The Source trade show was one of the first in the UK to open its doors to trade in 2021. The show normally takes place in February, helping South West hospitality, catering and retail businesses find the latest innovation in food, drink, equipment and services for their customers before the year gets going. This year the show was postponed to June, to allow exhibitors and visitors to finally meet and trade, after what has been, and for many, continues to be, an extremely challenging period for the hospitality industry.
With Covid safety measures in place, and everyone pleased to be able to finally meet face to face, the show had a great atmosphere. Even though wearing masks made communicating a little challenging, they didn’t stop plenty of business being done, or samples being tasted!
“We had a very successful show this year, even though the numbers seemed less than in the past! This year we could definitely say quality rather than quantity! We had more serious interest in our teas and completed more orders than ever, which is a perfect scenario. All in all, it was a great show and we are busy packing orders right now!” Martyn & Martina, Westcountry Tea Co.
“Thank you so much for putting on a much needed show and bringing some normality back into our lives.” Lucy Bearn, Fareshare UK.
“I wanted to thank you and your team for putting together an amazing show. It was so well run and all the staff were so helpful from security to the waste disposal team! We really enjoyed being able to get back in front of leads to not only talk about our new products but also have a little bit of normality back!” Molly Renton, Tideford Organics.
2021 is expected to be one of the busiest Summers ever for the popular holiday region, due to the continuing restrictions on foreign travel, and Hale Events, the show organisers, are forecasting a bumper 2022 event as a result. Once again businesses will be able to get set up for the year ahead, as Source will be returning to its normal time slot in February, on Wednesday 9th and Thursday 10th.
“Trade shows are essential for businesses in the hospitality & catering industry. Unlike other sectors, where online trading works, when it comes to food & drink there’s no substitute for actually sampling and tasting the products! We were delighted to be able to host this event for suppliers and their customers, at a time when Covid-19 restrictions still apply. We were optimistic about how it would go, but we really didn’t know how many buyers we would see. While certainly not the levels we would usually see in February, we are pleased that so many exhibitors met quality leads, and that the experience was one that we all enjoyed. It’s certainly great to get back together again!” Mike Anderson, MD Hale Events
