The successful Hotel & Catering Show in Bournemouth – the South’s most important trade show for the hospitality and catering sector – is under new ownership following a deal completed last week.

Hale Events Ltd, based in Axbridge, Somerset, have acquired the show from Surrey-based Evisstar, which has been running this show for the last three years. The event itself is one of the UK’s longest running hospitality and food service events, with over 50 years’ history.

The private sale, for an undisclosed sum, provides the opportunity for the Hotel & Catering show to continue to go from strength to strength as part of Hale Events’ trade show portfolio. Well known for their food shows – ‘The Source’ show in partnership with Taste of the West, at Westpoint, Exeter, ‘Expowest Cornwall’ in Wadebridge,  and ‘The Food and Drink Trade Show’ at Cheltenham, again in partnership with Taste of the West, Hale Events also run the ‘Giving & Living’ gift & homeware show at Westpoint, Exeter.

It also enables Evisstar to focus on their core market of luxury travel events and Director Richard Joslin said: “We are delighted that Hale has taken on the stewardship of this trade show, which complements their existing portfolio. We have enjoyed our few years running this hotel and catering show, and the time is right for us now to give our full attention to our inVoyage event.”

Mike Anderson, Managing Director of Hale Events commented: “We wish Richard and Debbie of Evisstar every success with their future. This acquisition is really exciting and strengthens our “stable” of regional shows in the food, hotel, catering and hospitality industry. The South and West have a fantastic variety of high quality producers and an excellent hotel and catering industry in a buoyant and growing market.  We will be working extremely hard to provide buyers and the exhibiting companies, with events that will meet their needs. We will be listening to and engaging with everyone involved, ensuring success for next year and for the future.”

Hale Event’s 2016 events are already attracting strong bookings:

• Giving & Living – 17-20 January 2016 at Westpoint, Exeter.
• The Source – 10–11 February 2016 at Westpoint, Exeter.
• Expowest Cornwall – 1-3 March 2016 at the Royal Cornwall Showground, Wadebridge.
• Hotel & Catering Show – 8-9 March 2016 at the Bournemouth International Centre, Bournemouth.
• The Food & Drink Trade Show – 25-26 May 2016, at The Centaur, Cheltenham Racecourse.