Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/624379
6 FEDA News & Views Industry Insights Experiencing HOST 2015 Chuck Day, President Manning Brothers Food Equipment Co. Chuck@manningbrothers.com I f you think NAFEM is a big foodser- vice industry show, or NRA in Chicago is more your style with food, cooking demonstrations, equipment and table top, try walking a show that has 24 pavil- ions, a central walking area that is 1 ½ miles long and a quarter of a mile wide from one side of one pavilion to the other. Then, add to that that this mon- strous show is in Milan, Italy, and you speak no Italian. That is the magnitude of HOST 2015 in Milano, the tradeshow that I attended in October. Huge makes the Amazon River seem like a puddle in comparison. All magnitude aside, the Italy-America Chamber of Commerce invited a num- ber of dealers from the United States to attend. When FEDA President Brad Pierce assured me it was not a scam, I called Francesca Tanti of the Italy-America COC and got to work. And work, is an understatement. My first NAFEM was in 1989 and I have been to every one since then. Once I saw the size and com- plexity of HOST, I was truly impressed that they were able to pull off such a show and it seemed effortlessly so. Obviously that was not the case. Every booth was outfitted with atten- tion to detail: crystal chandeliers, marble bar tops, fully operational cooking and cleaning equipment. I was most impressed with the "Waldorf" style cooking batteries that were powder-coated in black, red, and yellow, and any other color imaginable. These cooking batteries also had ventila- tion that went down the center of the cook line and blew air out of the bot- tom. Unfortunately, in spite of my best efforts to persuade the manufacturers otherwise, these items are not available in the U.S., something about UL list- ing and NFPA 96 codes. HMMMM? Well, Europe hasn't burned to the ground yet. Maybe it's just me, but I like to "walk the show" and see what I want at my leisure. I had an agenda. Well, at least I was supposed to have an agenda. I saw what I wanted to see but was somewhat surprised when Francesca called me in a frantic tone, perplexed that I had missed an appointment. The owner called and was upset with me! I ran to the booth and saw some of the highest quality and stylish wait staff uniforms I had ever seen— double-stitched, myriads of fabric, eye-popping colors and styles, and even cuts for women, not just for small men! I was apologetic for being late but elated to find such a company. Would I do it again? Yes, I would but I'd probably stay a day or two longer. That jet lag stuff is a beast! What I learned most from my trek to Milan is that we eat with our eyes and presentation is everything. There's always another guy who has a "better" hamburger, a bigger pizza, and a hotter steak, but how do we let the customer know that ours is the best? Europeans are more concerned with the quality of the food and experi- ence. Americans seem more concerned with how many turns we can get on a Friday night and hope the fish stays fresh until Tuesday's special. Attention to detail makes the experience, and a good combi oven! Ciao Bella Once I saw the size and complexity of HOST, I was truly impressed that they were able to pull off such a show and it seemed effortlessly so.