Bill’s Restaurants, Burger King and Pizza Pilgrims to discuss the latest technology at HRC

HRC, part of Food, Drink & Hospitality Week, has unveiled the seminar programme for its TechX stage, which will showcase the latest tech trends and innovations in foodservice and hospitality.

At the show, which takes place on 17-19 March at ExCeL London, Peter Martin, co-founder of Peach 20/20 and the Atlantic Club, will be hosting a number of TechX sessions. He said: “The industry is at an inflection point; boards are rethinking business models and embracing tech as an enabler – from transforming guest and team experiences to fundamentally reshaping their P&L. We have some incredible speakers and conversations lined up – basically it’s free consultancy for anyone looking to thrive in 2025 and beyond.”

Day one of the show will kick off with a fireside chat between Martin and Tom James, managing director of Bill’s Restaurants. The discussion will look at how technology is transforming the hospitality industry, from AI-powered chatbots to self-service kiosks and digital ordering.

This will be followed by a session on how AI can revolutionise operations and enhance guest experience, hosted by Chris Fletcher of Tech on Toast, joined by Frankie O’Connell of Blank Street Coffee UK and Matt Grimshaw of Youda.

Jo Lynch of KAM will then moderate a discussion between Dan Brockman of Airship and Toggle, Rebecca Farrer of Wagamama, Rhiannon Scarlett of TGI Fridays UK and Richard Dawson of Dunnhumby on cultivating customer loyalty through technology.

Lynch will also chair a panel on navigating the tech stack and bespoke products versus add-on solutions with Joel Robinson of Openr, Tommy Giraux of Honest Burgers and William Connors of Wingstop UK. 

The second day of HRC will see the TechX stage cover how to make the most of your CRM, with speakers including Edwina Low of Harry Ramsden’s, Harry Fielder of Umi Digital, Ruth Carpenter of Pizza Pilgrims and Yogesh Ram of the Athenaeum. 

This will be followed by a discussion on the evolution of food delivery, moderated by Fletcher and featuring panellists Chris Matthews of Pret A Manger, Florian de Chezelles of the Salad Project and Deliverect’s Joe Heather.

Day two will conclude with a discussion on how tech is transforming culinary operations, moderated by FEA chief executive John Cunningham, with panellists Ben Keal of Sylvester Keal, James Shaw of Google and Rehan Uddin of the Asian Restaurant Owners Network.

The final day of HRC will see the TechX stage cover how connecting brands to guests can drive long-term success, with panellists Dom Rosenfeld of Pepper, Harry Ridley of Levy, Compass Group, and Katie Akers of Market Halls.

Brendan Kelly of JKS Restaurants, Erika Biggadike of 4C Associates and Tim Doubleday of Burger King UK will then take to the stage to discuss to potential of AI in forecasting, and how to unlock new predictive powers for hospitality chief financial officers.

Finally, Fletcher will be joined by Dominic Ashworth of Gaucho and Mike Phillips of Nightcap to discuss how technology is driving recruitment in the hospitality sector.