H&T 2024 exceeds all expectations by bringing together more than 18,000 professionals in an edition that has honoured Gabriel Escarrer

H&T, Innovation Summit for the Hospitality Industry, closed its 26th edition today with more than 18,000 professional visitors and more than 400 represented companies and organisations in what has been the largest edition in its history

The participating firms applaud the high volume of business and synergies generated, as well as the level of the professional profile of the attendees, with real purchasing intentions and decision-making capacity

H&T, as part of its commitment to the industry, has once again recognised innovation and excellence through its H&T Awards and the Best H&T Wines 2024. It also hosted the awards ceremony for the 10th edition of the Sabor a Málaga Young Chef Provincial Cooking Competition. The special mention for outstanding career in the hospitality and hotel industry went to Gabriel Escarrer, president and founder of Meliá Hotels International

Malaga, February 7, 2024 – More than 18,000 professionals from the hospitality, hotel and tourism industries took part in the 26th edition of H&T, Innovation Summit for the Hospitality Industry, which closed today at the FYCMA (Trade Fairs and Congress Center of Málaga), positioning itself as a national benchmark for the sector. The 2024 edition was the largest in its history, both in terms of the number of participating companies and the volume of professional visitors, and also in terms of business projection and agreements generated by the most influential brands in the sector. In addition, H&T has experienced a very special last day in which one of the most important figures in the global hotel industry, Gabriel Escarrer, founder of Meliá Hotels International, has been recognised.

This recognition took place within the scope of the H&T Awards, which today presented its awards together with the Best Wines H&T 2024 and the 10th Sabor a Málaga Young Chef Provincial Cooking Competition. Furthermore, and following the presentation of these awards, the Mayor of Malaga, Francisco de la Torre; the President of the Provincial Council of Malaga, Francisco Salado, and the territorial delegate for Tourism, Culture and Sport of the Andalusian Regional Government, Gemma del Corral, highlighted the level of the products, projects and professionals recognised, examples of a level of excellence and quality fully in line with the objectives of H&T. It is worth mentioning that the event featured the participation of the comedian Leo Harlem.

H&T Awards and H&T Best Wines 2024, commitment to innovation and quality

The last day of H&T was marked by the presentation of awards for two key distinctions for the summit for its commitment to innovation, knowledge, and quality, both in the hotel, hospitality and tourism sectors, as well as in a product that is key to these subsectors, wine.

The H&T Awards, which aim to recognise talent and innovation within the hospitality and tourism industry, have recognised the work of large companies and SMEs, as well as micro-SMEs and start-ups from different perspectives. With 39 nominations, the award for the best internationalised company in the sector went to Ly Company Group, with Infrico Group and Paraty Tech also being finalists. The prizes for the best hotel and hospitality project went to NIVIMU and Welbilt Iberia SAU, respectively. Jaydo Landscape Services and Ly Company Group were the finalists in the hotel project category, and Foodtic and Dish by Makro were the finalists in the hospitality category.

Meanwhile, the best innovative solution for the hotel, hospitality, tourism industry, equipment and services and gastronomy went to Ghop, with AiManager, HarBest Market and Virtual Tours also being finalists.

The presidency of the fair, endorsed by the professional jury of the event, has proposed two special mentions as they did in the previous edition. On the one hand, the H&T 2024 exhibitor company for its commitment to innovation, which on this occasion went to Winterhalter. And, on the other hand, the special mention for the outstanding career in the hotel and hospitality industry to Gabriel Escarrer, founder of Meliá Hotels International and one of the great names in the sector on an international level.

The awards were also presented today to the seven categories of the seventh edition of the H&T Best Wines Award, a consolidated event at the summit that is committed to the quality of the wine sector. Thus, the sparkling wine category went to Panot Gaudí Brut Reserva by Cavas Hill, presented by the exhibitor Delicias Wines. In young whites, Montespejo Blanco Joven 2022 by Bodegas Carpe Diem, for the Sabor a Málaga exhibitor. In barrel-fermented and/or barrel-aged whites, the winning wine was Hermanos Lurton Cuesta de Oro 2022 made by Hermanos Lurton, from the PEBAR exhibitor. In rosé wines, Conde de San Cristobal ‘Flamingo Rosé’ 2022 by Conde de San Cristobal, by the exhibitor PEBAR. In the red oak category, the winner was Finca Ernite 2021 from Bodegas Quitapenas, for the Sabor a Málaga exhibitor. In the Crianza red wine category, Bodegas Nabal’s Valle de Nabal 2020 from the Burgos Provincial Council has won this award. In sweet wines, the award went to Piamater from Bodegas DIMOBE, whose exhibitor was Sabor a Málaga.

These awards were selected in the final tasting held during the first day of H&T 2024 by a jury integrated by the experts and sommeliers Custodio López Zamarra; Francisco Ríos Oña, owner of Distintos Vinos; Rafa Bellido, academic director of the MBA in Sommelier, Oenology and Winery Management of the Chamber of Commerce of Seville; Juan Miguel Rubio Márquez, CEO of Seiton Business Consulting, and Diego Tornel Gómez, sommelier of Meliá.

The 10th Sabor a Málaga Young Chef Provincial Cooking Competition

On this last day, the work and effort of the students of the province’s culinary schools was also rewarded and recognised, a fundamental objective of the Sabor a Málaga Young Chef Provincial Cooking Competition organised by the Provincial Council through its promotional brand for agri-food products.

The competition, now in its tenth edition, was judged by a jury of experts, who chose as the winner Inmaculada Ortega, representing the Centro de Estudios Superiores de Hostelería de Málaga (Ceshma). Also participating were the Benalmádena Catering School (La Fonda), IES Rosaleda, the Benahavís Catering School and the Hotel Escuela Convento Santo Domingo.

H&T has been organised by FYCMA (Trade Fairs and Congress Center of Málaga), of the Málaga City Council. European Funds: Ministry of Finance. Regional Government of Andalusia.

Its institutional promoters have been the Tourism Department of Malaga City Council, as well as the Provincial Council of Malaga through Tourism and Planning Costa del Sol and the promotional brand ‘Sabor a Malaga’. The Association of Beach Businessmen of the Province of Malaga – Costa del Sol (Aeplayas), the Association of Hoteliers of Malaga (Mahos) and the Association of Hotel Businessmen of the Costa del Sol (Aehcos) have participated as sectoral promoters. Makro was the official supplier. Nespresso Profesional, Cervezas San Miguel and Solán de Cabras participated as Silver Partners. In addition, Foodtic and Gastrocampus Innovation promoted by the University of Malaga through the Faculty of Tourism were Bronze Partners.

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