Keynote

Koch. Denk. Neu.

How AI is changing hospitality — and what it means for you

Most hospitality operators work 60 hours a week and earn less than their own staff. That's not a hard-work problem. That's a system problem. This keynote shows how smart businesses use AI to escape the cost trap — and have more left at the end of the month. Concrete, honest, no tech jargon.

Duration 45 / 60 / 90 min
Language DE · NL · EN
Markets DACH · Benelux
Based on Book "Koch. Denk. Neu."
Book this keynote The Book

"In hardly any other industry do so many people work so hard — and earn so little. AI won't fix that. But used properly, it gives you back the thing you need most: time to think."

— Roelof Hulshof, from the book Koch. Denk. Neu.

The 3 Acts

Structure of the Keynote

Act 01 KOCH

The Uncomfortable Reality

Before we talk about AI, we talk about hospitality. What's actually happening — in the kitchen, on the P&L, inside the heads of operators. No sugarcoating.

  • Margins of 2–5%: Why more revenue is the wrong goal — and what actually matters.
  • Labour costs eat everything: The silent killer nobody says out loud.
  • The business devours the owner: 60-hour weeks, constant firefighting, zero time for strategy.
  • What hasn't changed in 30 years — and why that's now becoming a problem.
67% of hospitality operators in DACH don't pay themselves a cost-covering salary — Source: DEHOGA Annual Report
Act 02 DENK

What AI actually does — and what it doesn't

No robots. No science fiction. No replacement. AI is a tool — and like any tool, the value depends on who's holding it. Three use cases with real numbers.

  • Rota & labour costs: How AI-driven labour scheduling cuts wage costs by 8–15% — without redundancies.
  • Purchasing & food cost: Predictive ordering, waste analysis, menu costing — concrete tools, not theory.
  • Guest communication without an agency: How operators now manage social media, reviews and CRM themselves with AI.
  • The 3 AI traps: What costs money instead of saving it — and how to spot them before you buy.
Act 03 NEU

The New Playbook

No 10-year masterplan. No six-figure investment budget. The playbook starts today — with what you already have.

  • The 5-step start: What you can do this week — free, immediate, measurable.
  • The one question that changes everything: "What would I do if I had 3 more hours?"
  • From chef to entrepreneur: The mindset shift that decides between growth and stagnation.
  • What will be standard in 5 years — and who'll be left behind.
3 min That's how long the Hospitality Performance Audit takes. The audience completes it live — with instant results.

What the audience takes home

Not inspiration.
Clarity.

📍
Where you stand

Every attendee knows exactly where their business is today — across 5 axes, with concrete numbers. No more gut feeling.

🔧
3 tools you can use immediately

No theory. Three AI tools that are proven in hospitality — with clear guidance on how and where to deploy them.

📋
The 5-step plan

A clear sequence of what to do next — regardless of business size or budget.

Live Element
The Audit
live on
stage

Optional: The audience takes the Hospitality Performance Audit live during the keynote — on their own smartphone, anonymously. Results appear in real time on stage. Turns the talk into a conversation.

Works with 10 people just as well as with 500. QR code, no app download, instant results.

Target Audience

Who it's for — and who it's not

Ideal for

  • Restaurateurs and hospitality operators (1–50 units)
  • Hoteliers and F&B managers
  • Head chefs with an entrepreneurial mindset
  • HoReCa associations, industry conferences and trade congresses
  • Suppliers and manufacturers who want to better understand their customers
  • Franchise operators and multi-site hospitality groups

Not a fit if

  • Your event needs motivation without substance
  • You're expecting tech demos and vendor pitches
  • The audience wants to be reassured, not challenged
  • There's no connection to hospitality or the food-service industry

Formats

Flexibly bookable

45'
Impulse Talk

Concentrated overview. All 3 acts, without workshop elements. Ideal for conference slots, dinner speeches and panel openers.

Recommended
60'
Full Keynote

All 3 acts + live audit on stage + Q&A. The standard format for congresses, annual meetings and association events.

90'
Deep Dive

Keynote + interactive workshop segment. Small groups analyse their business using the audit tool. For leadership meetings and exclusive events.

The Speaker

Roelof Hulshof — Speaker
30+
Years in HoReCa
2
Markets DACH + Benelux
Roelof Hulshof
Motivator · Mentor · Speaker · Author

Roelof Hulshof doesn't know hospitality from a textbook — he knows it from both sides. Over 30 years of HoReCa experience across DACH and Benelux: on the operator side, where food cost, gross margin and kitchen performance are measured daily.

And on the supplier side: in strategic B2B sales, key account management for food-equipment manufacturers and the food-service distribution channel. He speaks the language of operators. And the language of procurement. At the same time.

What sets him apart: he doesn't just change how you use AI — he changes how you think. As an NLP Practitioner and certified AI Automation Manager, he brings craft and clarity together. He never asks for anything he can't do himself.

Mindset & Thinking AI × Hospitality Profitability Digitalisation Leadership HoReCa Strategy
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