The Shift | Alimentaria

Where ideas, trends and industry leaders come together to interpret the present and anticipate the future

They say that when a butterfly flaps its wings anywhere in the world, the HORECA industry feels it.

The Shift is the congress layer of The Horeca Hub, the major knowledge space of Alimentaria + Hostelco.

A change in the air, a geopolitical movement, a technological innovation, a new cultural current or a recently approved law can transform —overnight— the way we eat, travel or enjoy ourselves.

The Shift was created precisely to understand that flutter: to analyse how every global transformation impacts one of the world’s most dynamic, sensitive and resilient industries.

The Shift is the congress layer of The Horeca Hub, the major knowledge space of Alimentaria + Hostelco, where ideas, trends and sector leaders gather to read the present and anticipate the future.

THE SHIFT

Reading the present and anticipating the future

Through three major Chapters and a series of Focus Sessions, we explore the movements that are redefining the HORECA ecosystem and opening new opportunities for businesses, professionals and the brands shaping this industry:

Foodservice Chapter

Kitchen

The Shift turns the kitchen into an intelligent ecosystem: connected, self-sufficient and circular. Technology no longer just assists the chef; it predicts, learns and optimises, integrating data, energy and maintenance into a single operational language. This shift redefines profitability, sustainability and gastronomic creativity.

Table & Atmosphere

The Shift elevates Food Service to a sensory dimension where every colour, texture and weight influences emotion and satisfaction. The table and the atmosphere become experience interfaces, merging neurogastronomy, sustainable design and emotional strategy to generate connection, differentiation and value.

Smart Food

The Shift positions Food Service as an advanced management industry, where the business model becomes a key driver of success. Hotels and restaurants use their gastronomic offering as a lever for profitability, positioning and differentiation. This session explores how to operate with data, efficiency and purpose, creating sustainable, replicable and strategically intelligent organisations.

Business Power

Tech Restaurant

The Shift turns technology into the restaurant’s nervous system, reconfiguring management, operations and decision-making. Data flows in real time to optimise efficiency, anticipate demand and enhance the experience. The shift is also cultural: digitalisation and strategic leadership empower restaurateurs to use Big Data and Smart Data to create value, with a hybrid, intelligent and human-centred approach.

Hospitality Chapter

Experience

The Shift reorchestrates the guest journey, integrating invisible technology, operational sustainability and data security. Smart rooms, intuitive automation and efficient energy management transform every interaction into sensory comfort and operational efficiency. This shift redefines value: less friction, more control for the guest and greater service resilience, positioning experience as a strategic differentiator.

Revenue

The Shift transforms Revenue Management, moving from reactive pricing to predictive, data-driven strategies. Total Revenue, intelligent CRMs and automated customer journeys enable needs anticipation, personalised stays and precise loyalty. Technology empowers revenue leaders, turning information into profitable decisions and creating continuous-value experiences while optimising income and channel performance.

Industry Chapter

Talent

The Shift redefines talent management, moving from rigid structures to flexible, empathetic environments. Conscious leadership, continuous learning and professional recognition bridge the gap between employers and new generations. Celebrating career paths, elevating trades and offering purpose ensures the sector’s sustainability and strengthens human culture as the strategic foundation of hospitality.

Hybrid Shift

The Shift merges retail and HORECA into hybrid formats where convenience, experience and profitability coexist. New channels, partnerships and logistical synergies optimise costs and expand audiences. This shift redefines the business, requiring shared brand management, technological interoperability and sustainability, and positions the sector to lead the new hybrid territory where data, efficiency and experience form the new competitive arena.

Smart Supply

The Shift transforms procurement into an anticipatory ecosystem, where decisions are driven by data, collaboration and purpose. Directors manage risk, information and strategy, while retail and HORECA contribute scalability, traceability and alignment with real demand. This shift turns the Supply Chain into a lever for resilience, innovation and global competitiveness.

Politics, Economy & Global Trends

The Shift connects politics, economics and global trends with sector operations, revealing how inflation, costs, geopolitics and tourism impact business. This systemic perspective enables leaders to anticipate and act strategically, linking the macro to the operational to strengthen resilience, profitability and adaptation in an ever-changing global environment.