Trade visitor registration
Trade visitor registration is for hospitality buyers and operational teams attending the show in a business capacity. This page sets out how registration works, what to prepare before arrival and what happens once your entry is approved.
Who trade visitor registration is for
HostEx Cape is a hospitality trade expo for the buying side of the industry. Registration is intended for hotels, guest houses, restaurants, caterers, coffee shops, bars, lodges, conference venues and hospitality groups sending owners, managers, chefs, purchasing staff or operations teams to source products and compare service options.
The show floor is organised for trade discussion rather than retail shopping. Exhibitors present equipment, linen, food and beverage ranges, booking systems, tableware, smallwares and furniture, while the programme adds chef demos, a barista arena and business talks for working hospitality teams.
- Independent guest house owners reviewing stock and service partners
- Hotel procurement teams comparing categories across several stands
- Restaurant operators looking at back of house and front of house needs
- Caterers sourcing foodservice equipment, consumables and service systems
- Multi-site groups sending regional managers from around South Africa
How registration works from start to finish
Visitor registration begins with your details being submitted through the registration route on this site. You enter the business name, your role, trading sector and contact details, then add the number of people attending from your team if more than one person needs entry. Each attendee should be registered with their own details so that badges and entry records match the person arriving at the venue.
After submission, the registration is checked against the trade profile of the event. Once approved, your visitor record is added to the attendance list and your entry information is issued for the show. Registered visitors receive the practical details needed for arrival, including venue access notes and the current programme outline.
- Complete the visitor registration details accurately
- Add one record per attendee where required
- Wait for trade status to be verified
- Keep your entry confirmation available on the day
- Arrive with the identification and business details that match the registration
If your role changes between registration and the event, it helps to update the show team through our contact form so the record reflects the job you are doing at the time of attendance.
What to prepare before you register
A tidy registration saves time at the venue entrance and avoids mismatched badges. The strongest registrations identify the business clearly and show a real hospitality buying role, especially where one group sends several people from different branches or departments.
Have the following ready before you start the form, particularly if you are registering a team and not just one person. It sounds obvious but many delays start with a trading name that does not match the company details, or a manager being registered under a generic inbox with no role listed.
- Business trading name and company name where these differ
- Your role, department or buying responsibility
- Town or region, such as Cape Town, Paarl, George or Vredenburg
- The hospitality segment you work in
- Contact details for each attendee
- Any special access notes relevant to attendance
On the day, bring the entry proof issued after approval together with identification and, where relevant, a business card or other evidence of your working role. The venue team may need to match your arrival details to the registration record before entry is granted.
What is included with registration
Trade visitor registration covers the administrative side of attending the show. It is not a booking service for accommodation, it is not equipment sales and it is not event catering. Its purpose is to record attendance properly, issue access to approved visitors and help the venue entrance run in an orderly way during busy arrival periods.
Once your registration is accepted, the visitor record links you to show information relevant to attendance. Registered visitors can receive the confirmed venue details, hall access information and programme updates that apply to the edition they are attending. This includes the live content areas where buyer interest is usually strongest, such as chef demos and the barista arena.
- Trade status review for visitor entry
- Visitor record for each approved attendee
- Access information for the venue and show entry
- Programme information for demos, talks and feature areas
- Attendance support before the show if details need correction
Registration does not reserve a stand, does not provide exhibitor services and does not secure hotel rooms. Those matters sit on their own pages for exhibitors or travel planning.
Entry fees, group attendance and practical limits
Where entry charges apply, they are set according to the current show structure and can differ between visitor types or registration stages. Ticket figures and any attendance charges are issued through the official registration process rather than listed here. For that reason this page explains the method in general terms only.
For hospitality groups sending several staff members, each person normally needs an individual registration so that badges and access records stay accurate. This is especially important for larger teams arriving from the Winelands, the Garden Route or the West Coast, where shared travel arrangements can make name changes more likely if one person drops out at the last minute.
Space in theatres, demo areas and talk sessions may be managed separately from general floor access if a session has limited seating. Registered visitor entry does not automatically mean every feature area has unlimited room at all times, so plan your route through the hall with some margin for queueing during popular programme slots.
Arrival at the venue and support after registration
Bring your approved entry proof and identification to the venue. The entrance team checks the visitor record, confirms that the details match and then directs you to the show floor. If your company has registered several people, arriving with the correct attendee names sorted out beforehand makes the queue move more cleanly.
After registration, the main support point is keeping your record current. If an attendee is replaced by a colleague, if a surname was entered incorrectly or if your branch details need amending, send the changes through our contact form before travel where possible. Small admin fixes are much easier when the record is correct before your team reaches the hall.
Once inside, visitor support is practical rather than promotional. Staff can guide you to feature areas, point you toward exhibitor sections and help with access questions linked to your registration. If you also need travel or stay planning, the visitor accommodation and travel page covers those arrangements separately.
What our Hospitality customers say
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Questions we get asked
Can students or members of the public register as visitors?
The event is organised for trade attendance. Visitor approval is based on a hospitality business role or a closely related industry function.
Can one hotel register several staff members?
Yes. Hotels, restaurants and hospitality groups can send more than one attendee, but each person should have their own visitor record so badges and entry details match correctly.
What if an attendee changes before the show?
Send the updated name and role through our contact form so the visitor record can be corrected before arrival at the venue.
Tell us about the job
Send sizes, materials and where you are through our contact form, and we will come back with the practical options.
Open the contact form