HIP 2024 Makes Push to Put Madrid on the Gastronomic Map

The eighth edition of HIP - Horeca Professional Expo, the largest summit in Horeca innovation, opened its doors at IFEMA Madrid on Monday. The opening ceremony was presided over by the Minister of Industry and Tourism, Jordi Hereu, who showed his support for an industry that is one of the main engines of growth of the Spanish economy. "HIP is a space for knowledge exchange.

As the Government of Spain, it is an honor to join the City Council and the Community of Madrid in supporting this event," said Hereu. He also stressed that "the keys to Spain's leadership in tourism and hospitality can be clearly reflected in HIP, since an excellent product has been generated from which a unique experience is born, thanks to innovation, which is also the basis of everything that is presented at the summit".

On the other hand, the Minister also wanted to recognize "the exigency and professionalism with which the entire hotel and catering industry works to make Spain a differential product worldwide. From the National Tourism Plan we act to further differentiate our products, diversify the offer, enhance quality as a cross-cutting element and promote digitization. All these factors converge in HIP during these three days". Finally, Jordi Hereu acknowledged the success of public-private collaboration in this sector, "a model that we will continue to offer in order to continue taking care of the resources that have led us to success".

Almudena Maíllo del Valle, Councilor Delegate for Tourism of the Madrid City Council, also participated in the opening ceremony. In her speech she recognized the contribution of the organization of HIP in Madrid over the last eight years as one of the keys to consolidating the city as the best place to hold large-format professional events. A positioning that is also reflected in tourism and hospitality. According to Maíllo, "30% of the money spent by tourists in Madrid is spent on restaurants and leisure, not only in large chains, but also in small bars and restaurants that strive every day to offer the best in their businesses". The councilor pointed out that "HIP is the loudspeaker of what we want Madrid to be, a city that is committed to transformation and innovation, which has made us the third most attractive capital after New York and London. Therefore, everything that is said in HIP is key to achieving future goals. In addition to the impact for Madrid, which this year is 71 million euros".

For his part, Luis Fernando Martin, Director General of Tourism and Hospitality of the Community of Madrid, has claimed the fundamental role of the sector in the regional economy, as it is an industry that "employs 230,000 people, generating 6.5% of employment and 5% of regional GDP. The hotel and catering industry has been a key pillar for the tourist model of Madrid, where the international visitor spends more than anywhere else in Spain, and is one of the main destinations for foreign investors, who have already bet on our Community with projects that exceed 80 million euros".

During the session, the authorities were accompanied by Hugo Rovira, Co-Chairman of HIP and Managing Director of NH Hotel Group for Southern Europe; Carlos Pérez Tenorio, Co-Chairman of HIP and Director of Strategy and Institutional Relations at Restalia Holding; and Manuel Bueno, Director of HIP. 

For his part, Rovira stressed that "after two years of growth, the forecasts for 2024 are very good. Last year, tourism accounted for 13% of GDP and was responsible for 70% of the growth of the country's economy, so the importance of the industry is beyond doubt". As for HIP, he pointed out that "it will be a key event with a view to considering the next steps in this context, and learning about new strategies that can help us in the event of a change of cycle or some unexpected circumstance. To do so, we have to face the most immediate challenges such as attracting and retaining talent, rising costs and geopolitical risks". 

In this sense, Carlos Pérez Tenorio also pointed out that the hospitality industry "is already thinking in terms of sustainability, new trends and customer orientation, and is currently facing several challenges, such as managing inflation, attracting and retaining talent, and responding to health and environmental requirements. All of these will be addressed at HIP, where a clearer roadmap will be designed for all professionals."

Finally, Manuel Bueno stressed that "HIP is the largest professional Horeca innovation event in Europe and the world's largest congress for the sector". "We have created the largest and most influential community where each business area is given a voice to share the keys to its success," he added. Until Thursday, the event will feature more than 4,500 innovations for any segment of Horeca from 684 exhibiting companies, and more than 750 experts will share their vision and experiences at a summit that will be visited by more than 46,000 entrepreneurs.