Fear of change seems to dominate many but in 2022 change is a truth all have come to live with.

It has been said that EP thinks radically and constantly challenges companies to think differently. Over the years, this has been true but today, there needs to be not just good debates on ideas and thinking but action too. There is a need for companies to be prepared to change and be different. Many of the debates we have run over the last five years have a strong grounding in issues which are plaguing business today. The research and evidence have made the arguments; however, companies have been resistant to change. Now it is the time to be more progressive and open in thought and deed.

2018 – EP launched Fuelling Productivity to engage clients and operators on the need for a strong food service experience in order to improve productivity in the workplace. The pandemic has made the case and it is no coincidence that both the return to work is slower than many companies have hoped and that many FM companies today are working hard to improve workplace experiences and the psychology which can create genuine change. Food service sits at the heart of this discussion.

2018 – EP launched an initiative to promote the use of lessons from sport to help support companies build stronger cultures, values, and engagement. There has always been much which can be learnt from sport and business and this is especially true today as again the pandemic has shown that mentally many have struggled to adapt to a shifting landscape and that so many employees have felt disengaged by the culture and values of their companies.

2019 – EP hosted a conference on the need for stronger culture and values within companies. It had already become clear that there was a conflict between generations and that emerging generations felt disengaged by their leadership teams.

2020 – EP wrote on the importance of the need to bring Industry and education closer together; to create a more progressive approach which many feels does not exist in higher education at this time. The development of future talents is so important and it needs to be different. There are exciting generations emerging and they are inspired by new thinking. How can the system be improved and enhanced? If the “experience” today is so important, then the industry should be open to wider thinking – from the worlds of art to farming/sustainability to design to D&I to business planning. It is no coincidence that many new ideas possess art, design and sustainability at their heart. The consumer is changing as must be learning.

2021 – EP launched a whole piece around the need to help support emerging leaders. Many younger talents are far more fearful of failure than previous generations. However, failure is all part of a career journey. It has been shown, through research, that during the pandemic that many talents felt that they had lost their purpose during the pandemic and felt hopelessness which did see many leave their industry of choice.

2021 – EP also highlighted the fact that old models will need to change as all rebuild. It is no secret that the economies will be tested. It will be difficult. We have today reached a stage when companies have nowhere left to hide as inflation, energy costs, rising NICs and lifted protections all start to bite in April. What will become will be the experience. The consumer has a love of hospitality and they are seeking greater experiences. Will we see disruption of traditional models take place? Will we see the rise of Chef Patron and more independents as many turn away from brands? Will we see more CPU operations emerge?

2022 – EP, along with partners, launched Gastronomica which is focused on food sustainability and building a collaboration which shares knowledge and ideas in this so important area.

We have seen 5 years of important debates emerge; now is the time for companies to be more open to change, be more radical and progressive in the way that they think and act. Fear of change seems to dominate so many but change is a truth we have come to live with in the last two years.