The occasion marked the 60th anniversary of the first Annual Lunch and AGM of one of the Institute’s founding associations, the Hotel & Catering Institute, also held at the Dorchester.
Institute's Chief Executive Philippe Rossiter FIH thanked members, business partners and company patrons for their support. A special welcome was made to members of the Institutes Nigerian branch who had travelled from Africa especially for the occasion, and students from the University of West London, winners of Passion 4 Hospitality, the Institute’s pilot debating competition.
“Today is not about nostalgia,” said Rossiter. “We may have the same objectives as our predecessors had in 1951, but we are responding to the modern needs of hospitality learners and professionals.”
Examples of the Institute’s strategic planning included the library support services which are now electronic and accessible 24 hours a day, and the international versions of new qualifications which have recently been adopted in Hong Kong, Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
“Never has a strong professional body been needed more to support leaders around the world than in today’s challenging economic environment,” added Peter Lederer CBE FIH MI, President of the Institute.
