Welcoming gestures to kids by the NY Public Library

11-6-2013

PSFK placed great pictures of the new NY Library in Harlem where teenagers can interact, play video games, eat snacks, and hang out without having to worry about parents’ or elders’ eyes watching. Harlem’s Hamilton Grange branch is home to this full-floor 4,400-square-foot hangout space specially dedicated to teenagers. There only two librarians on watch from one end of the room. The space includes a 20-foot-diameter glass wall where they can play Wii and Guitar Hero available with special speakers preventing much of the noise from filtering out. The NY Public Library also provides summer readings for kids. Watch the movie for this hospitable gesture to kids. Getting the kids back into the library and sharing reading experience online.

More information at New York Libraries.

Royal hospitable gestures

3-5-2013

Especially in the hospitality industry we go above and beyond to treat our guests as a king. Hospitality with a hint of royalty! We publish these booklets to show the hospitality industry practical and easy-to-use examples of exceptional hospitality. We believe true hospitality is to be found in small gestures, gestures of the individual within the company. We will show you examples among other of InterContinental Amstel Amsterdam, Waldorf Astoria New York and the Ratilanna Riverside Resort Chang Mai. Click here to download the booklet for free.

Small gestures in hospitality

14-2-2013

Hospitality is a subjective matter. What I experience as hospitality can be bothersome for others. However there are hospitable gestures that always score with guests. Especially small gestures can make quite the difference, these are the gestures that guests will remember fondly in years to come and maybe even make them come back. In the article ‘Small gestures in hospitality’ we do give great examples…. Click here to download the bookled for free.

Latte Art socks | Heartwarming socks promotion from Bagels & Beans

27-11-2023

During the month December, Bagels & Beans in the Netherlands will be sharing their warmth in a very special way. In addition to bagels, coffee & happiness, they will now also literally share ‘warmth’. They will do so with something that many take for granted: a pair of socks.
For the heartwarming campaign ‘Who will you give warm feet? Share the warmth!” Bagels & Beans has joined forces with ‘Let’s do Goods’ and created unique Latte Art socks. For every pair of Latte Art socks sold, Bagels & Beans and ‘Let’s do Goods’ will donate a pair of socks to someone who desperately needs them. The goal is to work together with all bagel fans to provide as much warm feet as possible to homeless people in the Netherlands.

Update January 15: As a result of the December campaign ‘Who do you give warm feet? Share the warmth!’ Bagels & Beans has donated 5,000 pairs of new socks to homeless people in the Netherlands. In the week of January 8, the special donation socks were handed over to the Salvation Army locations in Utrecht, Amsterdam and Rotterdam.

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Christmas inspiration 2021 | Examples of other restaurants, fast food chains and hotels

23-11-2021

We have been sharing inspiration on our website since 2007, inspiration that we find in the hospitality industry or by online spotting of what our colleague hospitality entrepreneurs all over the world are doing. If you search our website for ‘Christmas’, you will get pages full with examples like glitter gravy, the Christmas afternoon in Hengelo to storytelling by the Rocco Forte hotel chain under the name of #RFWinterTale.

Our last real Christmas publication was ‘Christmas Gestures’ back in 2013, containing examples of ‘golden cutlery’ or ‘golden Japanese sticks’, ‘golden fortune cookies’ but also pizza slices and pizza boxes in the Christmas tree. For our 2021 publication we went to find inspiration for decorating a Christmas tree for in restaurants, fast food chains, bars or hotels at FAAS Est in Leiden. A great shop that sells all kinds of food ornaments. Check out their photos on the front page of this years publication. In ‘Christmas inspiration 2021’ we particularly mention inspiration to celebrate Christmas outdoor, a safe way to have fun with your guests this Holiday Season.

Reading time: Scrolling 4 minutes

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10 Valentine’s Day campaigns that will make you smile

12-2-2021

In a year where seeing your loved ones is not evident, we have compiled a list of campaigns that will put a smile on your face this Valentine’s Day. Some companies have set their creative minds to work to create products and services that put a twist to the well-known concept of Valentine’s Day. We hope you enjoy them as much as we did! 

Take a look at our Pinterest Board to gain inspiration for next year or visit our posts ‘The Authentic London Valentine’s Day Experience’ and ‘Valentine’s Day Inspiration: Culinary Love in a Box or our Small gestures for Valentine’s Day for further insights and spotted trends. 

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What does the catering industry do in the context of the COVID-19 virus | Inspiration March 27

27-3-2020

Our perspective on the world has completely changed during the past couple of weeks, a true paradigm shift! At this very moment it’s important to constantly fact check all the news about the Coronavirus, a lot of fake and scary news has been spotted at the social media. For example at a website in the U.S. we came across a question whether or not food could be a source of the virus. Fortunately they also gave the official answer of the CDC (Centers of Disease Control and Protection) but please don’t believe strange advices!

