Hospitality Now event delivers practical insights and fresh confidence

The hospitality industry from across Victoria gathered at Lake House in Daylesford on 1 June for Hospitality Now 2026.

The event focused on the real challenges facing food and drink businesses today. It gave operators practical advice on:

• how to stay profitable
• building strong teams
• how to market with purpose
• manage growth in a difficult trading environment.

The event was delivered by Food and Drink Victoria and supported through the Regional Tourism Industry Development Program.

Across 4 panels, speakers shared honest lessons from the front line of hospitality. Topics included:

• making money in a high-cost market
• building demand
• using marketing more effectively
• finding and keeping good staff.

Attendees said the event stood out for its clear and useful insights. One participant described as providing ‘practical anecdotes from high-calibre operators'.

Another said the panel discussions offered 'actual tangible tools and advice to take away and review within my business'.

One attendee praised 'the panel’s transparency about their challenges and the methods they used to overcome them'.

Others said the event 'cut through a lot of the digital noise' and reinforced that AI can support businesses, but is 'not the key to everything'.

The event ended   with closing remarks from event host Alla Wolf-Tasker of the Lake House, following their 40 years of successful operation in regional Victoria. Attendees left with new ideas, useful tools and renewed confidence for the road ahead.

Learn more about the Regional Tourism Industry Development Program.