Thinking Ahead, Shaping Change: Carina Stoettner at the International Foodservice Forum 2026
On 12 March 2026, Hamburg once again became the center of the European foodservice industry. At the International Foodservice Forum at the Congress Center Hamburg — traditionally held the day before Internorga — decision-makers from across Europe came together to discuss the future of the out-of-home market.
Among them: Carina Stoettner, futurist and founder of the Futurewise Company, who took the stage to deliver the closing keynote. The booking was arranged through the speaker agency Premium Speakers.
Europe’s biggest industry gathering — and a look ahead
The Foodservice Forum is one of the sector’s most influential agenda-setters. It isn’t only about trends but about strategic questions: how is consumption changing? What business models are emerging? And how does hospitality stay relevant over the long term?
The 2026 program reflected exactly that range. Speakers included:
- Erik Meijer — a wake-up call from the world of professional sport
- Katrin Wißmann — analysis of the top 100 players in the sector
- Jochen Pinsker — on the potential of the out-of-home market
- Benjamin Bargetzi — on neuroscience and AI
- Jan Knikker — on hospitality in the 15-minute city
- Jacek Trybuchowski — on international growth
- Yotam Ottolenghi — in a fireside chat on creativity and food culture
Panels, start-up pitches and best-practice sessions rounded out the program — from Asian urban cuisine to stadium catering.
A Taste of What’s Coming — Carina Stoettner’s closing keynote
Carina Stoettner brought the day to a close with her keynote: “A Taste of What’s Coming: Change as the Industry’s Greatest Opportunity.”
The focus wasn’t only on trends but on concrete questions about the future that operators need to answer strategically today:
- Rethinking the customer base: how do you build an offer for a growing 65+ generation — affluent, active and with time on their hands?
- Making use of superdiversity: what new formats emerge from cultural variety — around occasions like Lunar New Year, beyond the classic peaks?
- Treating climate change as an opportunity: which new regional products are appearing — new German wine-growing regions, for instance?
- Redefining the social role: can hospitality become more than a place to consume — a space for encounter, exchange and social cohesion?
Her central message: change isn’t only a challenge — it’s a strategic lever for new business models, new customers and renewed relevance.
Networking, inspiration and what comes next
Alongside the talks, the forum offered plenty of room for exchange — a decisive factor in an industry currently undergoing serious transformation.
A particular highlight followed on Friday evening as part of Internorga: around 400 invited guests gathered for the gala at the Grand Elysée Hamburg to celebrate outstanding concepts and individuals — among them Karls Erlebnis-Dörfer, Haferkater and Henry McGovern.
Photo: Thomas Fedra
