EUROPEAN PARTY CATERER ASSOCIATION EPCAS is dedicated to look after the interests of the European professional caterer. Our goal is to offer European caterers a platform in which networking and knowledge sharing on mutual and current subjects are key issues.
PREFACE Catering and hospitality perform important roles in our society. In our constantly changing world, the excitement about good food and drinks in a perfectly designed environment is paramount. The shared expertise between the European caterers proves to contribute time and time again to a strong and effective communication between caterers and their clients. Both on a national as on a European level, it is vital to share expertise and insights about concept and product development. In order to stay ahead in our industry and to keep momentum, it is key to get out of our comfort zone and think out-of-the-box. Only by envisioning the bigger picture, we can collectively lift our industry to the next level, and maintain this. Welcome to our culinary and inspiring world!
EPCAS President
CONCEPTS EXPERTISE INTERNATIONAL
ROI
ASSEMBLIES
INSIGHTS
HATE WASTE LOVE FOOD
COMMUNICATION
WORKSHOPS
LIKE-MINDED PEOPLE OUT OF THE BOX
HOSPITALITY
GLOBAL ISSUES
COLLEAGUES
NETWORKING BEST PRACTICES
TRENDS
EUROPEAN LEVEL
RELATED BRANCHES
EXPERTS
B2B
FOODSERVICE
KNOWLEDGE EPCAS
CATERING MEMBERS SHARING UNIQUENESS
JOINED FORCES
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
BENCHMARK
EXPERIENCES
DEVELOPMENTS
RUEDI BACHMANN
Hélène Baud - Traiteurs de France (National Association) “Traiteurs de France has chosen to join EPCAS for several reasons: We’re a domestic network joining an international network: a great opportunity to open our minds, get international awareness and develop a benchmark approach. A nice way to share Traiteurs de France values and learn from others through their best practices, knowledge sharing, friendliness, networking, current trends and topical subjects, sustainable development and corporate responsibility awareness… A new opportunity to convey and foster the Traiteurs de France image across our borders and defend the interests of our line of business.”
3
2012
SUMMER GENERAL ASSEMBLY COPENHAGEN
WHAT IS EPCAS? The European Party Caterer Association (EPCAS) was founded on the 23rd of January 2007 and is dedicated to looking after the interests of the European professional caterer.
We connect caterers with a current and reputable source for news, information, products, services and networking opportunities relevant to the industry.
FOUNDATION OF EPCAS During the last decade, catering has changed from an individually based and a national and product oriented industry into a much more mature, supranational business. In the early years, several European countries started national catering associations, to join forces on common grounds. In the open-borders community of Europe it was only a matter of time before the national initiatives were succeeded by a European association, being EPCAS.
With this, we create transparency within this line of business so that differences between regulations and legislation in the participating European countries can be addressed at the European Parliament.
AIM OF EPCAS EPCAS offers European caterers a platform in which networking and knowledge sharing on mutual and current subjects are key issues.
• First European Association for Caterers • Representing over 15 countries across Europe • Members • Committee of Related Branches • (Inter)National Associations • Collaboration Partners • Board & Advisory Council – experts from the catering industry
Noud van den Boer - Koninklijke Van den Boer Groep (Member) “As a market leader in party-, event- and venue catering in The Netherlands and one of the larger European players in the field, the Royal Van den Boer Group has benefitted well from the EPCAS membership. It gave us a much better view of the European and worldwide market, best practices, players and developments in the field of party-, event- en venue catering. Meanwhile it gave us the opportunity to directly communicate with the other players in the market, personally as well as for several members of our management team. We feel it’s also our responsibility to share our company- and market information with foreign competitors to develop and increase professionalism of our sector.”
5
2013
WINTER GENERAL ASSEMBLY LAS VEGAS
VISION
MISSION
European caterers join forces in order to look after the interests across borders, and to influence European legislation in order to provide the best service to their customers.
To pursue a healthy catering industry in order to achieve an increased Return on Investment, by joining forces and by offering a platform to share knowledge and experience, on mutual and current subjects.
