Join us alongside the Hairy Bikers to showcase Scotland’s ambition to be a global food tourism leader
The Power of Food Tourism is a unique, informative and inspirational event like no other. For starters, it’s only three-hours long. Short enough to let diaries breathe, long enough for you to glean some fantastic takeaways. So, we actively encourage those in food and drink, tourism, agritourism, hospitality & catering, destinations, local authorities, media, in fact, anyone who wants to know more to saddle up and come along. You may be a start-up, looking to diversify or a well-established organisation curious about the opportunities.
We won’t bore you with endless presentations but rather we will thrill and enthuse with a dynamic mixture of recognised industry experts, interactive sessions, discussion panels, top tips, takeaways, and fun. Fun is important and we’ll have plenty of it. Our brilliant line-up of speakers will guarantee it. We’re very excited to be welcoming the Hairy Bikers, hot on the heels of their recent television programmes in Scotland as part of their ‘Hairy Bikers Go Local’ series, Instagram sensations the Taste Cadets and many more. Above all, The Power of Food Tourism is your chance to learn about the incredible people who make it all happen and why. To hear their stories, ideas, and ingenuity. To hear why they are relentless in their desire to put food and drink centre-stage and attract visitors.
Tickets for this three-hour food tourism fest are only £30. With the speakers we’ve got, the insights you’ll gather, as well as VIP access to ScotHot, that represents an excellent bang for your buck.
Delivered by Scotland Food & Drink in partnership with Scottish Tourism Alliance. The event will take place alongside ScotHot – Scotland’s premier showcase for food, drink, hospitality and tourism.
Please see the programme and speaker profiles below.
THE PROGRAMME
- 09.00 – 09.20hrs: Registration and morning coffee at ScotHot
- 09.20 – 09.30hrs: Guests to take their seats
- 09.30 – 09.35hrs: Opening of Event hosted by Simon Preston
- 09.35 – 09.45hrs: Welcome and opening remarks – John Davidson, Deputy Chief Executive and Strategy Director of Scotland Food & Drink
- 09.45 – 09.55hrs: Official welcome and opening – Mairi Gougeon, The Cabinet Secretary of Rural Affairs and Islands
- SESSION 1 – INFORM
- –09.55 – 10.15hrs: Overview and update on trends / insights and what is happening around the globe providing key considerations and top takeaways – Erik Wolf, Executive Director & Founder of World Food Travel Association
–10.15 – 10.30hrs: What is happening in Scotland? Who are our visitors? What are they looking for? – Vicki Miller, Director of Marketing & Digital at VisitScotland
–10.30 – 10.55hrs: Scotland’s Regional and National Food Tourism Ambassadors, Ghillie Basan, Food Writer, Broadcaster and Regional Food Tourism Ambassador for Moray
–10.55 – 11.05hrs: Scotland’s Regional Food Groups – Fiona Richmond, Head of Regional Food at Scotland Food & Drink
–11.05 – 11.15hrs: Scottish Agritourism Update – Plans for the year ahead and growing the sector – Caroline Millar, Sector Lead at Scottish Agritourism
- SESSION 2 – INSPIRE
- –11.15 – 11.45hrs: A chat with our special guests, celebrity chefs Si King and Dave Myers, aka the Hairy Bikers
–11.45 – 11.55hrs: Comfort break
–11.55 – 12.15hrs: Under the Influence – Interactive session with The Taste Cadets
–12.15 – 12.25hrs: Under the Influence – Q&A with The Rare Welsh Bit
–12.25 – 12.40hrs: The importance of Regional Food, Collaborating and Learning Journeys – Taste Causeways Journey – Sharon Scott, Taste Causeway
- SESSION 3 – IMMERSE
- –12.40 – 12.50hrs: Let us immerse you in award winning food tourism experiences
–12.50 – 12.55hrs: We now want to hear from you…
–12.55 – 13.00hrs: Closing remarks
Lunch and refreshments will be served in the ScotHot VIP lounge and we would encourage you to join other events and sessions over the 8th & 9th March – detailed below.
SPEAKERS
This event is not to be missed, jam-packed with content delivered by recognised, motivational, incredible people. We will leave you with top tips and takeaways that are relevant to you and your business and, together, we can take solid steps forward in making our sector grow and thrive.
Professor Mairi Spowage
Vicki Miller
David Edwards
Nick Peel
Kelly Johnstone
Andy Hadden
Caroline Bremner
Jim Eccleston
Marc Crothall MBE
Richard Lochhead MSP
Stephen Whitelaw
Cathy MacDonald
Food tourism is the enjoyment of food and drink-based experiences where a person learns about, appreciates, or consumes food and drink that reflects the history, heritage, and culture of a place. This includes the active pursuit of unique and memorable eating and drinking experiences encompassing everything from trying local food at a restaurant or café to visiting to a whisky distillery or going on a beer trail. It also includes attending a food festival, street food or agricultural event to taking a cookery class to visiting a farm or orchard, as well as agritourism activities that connect what is being produced in an area to what is being prepared, served, and enjoyed by locals. Food tourism is not only for the holiday maker, but also part of everyday life. It happens every time you go out whether you live and work here or visit here. It is a national benefit to all; it is societal and supports and drives forward the health and well-being agenda. Food tourism should be integrated into everything we do and is key and core to Scotland becoming a responsible tourism destination, too.
While you are here why not join us at:
-ScotHot – Scotland’s premier showcase for food, drink, hospitality and tourism on 8th and 9th March.
-STA Spotlight Stage at ScotHot – Running from 10am each day, on the hour, the Spotlight stage will feature high profile guest speakers from across the tourism and hospitality industry as well as experts from the business organisation that sector support. Sessions will cover hot topics in the industry.
-Financing Recovery & Business Transformation – Advisory seminar for tourism and hospitality business owners and finance managers – SEC – Wednesday 8th March, 14.00hrs – 16.30hrs
-The Scottish Tourism Month Industry Social – Hosted by Revolution, Glasgow Mitchell Street on 8th March 2023: 7 pm – late! Join fellow hospitality and tourism professionals and suppliers to the industry for the ultimate mid-week evening hangout and get together!
-InDrinks – The largest dedicated drinks event in Scotland is back on the 8th and 9th March, 2023 at the SEC.