Hungry for more
Simon Parker talks to Diversified ’ s Carsten Holm on co-locating three shows in an effort to bring the community together under one roof
It has been a long time coming , but we can now get back to what we do best – running world class , vibrant events that galvanise business communities and oil the wheels of commerce . The world has changed beyond recognition , but one thing remains true , business and commerce has been the poorer for the lack of our events . It is fair to say that the events we stage will be different , there will undoubtedly be a digital dimension , there will be a focus on matchmaking and the events maybe more targeted , but the essence will be the same and we all know live is the best way to do business . To get a sense of the mood music
I have taken the opportunity to interview someone that has vast experience of the sector and has several events due to run at ExCeL this autumn . My conversation with Carsten Holm , managing director , Diversified Business Communications UK , was frank , illuminating , and optimistic . While Holm is realistic about the immediate future , he is confident about the long-term prospects for savvy operators ( of which he is one ). Holm and the team at Diversified are running three co-located events : Casual Dining , Lunch ! and Commercial Kitchen , in the third week of September , and I ask him how this years ’ events compare with their 2019 editions .
Covid has created a new lens “ Covid-19 has forced us to look at things a little differently , so instead of running Lunch !, Casual Dining and Commercial Kitchen as three standalone events , with Casual Dining early Spring , Lunch ! at ExCeL in September and Commercial Kitchen at the NEC , we have co-located the events , to form one big super-event at ExCel . They will continue to benefit from separate marketing campaigns , branding and on-site presentation , yet benefit from being at the same time . “ It ’ s something we have talked
22 — September