Automated Foodservice

The starting point is clear: in a market that no longer makes decisions based on price, but on quality, service, and responsiveness, the unattended channel must evolve toward broader, more mature models that are better connected to their environment. Today, the key is not the machine — it’s the project. The atmosphere. The experience. And the partnerships required to make all of that work.

The sector can no longer afford to operate in isolated silos. Manufacturers, operators, roasters, foodservice companies, technology providers, and producers need to learn to build joint, tailor-made projects that can be replicated across different environments. Hotels, service stations, universities, colivings, and corporate centers require different responses — solutions that integrate automation, experience, and service. And these can only be achieved with solid partners.

Profitability comes when each player understands the audience they serve, the business model they master, and the type of offering they can execute with excellence. This means accepting that “vending prices” are no longer viable, nor is there a single catalog for everyone. Diversification — of audience, space, and value proposition — is the new competitive landscape.

One of the goals of the Summit is to open the unattended channel to inspiration from other industries. We want external experts — AI, automation, data, experience design, advanced retail — to share the stage with unattended professionals in order to break sectoral inbreeding and accelerate learning. Just like in machine learning: without new data, there can be no new learning.

2026 will be a decisive year for the rollout of the Deposit, Refund and Return System (SDDR) in Spain. The Summit will dedicate a specific block to providing clarity, context, and practical insight on its impact on automated foodservice, retail, and return models.

The aim is to offer a realistic and courageous perspective on what the unattended channel must be today: projects, not machines; service, not replenishment; alliances, not competition; value, not price.

HIP 2026 will be the stage where this transformation is showcased — with leading speakers, real case studies, and a roadmap that connects the sector with the new world of automated hospitality. We will focus on what truly matters: how robotics and automation must serve to provide a warmer, more human service, not a colder one.