Hosted by GMB’s Charlotte Hawkins, this year’s conference theme was ‘Tipping Point: Regaining the Balance’, inspired by host University of Exeter. The idea is that the smallest of changes can shift the climate balance. The team at Exeter have collected research which shows how areas such as agriculture, politics, public opinion, and more, can all be combined to create positive change. Professor Peter Cox from the University of Exeter presented virtually (due to illness) on Day 1 about how we, as businesses, are reaching the tipping point.
We were also delighted to welcome back Dr Morgaine Gaye, who spoke at Conference back in 2015 at Imperial College London. Dr Gaye is a Food Futurologist who looks at food and eating from a social, cultural, economic, trend, branding and geo-political perspective. Her keynote speech, titled Future Aspirations & Consumer Landscapes 2030, discussed disruptive moments which we can expect to develop in the coming years.
Other notable speaker sessions included Dr Erin Ling, Lecturer in Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Work, Surrey Institute for People-Centred AI who covered Putting People at the Heart of AI, and Andi Jarvis, Founder - Eximo Marketing who discussed the bad marketing decisions people make, why they make them and how you can use this to make better marketing decisions.
On Day 2, we heard from British Behaviour Insight Advisor, Jez Rose - the #1 bestselling author of Flip the Switch. His celebrated TEDx talks, television work, and weekly YouTube content have garnered more than 20 million views. Rose’s session into applying behavioural psychology to improve leadership, maximise engagement and enhance culture, was a huge hit.
Other speakers for Day 2 included Kris Hall, Burnt Chef Project, on The Key to Productivity & Retention, and Olajide Alabi, Co-creator - SISU, Brave, Honest, Curious: A Blueprint for Cultivating Inclusive Excellence.
Former Royal Marine Commando and Special Forces Sergeant Jason Fox - co-lead of Channel 4's award-winning show 'SAS: Who Dares Wins' - closed the Conference with an exciting session on Building Mental Resilience.
Alongside the thought-provoking speaker sessions, partners and suppliers formed part of a huge exhibition where members were able to network, discuss new products, and sample the tasty food and drink on offer.
And, new for 2024, we introduced the Chef’s Live Theatre. Comprising of a programme of chefs demonstrating skills and new dish ideas, delegates were inspired with innovative ideas to take back to campus.
The week culminated with a black tie Gala Dinner, where TUCO announced the winners of the TUCO Awards; celebrating effort and achievement in our member organisations. You can find the full list of Award winners here.
As per all TUCO Conferences, in conjunction with Brakes, all surplus food, drink and ingredients were donated to good causes. This year, the items went to Exeter Food Action, who said:
Exeter Food Action (EFA) is incredibly grateful to be the recipients of some of the surplus food from the 2024 TUCO
conference. Just so you know, we ‘rescue’ good quality food from retailers, manufacturers, producers and farms etc., which
might otherwise go to waste. The food will be distributed to some of the 64 food banks and community groups to which we deliver daily in Exeter and across Devon. Between them they support thousands of people every week.
You can take a look at the highlights from the Conference below. View a selection of the photos on the TUCO Facebook page, or the full event photos here.
We have also shared some keynote presentations below. Please note, these are limited to those speakers who gave permission to share.
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