We also spotted a lot of positive inspiration. So, we want to show you some small positive gestures and inspiration during these anxious times.
Stay healthy and take care of each other! ^Team Horecatrends

Very positive news is that we see a lot of people unite and not only in the health care. We even spotted an online game in which gamers can help the university of Washington’s Center for Game Science to create a medicine.

In France the Accor Group, a hotel chain, opened the CEDA (Coronavirus Emergency Desk Accor) telephone helpdesk. They help to accommodate homeless people trough France in conjunction with the government.

We spot a lot of positive initiatives by restaurants, like for example #JREwhatsinthefridge and other ones to keep in touch with their guests. In the Netherlands, one of our chefs with two Michelin stars started a video making a delicious daily meal. And many more individuals give tutorials, which made us laugh is the reaction of a famous chef in an Instagram story: “After two days in quarantine and watching many cooking videos, I understand why so many of you come to restaurants” ?

In most languages there is a saying like ‘money can’t buy happiness’ but if you’re very rich you can buy a ‘Covid-19 themed exclusive package’ at Le Bijou Hotels & Resorts in Switzerland. But if you’re entertaining your kids at home, you could make them happy with a ‘toilet paper’ cake!

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What does the catering industry do in the context of the COVID-19 virus | Inspiration March 24

24-3-2020

Our perspective on the world has completely changed during the past week, what a paradigm shift! I personally thought that we would no longer post trends and inspiration on Horecatrends. It seems of no importance right now however we also spotted a lot of positive inspiration. So, we want to show you some small positive gestures and inspiration during these anxious times.

Stay healthy and take care of each other! ^Team Horecatrends

Here in the Netherlands we spot a lot of initiatives in the hospitality industry, like hotels offering capacity to hospitals. In the UK the hotel chain Best Western is in talks to convert their hotels into NHS hospitals and in the U.S.A. hotels are used to shelter the homeless and the less seriously ill who have to be in quarantine.

In London a restaurant with one Michelin star reopened as Brat Farm, Grill and Wine Shop. Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort gives an example on how to try to provide your guests with as much flexibility as possible through your cancellation policy.

Click on the title if you like to read the full article. Enjoy reading!

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Trends we spotted | Week 12

20-3-2020

Our perspective on the world has completely changed in the past week, what a paradigm shift! I personally thought that we would no longer post trends and inspiration on Horecatrends. It seems of no importance right now but we also spotted a lot of positive inspiration. So, we have written a ‘trends we spotted this week’ with small positive gestures and inspiration in these anxious times.
Stay healthy and take care of each other! ^Marjolein van Spronsen

This week, among other links to articles about a hand wash tutorial by Gordon Ramsey and the Cheese trucks of the London based The Cheese Bar.

McDonald’s in the U.S. and Canada are considering rent deferrals for its franchisees and Uber Eats is introducing a new support package that includes a waiving of delivery fees on all orders from independent restaurants across U.S. & Canada and dedicated marketing campaigns.

And an article at Eater about what restaurants need right now to actually survive in the USA. Here in the Netherlands, the government is taking all the necessary measures at this moment and even banks are helping. We wish all restaurant owners worldwide will be able to find a way to stay in business.

Chipotle tackles social distancing with virtual hangouts on Zoom, interesting inspiration if you try to reach young people. And upscale restaurant Canlis in Seattle finds new business model in the Covid-19 crisis.

In the Netherlands we spotted free e-learning programs for people working in the hospitality industry and many restaurants offer gift vouchers with benefits. One of them doesn’t give vouchers but gift plates!

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PERENNIAL® | The 50+ consumer is getting more and more important

3-6-2019

We keep spotting more and more products, initiatives and simple, small gestures that benefit the 50+ consumer. Product wise we recently spotted PERENNIAL®. As they put it, the world over 50 is aging like no generation before, but the entrepreneurs behind PERENNIAL® think people could be aging better, and that is why they’ve launched their first product, to support those who want to thrive and not slow down like prior generations.

PERENNIAL® is just one of the products we recently spotted for the accelerating 50+ market in the US, we recently also spotted ‘Town Square’, an interactive experience for senior with dementia or Alzheimer’s. We think it’s trendy and time to start preparing the hospitality industry for the elderly guests. We don’t need to create new products but check if our daily offerings are attractive for this booming market. As they’re the ones that are enjoying more free time and most of them have the finance to have some fun! Unfortunately PERENNIAL® isn’t available on the Dutch market yet but we can expect these kinds of drinks or foods focusing on older groups of consumers, on the market within a couple of years.

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