The First Ever Global Vegan Hospitality and Tourism Conference
/Happy World Vegan Month!
World Vegan Month is celebrated each November through vegan events, plant based specials at restaurants, and gatherings to share the benefits of veganism for animals, people, and the environment.
November 1st kicks off the month of celebration with World Vegan Day, coined by The Vegan Society of the United Kingdom, in 1994 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the founding of the organization and the coining of the term “vegan.”
This year, in celebration of World Vegan Day, our team at Vegan Hospitality hosted the first ever Global Vegan Hospitality & Tourism Online Conference. Check out these exciting statistics from our event!
241 registered attendees from 40 countries
8 speakers from 7 countries
3 post-conference networking sessions
In case you missed it, you can watch the full 3 hour conference recording here.
And if you don’t have 3 hours right now, enjoy this summary of the conference sessions with links to follow up with all of our fabulous speakers!
Session 1: Mapping the Vegan Guest Journey by Antonia Schäfer, Vegan Food Coach & Hospitality Consultant
What is a vegan guest journey and why is it the first concept you should be considering when deciding how to take action toward improved service to your vegan guests? In this session, Antonia discussed the customer service touchpoints that a vegan guest experiences when visiting your restaurant or hotel. Spoiler alert: the first touchpoint happens before the guest even sets foot on your property! Learn how to ensure that you don’t miss out on any important touch points as you map your guests’ unique journey.
Session 2: Does Your Restaurant Need a Vegan Menu? by Meredith Marin, Founder & CEO of Vegan Hospitality
Vegan menus are trending, and for good reason! They are one of the best ways to ensure that your vegan guests receive the same quality experience as your traditional guests. Vegan menus help you minimize service mistakes, prevent labeling errors, reduce customer triggers, and support your targeted marketing strategy. Watch this session to understand how to recognize the signs that your restaurant is ready for a vegan menu and how to get started in creating one.
Session 3: Food Safety and Allergy Disclaimers in Menu Design by Heather Landex, Food Inclusivity Coach
Heather shares urgent information in this session that every food business should be taking action on, in order to protect the safety interests of their customers and cover their liability concerns related to food safety. Animal products make up most of the common food allergens, cow’s milk topping the list, and restaurants that are not taking food allergies seriously in their menu planning, kitchen protocol, and communication to customers are risking not only their business but also people’s lives.
Session 4: Marketing to Vegan Guests by Hayley Cooper, COO of Vegan Hospitality
Marketing to vegan guests can open up your business to a new loyal customer base. Learn from Hayley, our COO, about tricks and tips to successfully appeal to this community that you might currently be missing out on. Whether you are speaking to potential guests through your social media channels or via your website, it is important to consider the vegan customer perspective throughout your marketing language and materials.
Session 5: Get Ahead of the Curve with Vegan Interior Design by Simone Aïda Baur, Vegan Interior Designer & Vegan Hotel Consultant
Have you ever considered that catering to vegan guests is not only about the food you are serving? In fact, veganism refers to the lifestyle, whereas plant based eating is the diet vegans follow. There is much more to creating a vegan experience than offering plant based cuisine, especially if you would like vegans to visit your hotel, retreat center or B&B. Learn from Simone, a vegan interior design expert, about how to ensure your programming for vegan guests includes vegan friendly accommodations. She shares materials swaps such as switching out cow leather for a variety of vegan friendly leather products that are now commercially available, as well as discusses where animal based materials may be hiding in places you may not even be aware of, such as the way your towels are manufactured!
Session 6: From Flour to Power: Revealing the Business Benefits of Vegan Baking by Megan Wessels, Founder of With HÄRT Bakery, Vegan Hospitality Consultant
From novice baker to expert, Megan shares her personal journey becoming the first vegan owner of a fully vegan bakery in her city. Megan’s success is due to her passion, dedication, and leadership. She discusses how vegan baking can also help your business, and how to get started with the right ingredients to cater to vegan guests.
Session 7: The Power of Plant Based Defaults by Zoe Novic, Healthcare Program Manager, Greener By Default
Greener By Default has been instrumental in some of the most powerful interventions, helping usher the hospitality industry into its plant based future. They have implemented programming at hospitals, conferences and university dining halls, and have the research to prove how making more dishes plant based by default helps institutions save money and lower their carbon emissions. Learn from Zoe’s presentation about how your business can also benefit from the power of plant based defaults.
Session 8: How I Helped Subway Add a Vegan Sandwich to 700+ Locations by Mariana Issa, Senior Corporate Partnerships Manager of Elige Veg, Vegan Hospitality Consultant
Mariana led the team of vegan consultants who worked with the Subway restaurant group to create and market their first fully vegan sandwich across 780 locations in Mexico. Learn how she accomplished this great mission and introduced a vegan fast food item to the Mexican market, making plant based eating more mainstream across Mexico.
Watch the full conference recording here!
Ready to take action toward confidently attracting vegan guests? Apply for a free consult with our team.