THE FUTURE OF FOOD & HOSPITALITY IS BEING BUILT HERE

Be in the room. Shape the conversation. Lead the change.

Barnsgrove, Hampshire | September 2027 | Date TBC 8^th/9^th or 22^nd/23^rd September

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This is where the industry moves forward

Imagine bringing together the people who buy, build, supply, influence and lead the future of foodservice and hospitality — away from the distractions of everyday business, in an environment designed to challenge thinking, spark ideas and turn ambition into action.

Now imagine your brand right at the heart of it.

Welcome to Footprint Festival 2027: a distinctive, immersive gathering of the industry’s most influential voices, ambitious innovators and sustainability leaders, united by a shared determination to build a more resilient, responsible and commercially successful future.

This is not another conference. It is not another exhibition. And it is certainly not another event where sustainability is discussed in isolation from the commercial realities of running a business.

Footprint Festival brings the entire conversation to life.

Across two extraordinary days, senior decision-makers come together for powerful conversations, practical workshops, groundbreaking ideas, exceptional food and drink, meaningful connections and experiences that stay with them long after they leave.

And for our partners, it presents something increasingly valuable: the opportunity to get closer to the people shaping the future of the sector — and to help shape that future themselves.

In 2027, we want to go further, think bigger and create even more opportunities for our partners to make a difference.

The question is not simply whether your organisation should be involved.

It is: what role do you want to play?

THE MOMENTUM IS REAL. THE OPPORTUNITY IS NOW

Footprint Festival 2026: the foundations are in place.

Our inaugural Festival demonstrated the power of bringing the industry together in a completely different environment.

500+ Industry attendees

133 Speakers

2 days of insight, inspiration and connection

850,000 Reported reach for #FootprintFestival on LinkedIn

6.8% Reported LinkedIn hashtag engagement rate

90% said they would Definitely/Probably attend again

100% said Agree/Strongly Agree they would recommend the festival to a colleague

81% Agree/Strongly Agree they made useful new connections

80% Agree/Strongly Agree they strengthened existing relationships

See Full Footprint Festival Review HERE 

These numbers tell only part of the story.

The real success was the quality of the conversations, the relevance of the content and the enthusiasm of the people who experienced it.

Footprint Festival attracted professionals from across the foodservice and hospitality ecosystem — operators, manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, procurement leaders, sustainability specialists, academics, consultants and other influential stakeholders.

They came to exchange ideas, confront difficult challenges, discover solutions and build relationships across traditional industry boundaries.

And they left inspired.

What attendees valued most

Feedback from the inaugural Festival highlighted something that sets Footprint apart: the programme was genuinely relevant to the industry it serves.

One attendee captured the experience:

“I loved how relevant pretty much every panel, speaker and workshop was to foodservice, no need to filter out content…”

That is an important endorsement. In a crowded events market, relevance is what makes people invest their time, bring colleagues and return for more.

Our ambition for 2027 is to build on that foundation — with an even more compelling programme, deeper industry engagement and more opportunities for partners to contribute to the experience.

The inaugural Festival established the platform. 2027 is the opportunity to help define what comes next.

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Footprint Festival 2027: Bigger. Better. Bolder

An even more curated audience. More hands-on experiences. More meaningful connections. More reasons to be there.

Building on everything we learnt from our inaugural Festival, Footprint Festival 2027 will raise the bar even higher, while protecting what makes it special. We are limiting attendance to 500 people per day, creating an intimate, high-quality environment where industry leaders can connect, collaborate and do business. Expect more live demonstrations, more practical workshops, better-connected sessions with fewer programme clashes, and more structured opportunities to network with the people who matter to your business. Entertainment, food and drink experiences will be woven throughout the day, not simply saved for the evening, bringing energy, discovery and a festival spirit to every corner of Barnsgrove. From big-stage conversations to hands-on innovation and unexpected encounters, 2027 will deliver a richer, more immersive experience — where sustainability moves beyond discussion and becomes something to see, taste, experience and act upon. For sponsors, that means greater opportunities to stand out, engage directly and become part of the moments people remember.

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Why Footprint Festival is different

Not just another event. A different way of bringing the industry together.

An audience that matters

We bring together senior professionals with the responsibility to make decisions, influence strategy, allocate budgets and deliver change across foodservice and hospitality.

From board-level directors and procurement leaders to sustainability teams, operators, manufacturers and policymakers, this is an audience connected by commercial influence and a shared interest in the future of the sector.

Content that gets beneath the surface

Footprint Festival addresses the real challenges facing businesses: profitability, supply chain resilience, energy, food systems, waste, packaging, technology, people, health and the transition to more sustainable operating models.

It goes beyond high-level commitments to explore what works, what doesn’t and what businesses can do next.

