I cannot deny it.
I have been thinking about this for a while: sooner or later, the trend of chefs will pass and a one for plumbers will arrive!
Trends go in phases: they have extreme peaks and then they fade; cooking, however, is the basis of our survival, it simply deserves attention and respect on all levels.

I am convinced that food and cooks have been under the spotlight for too long.
Obviously, the media, hungry for captivating formats, are partly responsible.
Nevertheless, some celebrity chefs have expressed arrogance, imposed unsustainable work rhythms, and exceeded in unnecessary verbal abuse. This is one type of approach in this environment.
But there are other ways of thinking.

It seems the attitude to working in the kitchen is starting to change towards re-evaluation of teamwork, research of a more balanced life, openness to learn, care for the environment, an attention to suppliers, etc. There is more respect in the communication.

This new aspiration of the food and wine sector is reflected in the attention to the values that a company has today when selecting a supplier; attention that, in turn, matches the knowledgeable clients look for when they invest in conferences, events, or presentations.

Operators who promote themselves want to make sure each element composing the entire experience respects it’s own specific philosophies and values, not just execution.
Certainly, a selection based on an economic point of view is essential, but ‘new’ criteria such as quality and company values are becoming more and more relevant. A virtuous circle hopefully introduced both in our work and in our lives.

This attitude is even more important today, in a pandemic that has practically frozen restaurants and events sectors since February 2020.

To guarantee an event in a safe environment, more spacious locations are chosen, seating are placed more further apart, menus are adapted excluding buffets, self-service or shared dishes for example, the health of the staff is checked, supply chains are tracked, staff is equipped with sanitizing gel dispensers, masks, plexiglass screens and one-way paths are studied for customers as well as for the staff.
Women and men creatives in in the food and wine sector find themselves handling more paperwork than they are used to manage, trying to cope with it accustomed as they are to work and sacrifice. They are aware encounters where food and wine had a predominant or more generally emotional role, are in great difficulty.
New technologies have now accustomed us to the most sensational special effects and we will certainly be amazed again. However, the warmth of getting together with friends and family for a celebration, the contact opportunities given by institutional or corporate dinners, the thrill of seeing a packed stadium or arena light up for a show, touch us in a way a digital event unfortunately cannot.
Other types of the world of events have reinvented themselves in most cases the acceleration of a trend already in motion – as is the case of the congress sector.
Hybrid events are born, content and presentations must be reviewed and adapted; overall, the balance is a positive one, as more opportunities and inclusiveness arise.

It will not be the same as before, it makes no sense to wait for a return to the past: the world has changed, and we cannot stay the same. In the near future, those who with strong resilience and new vision will “win” I am convinced that Italians have an edge on this for true passion for what they create will never give up the joy of creating excitement.