Ceda director general Adam Mason says he is delighted with the uptake, as well as the variety of topics being covered.
“Since we launched our weekly webinar schedule five weeks ago, we have seen over 800 attendees across the 27 sessions that we have hosted and we now have up to eight sessions every week. It’s great to see members and partners engaging and pleasing that we are getting the subject matter right.”
The eclectic mix of topics covered so far includes ventilation and DW172, disposal and re-use services, hygiene and sanitation solutions, refrigeration, ventilation, health & safety advice, product presentations, mental health awareness in the workplace and discussions about the future of foodservice and operator confidence.
He said that since the program launched in the middle of April, the uptake has surpassed expectation with some sessions receiving in excess of 90 participants, forcing ceda to raise its Zoom account capabilities.
A number of ceda’s partner companies have taken up the opportunity to present, and some have returned to deliver new topics and presentations. Expert speakers from across the industry have jumped at the chance to directly engage with so many eager attendees.
Simon Stenning, expert market intelligence for the UK foodservice sector believes these webinars are really useful. He said, “Bringing the industry together at this time is crucial, even if through a Zoom call. I believe it really helps to share information, thoughts and ideas, and to have a platform to raise queries and get discussion flowing. There are no clear-cut answers to the challenges we all face, and so open discussions with our peers provides food for thought and inspiration.”
The topics on offer appear to be hitting the right tone, according to Mason. Two health and safety sessions are taking place each week, with an average of 30 attendees per session. A recent webinar dedicated to Covid-19 and returning to the workplace safely drew 50 attendees.
He added that an important part of the webinar schedule was the weekly ‘members connected’ session which allows Ceda members a platform to discuss issues, share best practice and ideas and support one another.