Warren Dietel - International Caterers Association/Puff ‘n Stuff Catering (Collaboration Partner & Advisory Council) “Connecting with interesting companies and professionals each coming from different cultures and experiences is of much added value to us. Everyone is willing to share and there is much to learn from EVERYONE! EPCAS members are bright and innovative… and also lots of fun to be around. Remaining stagnant is the kiss of death. You never know what will inspire your next big idea. EPCAS gives me the necessary push to think and approach my business differently. I now have an incredible network of catering friends from all over Europe. I know that if I have a need or require advice on a topic I have a network of incredible professionals I can call on for ideas and guidance. “
7
2013
SUMMER GENERAL ASSEMBLY PORDENONE
EPCAS GOALS 1
2 TO CREATE TRANSPARENCY in this line of business for participating caterers by interpreting data and sharing them. The topics are: • International trends • Technical developments • Improving relationships with other stake holders within the catering industry
TO CREATE A PLATFORM for large and medium exclusive caterers where the sharing of knowledge, experiences, Best Practices and developments (specifically organisational issues, staffing, turnover volume, financial management, local and international market situations, suppliers, etcetera) are main issues.
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4 TO DEVELOP A QUALITY LABEL for EPCAS participants which can be conveyed in their external communication, guaranteeing external parties that they are dealing with a certified company.
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TO MAP THE PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION and influence institutes for education and the developments on the labour market, to increase number of schooled staff in Europe.
6 TO INFLUENCE EUROPEAN REGULATIONS in order to create a uniform and workable European legislation for the areas that concern caterers.
TO JOIN FORCES TO REDUCE FOOD WASTE in the catering industry, by providing our members with up to date information, and hands-on tips and tricks, regarding possibilities to work on this matter.
TO PROVIDE INSIGHTS in the developments in the industry, by shining light on current issues and bringing in (branch) experts to share their knowledge.
Charles Smith - At Your Service Group (CoRB)
7
“EPCAS is a refreshing forum for like-minded hospitality professionals where sharing ideas and contacts is at its centre. I always return to my business reinvigorated and with a clearer focus. It is my other business family.”
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WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME?
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SEMI-ANNUAL GATHERINGS Two General Assemblies per year where members receive the opportunity to network on a professional and personal level, visit companies to learn about new trends, and share Best Practices, amongst others.
INFORMAL NETWORK The network built up at General Assemblies is very valuable to the growth of a company. Being able to share knowledge and expierences with like-minded people is essential to gain perspective.
COACHING BY EXPERTS The EPCAS Advisory Council includes several top players within the industry, who are all specialized in their own fields of expertise. The EPCAS Advisory Council members are available to coach members.
QUALITY LABEL EPCAS members use the EPCAS brand in their external communication. It is used as a quality label. Thanks to the EPCAS Code of Conduct the standard of EPCAS is maintained. All members have to comply to this.
FOOD WASTE MANAGEMENT EPCAS is creating awareness about Food Waste across Europe, especially amongst members. We also provide extra knowledge on this topic, which the members can take back and implement in their businesses.
INDUSTRY INSIGHTS EPCAS has created the Quality EPCAS Monitor, to keep up with the issues, topics and challenges that occupy our members. This way EPCAS can provide valuable insights, knowledge and information, where needed.
BUSINESS TO BUSINESS EVENTS Combined with a trade show or company visit, EPCAS offers the possibility to meet one another in-between assemblies. Great networking opportunities, knowledge sharing and an informal platform for exchanging ideas and meeting new contacts.
EDUCATION To further develop and retain high potentials in the catering and event industry, we launched the European Event Catering Academy (EECA); a tailor-made programme, created by experts, offering a well-balanced combination of knowledge taught by professors and industry professionals, as well as leadership skills, empowerment and insight in personal behavioural styles.
OTHER BENEFITS OF BEING INVOLVED IN EPCAS
• KNOWLEDGE SHARING After each assembly a management summary is spread amongst the members. Included in this summary are all the presentations given, a summary of the knowledge shared and the decisions made by the association. • EXHIBITIONS & CONVENTIONS Through suppliers and collaboration partners, EPCAS members receive the opportunity to attend various conferences and exhibitions, such as the SIAL, Internorga, Sirha, Foodservice Network International, etc. • COLLABORATION PARTNERS Through HOTREC, EPCAS is connected to the European Parliament - for sharing knowledge & insights. A close collaboration with Stenden Hotel Management ensures the educational side. • SUPPORT OFFICE The Secretariat keeps track of what is happening in the industry, spots trends for the caterers which they may want to implement, and maintains an overview of the upcoming events of the industry such as the trade fairs. • ANTICIPATING ON THE WAR ON TALENT The EMCup (the competition amongst European Hotel Management Schools), connects students with the hospitality industry and vice versa and as such builds a bridge between schools/students and companies/employers. A representative of EPCAS is involved in the Business Jury in order to stay in close contact with the future leaders of tomorrow.
