31 AUG - 3 SEP 2026 | Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre
Sponsored content provided by The Table Food Consultants It’s been one hell of a year. Interest rates have climbed, coffee prices have hit record highs, egg shortages have come and gone, and food, freight, insurance and wage costs continue to rise. New legislation is arriving, global conflicts are disrupting supply
Australian hospitality is a resilient industry. For the financial year ending June 2025, cafés, restaurants and takeaway food services recorded $66.27 billion in turnover, a 2.5% increase year on year according to data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Public holidays are a meaningful part of that trading picture. But
The convenience store of five years ago looks nothing like the one your customers are walking into today. Across Australia, the channel is shifting, driven by consumers who expect more from the places they shop most often. Better snacking options. Café-quality coffee. Functional drinks. Ready-to-eat meals that don’t feel like an afterthought. Premium
Sponsored content provided by Foodie Coaches There’s a conversation that comes up in almost every coaching call we have with café, restaurant, and bar owners across Australia. It goes something like this. We ask what the last price increase looked like. There’s a pause. Then: “We haven’t really touched prices
Sponsored content provided by Foodie Coaches Payday super is coming. And honestly? It’s the best thing that’s happened to payroll in Australia. Payday super starts 1 July 2026. I’ll be straight with you — it’s what should have happened when super was first introduced. From that date, every time you
Sponsored content provided by Federal Hospitality Equipment Australia’s supermarket and convenience store sector is changing quickly. Customers expect fresh food, hot food, cold drinks, takeaway meals, reliable packaging and fast service — often from the same store, at the same time. The old idea of a convenience store as a
Sponsored content provided by Federal Hospitality Equipment For more than 50 years, Federal Hospitality Equipment (FHE) has supported the kitchens that keep Australia’s hospitality industry moving. From independent cafés and bakeries through to hotels, pubs, clubs, catering businesses, supermarkets and large-scale foodservice operators, FHE has built its reputation around one
Sponsored content provided by Creative Ingredients Walk into a modern kitchen today and you’ll notice something subtle, but significant: desserts are moving back in-house. Not as a nostalgic return to tradition but as a strategic shift in how hospitality venues define themselves. For years, gelato and pastry were often outsourced
The hospitality industry has always been about people. Whether it’s the warm smile at the front desk, the personalised recommendations at a restaurant, or the barista who remembers your order, hospitality is built on human connection. Yet, artificial intelligence (AI) is emerging as a powerful force that is transforming this
Sponsored content provided by ARCA Australia’s restaurant and café sector has always been resilient. It has survived pandemics, supply shocks, labour shortages, and shifting consumer behaviour. But in 2026, operators are confronting something different: three structural pressures arriving at the same time-each capable of reshaping the economics of running a
