Catex sets sights on September
“The rationale behind choosing this date was a combination of trying to keep Catex 2021 in the 2021 year while giving ourselves some additional time to assess how the Covid-19 pandemic and indeed the country will react to the rollout of vaccinations early this year,” stated the IFSA Chair, Patrick Clement.
He explained that Eventhaus, the company’s event partners, had been in communication with both the Department of Enterprise and Employment and the Department of Health over recent months drafting a set of robust protocols and guidelines for the safe return of trade fairs and exhibitions.
“This work has led the Government to include provision for the return of trade fairs and exhibitions once the Country and County are in either Level 1 or Level 2 as outlined in the Resilience and Recovery 2020 – 2021: Plan for living with COVID document,” he stated, “As you are aware many of our Industry partners such as Chef Network, The Panel Of Chefs, The Bartenders Association and The Speciality Coffee Association all depend on Catex as a showcase for their annual activities and to recruit new members. It is vital that Catex continues to provide this support platform this year, particularly when our Industry is experiencing such pain and loss right now.”
To IFSA members grappling with the challenges that the pandemic has presented, the IFSA has provided information such as the Foodservice Industry Re-opening Solutions, and the IFSA & Chef Network Catering Business Covid-19 Operating Guidelines & Procedures.