Xavier Fruy - Fruy Catering (Member) “It is always great to see your business grow by sharing information with others. Sharing = multiplying.”
11
2014
WINTER GENERAL ASSEMBLY MAASTRICHT
EPCAS STRUCTURE
Determining Course EPCAS Experts
Board EPCAS Foundation
Reciprocity
Linked to Industry
Committee of Related Branches
Board EPCAS Association Sounding Board
Advisory Council
(Inter) National Associations
EPCAS Organisation
Umbrella Organisations
Secretariat
Facts & Figures
Coaching
Daily Operations & Organisation
Collaboration Partners
Media & PR
Working Committees Online Tools Marketing & Communication
Expertise
Food Waste Raising awareness on important issues QEM
Education
Tom Steffen - Steffen Traiteur (Board Member) “As a multi operations family business, we spend most of the year working IN our business instead of ON our business; our involvement in EPCAS helped us realise this.�
EECA
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EPCAS ACROSS THE GLOBE An overview of our (potential) members
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Outside of Europe
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5
15
2014
SUMMER GENERAL ASSEMBLY BUCHAREST
GENERAL ASSEMBLIES All members are invited to attend the General Assemblies which take place two times per year; the Winter General Assembly in February and the Summer General Assembly in July. EPCAS’ roots are located in Maastricht, The Netherlands, and therefore Maastricht is considered as our “home”. Every once and a while, we go back to our roots, and Assemblies are hosted in the Maastricht-region. More often, the General Assemblies are a “Travelling Circus” and are hosted by one of our members in their countries (even outside of Europe). During the General Assemblies, the members get together for several days to network in an informal setting, exchange knowledge & Best Practises, get updates about EPCAS, experience culture, spot new trends and of course enjoy great F&B, hotels and each other’s company.
2009
Summer General Assembly Thun
2013
Summer General Assembly Pordenone
2016
Winter General Assembly Dubai
2010
Summer General Assembly Düsseldorf
2014
Winter General Assembly Maastricht
2016
Summer General Assembly Porto
2011
Summer General Assembly Lisbon
2014
Summer General Assembly Bucharest
2017
Winter General Assembly Bordeaux
2012
Summer General Assembly Copenhagen
2015
Winter General Assembly Maastricht
2017
Summer General Assembly Basel
2013
Winter General Assembly Las Vegas
2015
Summer General Assembly Milan
2018
Winter General Assembly Athens
17
2015
WINTER GENERAL ASSEMBLY MAASTRICHT
EUROPEAN EVENT CATERING ACADEMY The catering industry is changing rapidly. New trends emerge, economies are blurring and business models are evolving. Members of Generation Y gather their knowledge online and use the internet to gain information. But you can’t Google experience! Therefore, more and more universities are offering programmes that are focused on the further development of industry professionals. From hotel management to environmental entrepreneurship – the offer is extended. Many of these programmes, however, focus on the hospitality industry in general. A tailor made programme for the catering industry does not exist yet. Surprisingly, catering management is not even taught in most bachelor level schools. Therefore, to further develop and retain high potentials in the catering and event industry, we are launching the European Event Catering Academy (EECA). The EECA is a tailor-made programme, created by experts. We offer a well-balanced combination of knowledge taught by professors and industry professionals, as well as leadership skills, empowerment and insight in personal behavioural styles. By setting up the European Event Catering Academy to develop talent within the industry, we believe that we will make a big impact.
COURSES & CERTIFICATION The European Event Catering Academy is designed as follow: Twice a year, the 2,5-day training programme takes place in Maastricht, The Netherlands. Over the course of 2 years, a total of four different training programmes will take place. Each programme focuses on a specific field as displayed below: • Fire module – this module focuses on Leaderment; a combination between leadership and management. • Earth module – this module focuses on Operations and the Financial Health of a business. • Wind module – this module focuses on Trends and Innovations. • Water module – this module focuses on Personal Branding. Best Practices and business cases from (potential) member companies are a returning theme, as well as leadership and personal growth. Knowledge, skills and more insight in behaviour are a major part of the offered learning experience. After each course, participants receive a certificate for their participation.