An environment that unlocks new thinking

Set in the Hampshire countryside at Barnsgrove, our working-farm setting creates a distinctive alternative to conventional conference venues.

Keynotes and panels sit alongside immersive workshops, outdoor experiences, food and drink, networking and evening entertainment.

It is an environment that encourages people to step outside their usual professional circles, see familiar challenges differently and form relationships that might not happen in a conventional meeting room.

A platform for collaboration

The biggest challenges facing foodservice and hospitality cannot be solved by individual organisations working alone.

Footprint Festival creates space for operators and suppliers, commercial leaders and sustainability specialists, established businesses and innovators to exchange ideas and explore common ground.

For sponsors, this means an opportunity to be part of the conversations that can lead to new partnerships, commercial opportunities and practical progress.

A brand experience, not just a logo

We want our partners to do more than appear on a sponsor board.

We want them to bring ideas to life, demonstrate innovation, host meaningful conversations, showcase solutions and create experiences that attendees actively want to engage with.

The most powerful sponsorship is not simply seen. It is experienced, remembered and acted upon.

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Why sponsor Footprint Festival 2027?

Put your brand at the heart of the industry’s future.

Your customers, prospects and partners are navigating a rapidly changing business environment. They need to improve performance, build resilience, manage costs, respond to changing expectations and identify opportunities for growth.

Footprint Festival brings those decision-makers together in one place.

A strategic partnership gives your organisation the opportunity to:

1. Reach the right people.
Connect with senior decision-makers, operational leaders, procurement professionals and sustainability influencers from across the foodservice and hospitality value chain.

2. Strengthen your market position.
Demonstrate that your organisation understands the sector’s challenges and is actively contributing to its future.

3. Turn sustainability into commercial value.
Showcase solutions that can improve efficiency, reduce waste, strengthen supply chains, support responsible sourcing or create better outcomes for people and the planet.

4. Build meaningful relationships.
Create opportunities for direct engagement with existing customers, prospective clients, industry partners and influential stakeholders.

5. Own a conversation.
Align your brand with a relevant theme, lead a discussion, support a practical workshop or create a distinctive activation.

6. Generate content that travels further.
Extend your involvement through agreed pre-event promotion, editorial opportunities, social content, photography, video and post-event communications.

7. Bring your people together.
Give your teams the opportunity to network, learn, demonstrate expertise and engage with the wider industry in a shared experience.

8. Be part of something bigger.
Support a platform designed to accelerate collaboration and practical progress across an industry with significant environmental, social and economic influence.

For the right partner, Footprint Festival is not simply an event sponsorship. It is a platform for thought leadership, relationship-building, brand differentiation and business development.

WHO WILL YOU MEET?

A cross-section of the people shaping the sector.

Footprint Festival is designed for senior decision-makers and influential practitioners across both profit and cost sectors of foodservice and hospitality.

Our target audience includes:

• Board-level directors and business leaders
• CEOs, managing directors and senior operational executives
• Facilities, workplace and purchasing leaders
• Procurement professionals across the public and private sectors
• Sustainability, ESG and responsible sourcing leaders
• Corporate affairs, marketing and communications directors
• Foodservice operators and contract caterers
• Pub, bar, restaurant, hotel and quick-service restaurant groups
• Food and drink manufacturers and brand owners
• Suppliers, wholesalers and distributors
• Chefs, culinary innovators and food development teams
• Agriculture, farming and primary production stakeholders
• Government, policymakers and public-sector organisations
• Academics, researchers, NGOs, charities and specialist advisers
• Technology providers and innovators developing the next generation of solutions

The opportunity is not limited to meeting people from within your own market.

It is about connecting with the entire ecosystem: the people who specify products, purchase services, influence policy, set sustainability strategies, develop menus, manage operations and determine which innovations succeed.

For businesses selling into foodservice and hospitality, that breadth is a major advantage.

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The Footprint Festival experience

Two days. Multiple ways to engage. One unforgettable setting.

Our 2027 programme will build on the experiential format established in 2026.

THE MAIN TENT — THE FUTURE OF FOOD & DRINK

The centrepiece of the Festival: major conversations, inspiring keynotes, influential speakers and industry panels tackling the biggest questions facing foodservice and hospitality.

Sponsorship benefits: Align your brand with the Festival’s flagship content, contribute to selected discussions and build visibility around the conversations that matter.

IMMERSIVE WORKSHOPS & BREAKOUTS

Smaller, interactive sessions designed to get beyond the headlines and explore practical solutions, emerging technologies and new ways of working.

Potential themes include sustainable procurement, food waste, regenerative agriculture, AI, energy efficiency, wellbeing, responsible sourcing and operational transformation.

Sponsorship benefits: Lead or support a focused session, demonstrate your expertise and create a more intimate environment for engagement with relevant decision-makers.

