Don’t take our word for it, hear what our key supply partner had to say:

“I thought the evening entertainment was fantastic too, what a line-up for a Thursday night at Excel! I attended the last conference two years ago and can truly say it’s very visible what a step-change you and the senior leadership team have made over the last two years.

We found the whole day to be very informative; this insight now gives us a platform to map out how we can engage our plans to support you and the team.”

Register your interest

Please contact the Foodbuy Registration Support team at events@foodbuysuppliersconference.co.uk.

For more information, please visit here.