Food Connoisseurs India Convention 2027 - South India Edition
Information
- Address: Bangalore
- Call Us: For Nomination/Sponsorship +91 82873 97477
- Agenda
Agenda
10:00 AM – 10:05 AM
Welcome Note
10:05 AM – 10:20 AM
Inaugural Session
10:20 AM – 11:20 AM
Session 1: HoReCa 2.0: South India's Next Chapter in Foodservice & Hospitality
• South India’s evolving HoReCa landscape and its growing influence on India’s foodservice industry.
• Emerging markets and new growth opportunities across South India and beyond.
• Taking South Indian cuisines, indigenous ingredients and regional food concepts to national and global platforms.
• The rise of premium dining, destination restaurants and experience-led hospitality.
• Changing consumer preferences, Gen Z and millennials shaping the future of dining.
• Expansion strategies balancing location, operating costs and local market demand.
• Strengthening supply chains through local sourcing, quality control and operational efficiency.
• Leveraging technology and talent while preserving service quality and the human touch.
• Building profitable, scalable and differentiated HoReCa businesses.
• Key opportunities and challenges shaping the next phase of South India’s food and hospitality industry.
11:20 AM – 12:20 PM
Session 2: Brewed to Perfection, Baked to Stand Out: South India's New Café & Bakery Culture
• From filter coffee to specialty brews: How South India’s coffee heritage is shaping modern café experiences.
• The new café consumer: Gen Z and millennial preferences for specialty coffee, matcha, innovative beverages and social spaces.
• Beyond coffee: the growth of café-bakery hybrids, artisanal bakeries, patisseries and all-day dining.
• The premium baking opportunity: growing demand for sourdough, artisan breads, viennoiserie, cakes and contemporary desserts.
• Local flavours, modern menus: reimagining regional favourites and traditional desserts for today’s consumers.
• Craftsmanship and consistency: balancing in-house baking, central production and quality across outlets.
• The business of every cup and bake: managing pricing, ingredient costs, wastage and profitability.
• Designing distinctive cafés: using interiors, presentation and local identity to attract customers.
• Beyond walk-ins: growing revenue through delivery, takeaway, celebration cakes and corporate orders.
• What’s next for cafés and bakeries: emerging opportunities in specialty coffee, premium baking and neighbourhood concepts.
12:20 PM – 12:30 PM
KEYNOTE ADDRESS
12:30 PM – 1:15 PM
Session 3: The Intelligent F&B Business: Technology Driving the Next Wave of Hospitality
• AI-led decision-making transforming forecasting, planning and day-to-day restaurant operations.
• Smart kitchens and connected equipment enabling greater precision, consistency and operational control.
• Data-powered guest experiences through personalisation, digital engagement and predictive insights.
• The connected restaurant ecosystem bringing together POS, ordering, payments, inventory and customer data.
• Automation beyond the kitchen across procurement, inventory management, workforce planning and service workflows.
• Digital-first dining journeys from discovery and reservations to ordering, payments and post-visit engagement.
• Technology-enabled delivery and omnichannel operations creating more seamless foodservice experiences.
• Human and technology — equipping hospitality teams with digital tools while keeping service and human connection at the centre.
• The next frontier of F&B technology with emerging applications across AI, automation, analytics and connected hospitality.
1:15 PM – 1:25 PM
KEYNOTE ADDRESS
1:25 PM – 2:10 PM
NETWORKING LUNCH
2:10 PM – 3:00 PM
Session 4: Beyond the Night: The Evolution of India’s Nightlife Landscape
• The transformation of nightlife from traditional bars and clubs into immersive, experience-led destinations.
• The rise of live music, DJs, comedy, cultural programming and themed experiences as new anchors of the night.
• Late-night dining and grazing culture reshaping food menus, formats and consumption occasions.
• The evolution of mixology and beverage culture through signature serves, innovative formats and non-alcoholic alternatives.
• Rooftops, listening bars and next-generation social spaces creating new nightlife experiences.
• Designing nightlife destinations around music, mood, lighting, storytelling and service.
• The influence of younger consumers and changing social habits on India’s evolving night-time culture.
• India’s emerging nightlife hubs shaping the next chapter of the urban after-dark economy.
3:00 PM – 3:10 PM
KEYNOTE SESSION
3:10 PM – 3:55 PM
Session 5: The Profitability Blueprint: Building Scalable & Sustainable F&B Businesses
• Decoding the profit drivers across menu, manpower, operations and marketing.
• Menu engineering and pricing strategies for stronger margins and sustainable growth.
• Building cost discipline through wastage control, vendor negotiations and smarter sourcing.
• Balancing dine-in, delivery and takeaway to create a resilient revenue mix.
• Franchising and expansion models for scaling concepts while maintaining consistency.
• Leveraging first-party data, loyalty and direct customer engagement to strengthen revenue and reduce platform dependency.
• Location and format strategy aligned with consumer demand and the potential of each market.
• Creating multiple revenue streams through new occasions, formats, partnerships and complementary offerings.
Understanding the investor lens through unit economics, capital efficiency, scalability and long-term value creation.
4:05 PM – 4:50 PM
Session 6: The Hotel Leadership Imperative: Talent, Culture & Competitive Advantage
• Rethinking talent acquisition and retention strategies in a competitive hotel industry.
• Building a high-performance culture across hotel departments and multi-property operations.
• Preparing hotel leaders to navigate changing guest expectations and operational challenges.
• Strengthening professional development through structured training and internal growth opportunities.
• Creating an inclusive workplace that supports employee engagement and long-term retention.
• Empowering hotel teams to deliver personalised guest experiences and resolve service challenges.
• Integrating technology into hotel operations while preserving human connection.
• Building organisational resilience through effective crisis management and decision-making.