THE INNOVATION & EXHIBITION EXPERIENCE

A space for businesses to demonstrate products, services and ideas, from sustainable ingredients and packaging to technology, equipment, resource efficiency and circular solutions.

Sponsorship benefits: Put your proposition in front of an audience actively exploring the future of the sector, with opportunities for demonstrations, conversations and lead generation.

FOOD, DRINK & FARM-BASED EXPERIENCES

Exceptional food and drink, local producers, sustainable cooking, seasonal ingredients and experiences connected to the working-farm environment.

Sponsorship benefits: Create a memorable brand experience through product integration, tastings, demonstrations, hosted experiences or practical showcases of innovation.

NETWORKING THAT HAPPENS NATURALLY

From informal conversations between sessions to hosted meetings and evening gatherings, the Festival is designed to make connections part of the experience.

Sponsorship benefits: Host a reception, networking space or invitation-led gathering that gives your business a natural reason to bring customers and prospects together.

ENTERTAINMENT

As the formal programme gives way to music, food, drink and socialising throughout, the Festival creates another setting for relationships to develop.

Sponsorship benefits: Associate your brand with a memorable part of the Festival experience and create an engaging, sociable environment for guests.

Programme details, speaker participation and specific activations for 2027 will be confirmed separately.

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Sponsorship opportunities

Choose your level of influence.

We are developing a limited portfolio of partnerships for organisations that want to play a meaningful role in Footprint Festival 2027.

Our approach is flexible. We can offer established sponsorship packages or work with selected partners to create bespoke opportunities aligned with their commercial priorities.

The following packages provide a framework for discussion. Investment levels and final deliverables will be agreed individually.

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More than two days of exposure

Extend the life and value of your partnership.

The Festival is the centrepiece, but the opportunity can begin well before the gates open and continue after the final conversation.

We will work with partners to explore an integrated campaign across relevant Footprint channels.

BEFORE THE FESTIVAL

Build anticipation, establish your involvement and give your audience a reason to engage.

Potential activity includes:

• Sponsor announcements and partner profiles
• Inclusion in agreed email and website communications
• Speaker & session promotion
• Interviews and thought-leadership content
• Social media content and campaign assets
• Product, service or activation previews

DURING THE FESTIVAL

Make your presence visible, relevant and engaging.

Potential activity includes:

• Agreed venue, stage and activation branding
• Sponsored sessions or workshops
• Product demonstrations and experiences
• Interviews, photography and video content
• Social media coverage
• Networking and customer engagement

AFTER THE FESTIVAL

Carry the conversation forward.

Potential activity includes:

• Post-event partner recognition
• Agreed video clips, photography or content assets
• Follow-up editorial or interview opportunities
• Recap communications
• Agreed performance reporting
• Exploration of further activity through Footprint’s wider industry platforms

All activity is subject to the agreed package, available inventory, editorial independence, production requirements and applicable permissions.

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Why act now?

The best partnerships are built before the programme is full.

The most valuable sponsorship opportunities are often those that allow a business to shape its involvement from the outset.

Early partners have the opportunity to discuss preferred themes, activation concepts, positioning and ways to connect their investment with their wider commercial strategy.

As the programme and partnership portfolio develop, some opportunities will naturally become unavailable.

We therefore encourage interested organisations to start conversations early, particularly if they want a principal position, a distinctive activation or a content partnership aligned with a specific business objective.

Our intention is to build a focused portfolio of complementary partners whose involvement strengthens the experience for everyone.

This is not about filling every available space with a sponsor logo.

It is about bringing together organisations that have something valuable to contribute — and giving them a platform to demonstrate it.

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Let’s build something that matters

Footprint Festival exists to inspire, educate and connect foodservice and hospitality professionals — and to elevate and accelerate the path to a more sustainable sector in a complex world.

Our vision was that Footprint Festival as the UK’s leading sustainability festival for the sector. Now it is: a place where bold ideas spark impactful partnerships, break down competitive barriers and fuel the solutions of tomorrow.

We believe the next phase of progress will depend on collaboration, practical innovation and the willingness to challenge established ways of doing things.

Our partners have a vital role to play.

This is your opportunity to bring your expertise, your ambition and your solutions to the people who can help turn them into action.

Join us at Footprint Festival 2027.

Help shape the conversation. Build the relationships. Demonstrate the possibilities.

And be part of what happens next.

FOOTPRINT FESTIVAL 2027

The future of food & hospitality is being built here.

Sponsorship enquiries

Charles Miers
Footprint Media Group

Email: charles@footprintmediagroup.com

Website: www.footprintfestival.com 

Venue: Barnsgrove, Greywell, Hampshire. September 2027 dates and final programme to be confirmed.