Over 130 tourism industry representatives attended Fáilte Ireland’s F&B 360 Leaders’ Summit ‘Innovate for Success’
Fáilte Ireland’s F&B 360 Leaders’ Summit ‘Innovate for Success‘ focused on strengthening food and beverage leadership, innovation and performance across hotels and visitor attractions.
The event brought together hotel owners, general managers and senior food and beverage leaders including executive chefs to examine the strategic role of food and beverage in business performance, with a particular focus on decision making, operating models and leadership capability in a challenging cost environment.
Expert Insights on Leadership, Strategy and Innovation
Attendees heard insights from international hospitality experts, including Robbie Bargh, Founder of The Gorgeous Group and Simon Wright, Founder of TGP International. The summit was chaired by Scot Turner, Founder of Auden Hospitality and author of the annual Food and Beverage Report, with Chris Fletcher, Founder of Tech on Toast, presenting insights from on the evolving F&B tech landscape for hospitality and leading a live sector focused tech & AI clinic with a participating programme business.
The agenda combined international trends, commercial case studies and panel discussions, alongside Irish industry perspectives from Padraig McGillicuddy of Ballygarry Estate, Kerry, Aaron Duffy of Castle Leslie Estate, Monaghan, Stephen Cunneen of Treaty City Brewery, Limerick and Eveanna Ryan, Group Marketing and Innovation Manager at Connaught Hospitality Group, Galway.
We also had leaders from the independent restaurant sector with the participation of Paul Cadden, Founder and MD of Saba Group and Jess Murphy, Owner and Head Chef at Kai in Galway. who shared their insights and learnings from adapting to marketplace challenges to run commercially successful businesses.
F&B 360° Programme Supporting Long-Term Sector Growth
This event forms part of Fáilte Ireland F&B 360°, a strategic leadership programme launched in November 2025 for owners, general managers and senior F&B leaders in hotels and visitor attractions.
The programme was developed in response to feedback from the sector highlighting the difficulty of delivering profitable and sustainable food and beverage operations within hotels and visitor attractions.
Each participating business works closely with a dedicated Fáilte Ireland business advisor and has access to expert led masterclasses, practical tools along with Failte Ireland learniFI and Skillnet supports for team upskilling.
Jenny De Saulles, Director of Sector Development said:
“Food and beverage is central to both the quality of the visitor experience and the long term commercial sustainability of tourism businesses. In a challenging operating environment, strong leadership, clear decision making and fit for purpose operating models are critical to driving profitability and resilience.
Through F&B 360°, we are supporting senior leaders to take a strategic and structured approach to strengthening performance, building capability and future proofing their food and beverage operations. This programme recognises that long term success depends on investing in leadership, upskilling of teams and reviewing systems that can adapt and grow with the sector.”
Over 50 businesses are currently participating in the first intake of the programme with a second intake of F&B 360° planned to open in late 2026.
F&B 360°
More information about the programme can be found here: https://supports.failteireland.ie/fandb360/