• Aligning employee satisfaction, service quality and operational performance for sustainable hotel growth.
4:50 PM – 5:00 PM
KEYNOTE SESSION
5:00 PM – 5:45 PM
Session 7: The Next Frontier of QSR: Brand Innovation, Profitable Growth & Market Expansion
• From first idea to first outlet — identifying the right concept, consumer opportunity and format before entering the market.
• Building a QSR brand that stands out through a clear proposition, distinctive menu and strong brand identity.
• Choosing the right business model — company-owned, franchise-led or a hybrid approach for sustainable growth.
• The franchise playbook — selecting the right partners, creating operating standards and protecting brand consistency.
• Getting the unit economics right — understanding costs, pricing, volumes and the key numbers behind a successful outlet.
• Menu engineering for scale — creating menus that balance consumer appeal, speed, consistency and operational efficiency.
• Choosing the right location, format and market — from high streets and malls to food courts, airports and emerging consumption centres.
• Building systems that allow brands to replicate success without losing quality, identity or customer experience.
• Using technology, data and digital ordering to strengthen operations and connect with changing QSR consumers.
• Taking a homegrown concept from one successful outlet to a multi-market foodservice brand — and knowing when and where to scale.
5:45 PM – 5:55 PM
KEYNOTE ADDRESS
10:00 AM – 10:05 AM
Welcome Note
10:05 AM – 10:15 AM
Inaugural Session
10:15 AM – 11:05 AM
Session 8: Inside the Modern Restaurant Kitchen: Creativity, Control & Consistency
• From regional recipes to modern menus, preserving South Indian culinary traditions while embracing new dining formats.
• Creativity meets commercial reality: Balancing innovation, customer preferences and food costs.
• Consistency across outlets: Standardising recipes, portions, taste and presentation.
• Food safety first— Managing hygiene, temperature control, allergens and safe food handling.
• Local sourcing and seasonal produce, maintaining quality amid changing ingredient availability.
• Efficient kitchen operations: Improving preparation, station planning and peak-hour coordination.
• Building stronger kitchen teams— Improving skills, communication and performance under pressure.
• Technology and modern techniques, improving kitchen speed, precision and efficiency.
• Reducing kitchen waste: Smarter menu planning, inventory management and ingredient utilisation.
• What makes a great kitchen— Combining culinary excellence, safety, teamwork and operational discipline.
11:05 AM – 11:35 AM
Session 9: Cloud Kitchens: The Next Evolution of India’s Foodservice Landscape
• From delivery-only kitchens to sophisticated foodservice ecosystems built around multiple brands, formats and occasions.
• Building a cloud kitchen from scratch — concept selection, menu design, kitchen setup and route to market.
• The rise of multi-brand and multi-concept kitchens and the ability to serve different consumer segments from one operational base.
• Creating delivery-first menus designed for consistency, travel, packaging and the complete off-premise experience.
• Using consumer data and ordering patterns to identify demand, refine menus and develop new virtual brands.
• Reimagining the cloud kitchen operating model through smarter kitchen layouts, technology, inventory control and streamlined workflows.
• Balancing delivery-platform dependence with direct ordering, loyalty and owned customer relationships.
• Expanding beyond conventional delivery through pick-up formats, satellite kitchens, dine-in extensions and hybrid models.
• Building brands that can move from one kitchen to multiple locations while maintaining food quality, consistency and identity.
• The next generation of cloud kitchens — faster, more flexible and increasingly integrated into India’s evolving foodservice ecosystem.
11:35 AM – 11:45 AM
KEYNOTE ADDRESS
11:45 AM – 12:35 PM
Session 10: The Craft Beer Frontier: Brewing Innovation, Local Identity & New Experiences
• The continued evolution of India’s craft beer movement and the changing role of independent breweries.
• The shift from classic ales and lagers towards experimental brews, seasonal releases and contemporary beer styles.
• Indian ingredients and regional flavours inspiring distinctive brewing profiles and stronger local beer identities.
• The emergence of taprooms and brewery-led experiences bringing consumers closer to the craft of brewing.
• Brewing innovation through new techniques, ingredients, equipment and quality-control practices.
• Building a stronger beer culture through food pairings, tasting formats and brewery-led programming.
• Advancing sustainable brewing practices through water efficiency, energy management and spent-grain utilisation.
• The growing ecosystem of brewer-chef collaborations, local sourcing and cross-industry partnerships shaping the craft beer experience.
12:35 PM – 12:45 PM
KEYNOTE ADDRESS
12:45 PM – 1:00 PM
KEYNOTE ADDRESS
1:00 PM – 1:45 PM
NETWORKING LUNCH
1:45 PM – 2:45 PM
AWARDS REGISTRATION
3:00 PM – 3:10 PM
INAUGURAL AWARDS KEYNOTE SESSION
3:10 PM – 3:50 PM
1ST SET OF AWARDS TO BE PRESENTED
3:50 PM – 4:40 PM
Session 11: Beyond the Table: The Art of Creating Immersive Destinations & Memorable Experiences
• The rise of destination-led hospitality, where the concept itself becomes a reason to visit.
• Creating distinctive moments and occasions that turn ordinary visits into memorable experiences.
• Food, culture and storytelling coming together to create hospitality concepts with a strong sense of identity.
• The emergence of chef-driven experiences, pop-ups, themed concepts and unconventional formats that challenge traditional dining.
• The convergence of hospitality, art, music, design and entertainment in shaping new-age destinations.
• Designing spaces around discovery, participation and social connection, rather than simply seating and service.
• Local culture and contemporary creativity inspiring experiences that feel authentic, relevant and distinctive.
• Extending the experience through community, collaborations and programming that give guests new reasons to return.
• The rise of experience-first hospitality concepts redefining what consumers expect from restaurants, hotels and foodservice destinations.