PARTICIPANTS • 25-35 years old • Currently working in middle management • Eager to learn and the desire to develop to a strategic level • Future industry leaders • Bachelor level of thinking / working • Experience in the catering industry of at least 2 years • Self-critical, enthusiastic, curious and not afraid to ask questions
ACADEMIC PARTNER
TALENT DEVELOPMENT PARTNER
19
2015
SUMMER GENERAL ASSEMBLY MILAN
THE EPCAS CHEFS ASSEMBLY The Chefs Assembly was brought to life to provide more added value for the EPCAS members. By bringing together the chefs from our members, the EPCAS network is being expanded. The first edition of the Chefs Assembly took place in October 2016 in Berlin, and was a great success. 18 chefs representing 13 companies, from 6 European countries were welcomed. They had the opportunity to showcase their Signature (Dishes), as this was the theme of this EPCAS Chefs Assembly. The EPCAS Chefs Assembly will be a recurring item on the EPCAS calendar, with which EPCAS be of value for its members in more than one layer within their companies. EPCAS strives to annually organise a Chefs Assembly, where knowledge sharing, networking and finding inspiration are the main goals, of course fully customized to the chefs’ field of expertise. These Assemblies consist of plenty of culinary inspiration from the hosting city, masterclasses and workshops by experts in the field and also by the EPCAS Committee of Related Branches, to give the chefs a lot of take-home value and inspiration that they can incorporate and use in their daily work.
Georg Broich - Broich Catering & Locations (Board Member) “If you want to set things in motion, you have to move yourself! The decision to found EPCAS was entirely consistent for me. Both for my head and my heart. Here I can exchange with the sector on an international level. From this platform, we have already changed a lot and we also have big plans for the future.”
21
2016
WINTER GENERAL ASSEMBLY DUBAI
FOOD WASTE INITIATIVE We strive to be sensible and aware regarding food waste, because we believe that “Wasting food is economically bad, environmentally wrong and morally, ethically unacceptable!”. For that reason the EPCAS Food Waste Initiative has been established. The Food Waste Initiative consists of two components: • Best practices and information from leading members in food waste reduction • With help of a Toolkit made for members The EPCAS Food Waste Toolkit has been designed by the EPCAS Food Waste Steering Committee and Unilever Food Solutions. It has been developed to help the members reduce their food waste within their catering practices. The toolkit includes several attachments that help collect data and stimulate the staff members.
Photo: Maison van den Boer
POWERED BY
The three levels of the Food Waste Initiative:
GOLD FOOD WASTE PREVENTION • Written plan on implementing measures • Integrated procedure
SILVER FOOD WASTE AWARENESS
BRONZE FOOD WASTE SENSITIVITY
• Measure Food Waste • Provide figures in writing
• Brief staff yearly concerning Food Waste • Sign EPCAS Code of Conduct
Sven Bodry - RAK Porcelain Europe (CoRB) “We can learn a lot from all of the needs of the members, caterers, so we can produce for those needs.”
23
2016
SUMMER GENERAL ASSEMBLY PORTO
QUALITY EPCAS MONITOR As EPCAS we have the chance to professionalize our European branch. In order to be able to do this, we need to know what is happening with our members and what issues and topics keep them occupied, such as trends, new legislations and work-related challenges. In the form of a questionnaire & interview, named the Quality EPCAS Monitor (QEM), we gain insight in what keeps the members busy. We believe that the information retrieved from these questions, gives a good reflection on current affairs in the catering industry, as a whole. The QEM is based on one of the EPCAS objectives; to create transparency, especially concerning international trends, facts and figures, and technical developments. This also gives us, as association, the opportunity to support our members by bringing certain topics up for discussion during the Assemblies and providing valuable insights, knowledge and information where needed. The goal is to expand to the rest of the market in a few years to bring a more correct picture of the branch, in the form of a benchmark.
‘The Quality EPCAS Monitor:
Designed for caterers, by caterers’
Artur Junqueira - Grupo Ibersol / Silva Carvalho Catering (Member) “As a catering operator we are member of EPCAS because we understand that we need to be in touch with operators from other countries. For us, being involved in EPCAS is important because sharing knowledge, best practices, problems and solutions with companies from all-over the world is essential to move our business forward. It’s also an opportunity to get in touch with similar companies and potential suppliers in order to discuss common issues that concern our line of business, find solutions and get inspiration to innovate.”
25
2017
WINTER GENERAL ASSEMBLY BORDEAUX
CONTACT INFORMATION EPCAS Headquarters Château Jerusalem Jeruzalemweg 2 6222 NG Maastricht The Netherlands
T: +31 43 356 1091 www.epcas.eu office@epcas.eu
CONNECTING EUROPEAN CATERERS SINCE 2007