EquipHotel 2022: 'Another great success!'

Bustling 'Meet and Greet' in Paris

From 6 to 10 November 2022, the international hospitality trade fair EquipHotel in Paris was back. Hotel and restaurant professionals feasted their eyes. With recurring themes such as hospitality, the hotel as a place to live and sustainable innovations, there was again plenty to experience. It is therefore no surprise that this edition was such a great success.

Due to the pandemic, the fair could not take place for four years. So this year's event was extra grand. Exhibitors and professionals from across the hospitality industry were given the opportunity to do business, discover innovations and ideas and create collaborations. This manifested itself in a diverse offering, with no fewer than 1,200 exhibitors, and a highly engaged visitor audience. 

Meeting place

"The aim of EquipHotel is to be a meeting place for B2B," says exhibition manager Béatrice Gravier. They do this at the fair in four main areas of expertise: food service, design, wellness and technology & services. Cristophe Hay, two-star chef of restaurant Fleur de Loire (Blois) and ambassador of the fair, enthusiastically says: "It was great to see the enthusiasm of hoteliers and restaurateurs. The fair provides meetings between all players in the hotel and restaurant industry."

That diversity of visitors was certainly on display. For example, Meilleurs Ouvriers de France ('best French artisans'), star chefs, sommeliers and directors of leading hotels were face to face with emerging talents, pupils or students from hotel schools. A great example comes from Vianney Lecocq, cooking teacher at the Paris school: "At least 70 young people from the Ferrandi Paris Hospitality School welcomed, cooked or served in the Chefs' Lounge and on the VIP Square. So there was a different chef at the cooker every day." 

It turned out to be a real experience for the visitors, but it was also a great experience for the youngsters. "They were confronted with different situations every day. This taught them to adapt themselves, deal with unexpected situations and be reactive."

Exhibitors also found the fair a good way to meet (new) customers and partners. Cathy Dufour, general representative of French Furniture explains: "I am happy with the conversations I had during the fair. We live in a digital age, but events like this remain a fine way to meet customers and partners." Élie Gamblin, Managing Director of Nation Literie, agrees: "The visitors were all true premium professionals. At our stand, I heard many stories about concrete projects to renovate or buy a hotel."

A wide offer for visitors

Visitors feasted their eyes at the fair. For five days, they had the opportunity to meet a large number of exhibitors and learn about the many innovations exhibitors bring to the fair. This makes the fair a real platform for trends and innovations in the hospitality industry. Think pop hotels and restaurants, showrooms, studios, conferences, master classes and competitions. 

Visitors were therefore very enthusiastic about the fair. One such visitor was Sweden's Tarek Hegazy, head of Living Design: "The fair is a great networking point! I am impressed by the sustainable and eco-friendly solutions." 

Mauro Santinato, Managing Director of Teamwork Hospitality is also enthusiastic: "I was very surprised by the wide range on offer. From tableware to technological innovations and wellness. But concrete solutions to the daily problems of hoteliers and restaurateurs are also covered in a multifaceted way!"

See you in two years!

To cut a long story short: EquipHotel 2022 was a great success. Every reason, then, to return in 2024 with a new edition. This one will take place from 3 to 7 November 2024. Dominique Restino, president of the Chamber of Commerce of the Paris Ile de France region, sees the next edition as "an opportunity to seize" for the hospitality industry.