We immediately launched NRB Assist, a resource email of support, advice and information to help steer operators through lockdown and beyond. Almost half a million emails have been sent, leading to tens of thousands of restaurants, pubs and bars getting access to the information they needed, from vital industry organisations like UK Hospitality and Hospitality Action as well as official local and national government sources.

Secondly we have become part of a number of panels and committees that were formed to shape industry and city-wide responses to the crisis. We are founder members of Manchester Business Sounding Board, set up by Sir Richard Leese, as well as Visit Manchester’s Tourism Industry Emergency Response Group, and were part of the initial steering group for lobbying and pressure group Hospitality Union. We have also contributed frontline industry feedback to the Greater Manchester All Party Parliamentary Committee, Downtown In Business’ Hospitality Panel, and directly to Sir Jon Cunliffe, Deputy Governor of the Bank of England. 

In addition we have banged the drum for the Northern hospitality industry wherever possibly, including via social media channels which reach tens of thousands more hospitality professionals. We have promoted initiatives such as #NOMORENOSHOWS, Invisible Chips, #NATIONALRENTFREE and Eat Well, and raised the issues facing the hospitality sector in publications ranging from the Manchester Evening News to Propel, as well as appearing on BBC Breakfast News.

As the industry begins to unlock our commitment is undimmed. NRB Assist will continue to adapt and evolve, and we will shortly launch NRB Play, a new scheme which should dovetail neatly with ‘Eat Out to Help Out’, offering valuable savings to hospitality staff and income for operators. In addition we are committed to providing new digital marketing packages to help sustain our exhibitors, which will subsequently be made available to all hospitality suppliers.

Finally, we are starting to plan a succession of small and exclusive trailblazer events, some new and some based around existing concepts like NRB Top 50 and NRB Future, which will take place through the Autumn. We are confident they will chime with a hospitality industry which places huge value on safe, human interaction, and they will help us prepare for 2021, when we will finally deliver NRB’s twentieth edition. As always, we look forward to seeing you there.