Program Mirror Hospitality Expo ‘24
With an impressive roster of speakers, guest bartenders and chefs, the quickly approaching Mirror Hospitality Expo 2024 is shaping up to be an event rich in education and networking, besides being - of course - an assuredly good time.
Serving as a platform to connect Central Europe with the rest of the world in the hospitality industry and thus enrich both, Mirror Hospitality Expo is taking place May 7-8, 2024, in Bratislava, hosted by the Mirror Cocktail Bar at the Radisson Blu Carlton Hotel.
Program of an immersive experience
The event kicks off with guest shifts at Mirror Cocktail Bar on the evening of Monday, May 6.
Tuesday morning, May 7, is oriented towards students at hospitality schools with lectures in Slovak or Czech, and continues with seminars for all in the afternoon. In the evening, Mirror Cocktail City officially opens the event with live DJs and guest shifts across three venues - Mirror Bar, Sky Bar, and Old Fashioned.
Wednesday afternoon continues the seminars, followed by live cooking shows by highly talented chefs. The evening follows with more guest shifts across Bratislava, with Urban House joining the party.
Pillars of Mirror Hospitality Expo
There are four pillars of the expo: networking, education, tasting experience, and global fair. The Expo aims to help those in the industry build connections and community around the world, learn, learn, and learn some more, introduce new flavors, combinations, methods and ideas, and showcase local products and talent. The Expo is “not just an event, it’s an immersive experience,” they claim.
Live Cooking Show
Beverages belong to the broader category of gastronomy, and that connection will be strengthened with a live cooking show Wednesday, May 8. Find more details about each chef on the website of Mirror Hospitality Expo.
Chefs include Romana Zelinova and Maros Jambor from plant-based three-Michelin-star Eleven Madison Park in New York.
Patrik Simon in Savièse, Switzerland, and Peter Duransky in Vienna, Austria have also had years of experience with Michelin stars.
Filip Urbanic has studied, worked, and won awards on the Danish gastronmony scene and Richard Bielik from Prague has extensive experience in fine dining across multiple types of cuisines.
After 20 successful years abroad, Martin Zahumensky returned to Slovakia to start a gourmet brand, and after an outstanding career in Czechia, Jaroslav Zidek settled in Slovakia and runs Riverbank restaurant in Bratislava.
The chefs have prepared cooking demonstrations to strengthen knowledge of cooking and flavors - and everybody looks forward to something tasty to eat.
Meanwhile, outside in the square Martin Manas and David Geczy will bring their concept of street food, “From Farm to Fire”, cooperating with local farmers for the freshest ingredients. As well, other stalls will be available outside.
Guest Speakers
In total, 24 speakers will be sharing their knowledge and experience through seminars and masterclasses at the Expo. For a biography of each guest, visit the website of Mirror Hospitality Expo.
Martin Hudak: Past, Present & Future of Coffee Cocktails - information, history, storytelling and drinks for a complete account of coffee cocktails.
Felice Capasso: Objectively on Spirits - an overview of whisky production and how to assess spirits.
Rastislav Kasár: Coffee & Cocktails for Students - learn tips and tricks from an award winning barista bartender.
Kenji Jesse: Japanese Philosophies for Bartenders - insights into the philosophies and virtues that create the Nippon ethos
George Nemec: Cutting Lemons for 25 Years - on the roller coaster of your bar career
Rusty Cerven: Elevated Hospitality - leadership and team building in the bar
Benjamin Cavagna: From the Continents to the Universe of Sports: Play 1930
Martin Siska: How a Bar can be a Successful Business - bar economics of a busy bar vs a profitable bar
Adrian Michalcik: A Winning Mentality - cultivating a mindset geared towards success in the competitive world of bartending via the life habits of discipline and commitment.
Anna Sebastian: Inspiring and Accelerating Women in Hospitality - why diversity is important
Raiza Carrera: Beyond the Bar: the art of being an independent bartender - how to build a personal brand and overcome the particular challenges of being a freelance bartender
Pavel Sochor: Foraging: Back to our Roots - diving into foraging history, benefits, and practical uses in mixology
Jason Candid: Wellness In Hospitality: Self-Initiated Strategies and Sustainable Work Environments - elements paramount to both individual and thus industry well-being
Cassandra Eichhoff: How to be part of the Community Anywhere in the World - South Africa - with the flavor of South Africa culture, ingredients, lifestyle
Chris Maffeo: Brands are Built Bottom-up (or are built in bars) - how to transition from selling one bottle to an entire case, plus demystifying Gen Z to drink brands
Ľuboš Rácz: Attentive Service - what hospitality, guest, service, and tending really are and how to train yourself to be the best host possible
Pavel Tvaroh: Lounge Bohemia No.1 bar - from history to concept, philosophy to design, process to progress
Nicolas d'Offay: Takamaka Rum Masterclass - top trending rum of the world from Seychell
Misel Posavac: Mystic Chapter Masterclass
Alexander Sourbatis: Three Cents Masterclass
The sum is greater than the parts
Even though the parts are pretty darn amazing, the cooperation and community that develops with everybody together in person will be extraordinary. Mirror Hospitality Expo is a unique chance to experience it for yourself in Central Europe. Make sure to keep up to date on the event via Instagram!
