The Hotel and Catering Show, the south coast’s largest hospitality event, is another step forward in becoming the main online communications hub for the regional hospitality industry. Organisers of the Bournemouth-based Show, the CEM Group, have taken the Show to the next level by introducing an interactive Hospitality Forum to its refreshed website, www.hotel-expo.co.uk, with the aim to encourage chefs, hoteliers, restaurateurs and suppliers, to register for free, network online and keep up to date with the latest industry issues.

Visitors to the site now have the opportunity to share ideas with others in the industry as well as network, find answers and discuss all things hospitality related. The Hospitality Forum contains a range of sections such as ‘Chefs Corner’, allowing both professional chefs to discuss with others issues such as latest trends, kitchen and employee issues as well as culinary students to share classroom tales or chat with fellow class mates. Other sections include the ‘Hotelier Check-in’ aimed at all hotel employees from the concierge to the hotel manager and the ‘Restaurant Guide’ for the restaurateur, waiting staff and suppliers to post comments.

The Hospitality Forum will also provide people with the opportunity to submit details about job opportunities, highlight favourite dining haunts or top cook books. This new online service will also provide updates on the latest Show developments.

Show director Anna Wallis says: “In looking for further innovative ways to communicate with hospitality industry professionals and increase the profile of the Hotel and Catering Show, we decided to take advantage of the current social networking phenomenon and introduce this exciting new Forum. Once registered, users can access the Hospitality Forum 24 hours a day and gain immediate access to industry professionals, network with other forum members for exchange of information, advice and experience as well as keep in touch with fellow professionals.”

The Hotel and Catering Show takes place on Tuesday 10th, (10am to 6pm), and Wednesday 11th March, (10am to 4pm), at the Bournemouth International Centre. It will host the UK’s largest culinary challenge in 2009, the Wessex Salon Culinaire, as well as staging ‘sound bite sessions’, hosted by Business Link Wessex, and a celebrity cookery theatre, sponsored by Unilever, KNORR and Bournemouth and Poole College. For further details please contact Anna Wallis on 01425 485040.