INTERGASTRA took place again for the first time since 2020. After a break of more than three years, demand for the leading trade fair for the hotel and catering industry was high. It was not only the sheer number of visitors and 1,300 exhibitors that made it abundantly clear that a lot has happened in the hospitality industry in the meantime. Above all, the great interest in digitalization solutions surprised the display pioneers from GMS – in a positive sense.
“We weren’t sure in advance how well the topic of digitalization and our display solutions would be received at the trade fair. But even in the first few days, our expectations were exceeded,” reports GMS Managing Director Herbert Weiss after a successful start to the trade fair. “There was so much need for discussion that we didn’t even have time to take a look around ourselves.”
Counteracting the shortage of skilled workers with digital signage
During the countless discussions with customers, the GMS team quickly realized that the great interest was due to the special requirements and the current challenging situation in the industry. “Traditional, regional gastronomy tends to be small-scale and many businesses are family-run. These establishments are lovingly run and are very popular with guests thanks to their good food and hospitality,” explains the GMS Managing Director. “But they now have to make do with fewer and fewer staff. This shortage of skilled workers is forcing many restaurateurs to rethink. They are looking very closely at what they can compensate for with digitalization measures. This is precisely where many have identified a great need to catch up. And we can provide them with optimal support with our customized display solutions and easy-to-use software.”
Chalkboards are a thing of the past
This often involves very specific solutions, such as the quick and uncomplicated adjustment of daily specials, which can then be displayed in seconds via digital signage displays in the guest rooms or directly at the entrance. What sounds trivial at first can be a decisive factor when staff are fully occupied with serving guests. “In such situations, every second is precious and it is almost impossible to spend a lot of time rewriting the traditional chalkboards and adapting the menu of the day on the website. Our cloud-based digital signage applications solve precisely this problem – quickly and easily,” explains Herbert Weiss.
Service and a personal contact person are crucial
From the display experts’ point of view, it is particularly striking that most people are not only interested in the products, but that service and personal contacts are particularly important aspects. “Whether bakers, food truck or snack bar operators, hoteliers or restaurateurs – everyone has their own requirements. As a family-run display company with over 30 years of experience, we understand the challenges and advise our customers in order to find the optimal display and software solution together. But that doesn’t end with the purchase. Together with our partner Kompass-Software, we are also on hand afterwards with help and advice – be it with installation or content maintenance,” promises Herbert Weiss.
