A region is not just a place on a map. It is a flavour, a story, the people and the experiences that make a journey worthwhile. This is precisely what this year’s Gastrolove will be all about: bringing together gastronomy, the hospitality industry and tourism in Piešťany on 2 October. And because good things are best shared, this year’s event will also help where it’s really needed.
GASTROLOVE 2026
Date: 2 October 2026
Time: All day
Venue: Hotel ENSANA Esplanade, Piešťany
Admission: Proceeds from ticket sales will go to the Jozefínum emergency accommodation facility in Dolná Krupá
Further information: Gastrolove / Kávičkári.sk
Theme of this year’s event:
The region as an ecosystem – when tradition becomes an experience
What to expect:
Talks · discussions · workshops · tastings · networking
Gastrolove’s tagline:
“How to live and thrive in gastronomy with love.”
Gastronomy, the hospitality industry and tourism will come together once again in Piešťany on 2 October. This year, the Gastrolove ‘(un)conference’ will explore the theme of the region as a living ecosystem, in which farmers, producers, chefs, hoteliers and others in the hospitality sector work together to create the most valuable thing a destination has to offer. And this year, Gastrolove will have another important dimension: all proceeds from ticket sales will go towards helping women and children in need.
What makes a place somewhere we want to return to? It’s not just the beautiful countryside, a good hotel or a restaurant where we can enjoy a delicious meal. Above all, it’s the people, their stories and their ability to transform local ingredients, traditions and craftsmanship into an experience that visitors take home with them.
This is precisely what Gastrolove will be all about this year. The popular specialist (un)conference returns to Piešťany on Friday 2 October 2026, with the central theme ‘The region as an ecosystem – when tradition becomes an experience’. Once again, professionals from the worlds of gastronomy, hospitality and tourism, students and anyone with a passion for good food and hospitality will come together under one roof.
After all, a region is not just a dot on a map. It is a living organism that emerges from people working together. The farmer supplies the ingredients, the winemaker the story of the landscape, the baker the aroma, the chef gives them a new form, and the hotelier or guide helps visitors discover the whole story. And it is precisely when these people stop working solely for themselves that a destination can emerge with its own character and a reason to return.
From local ingredients to a reason to travel
Gastrolove will therefore not view gastronomy in isolation. It will explore how to connect producers, restaurants, hotels, culture and tourism so that the entire region benefits from their collaboration. It will examine how traditional recipes, local produce and authentic craftsmanship can become part of a contemporary experience while also supporting the local economy.
The programme will feature lectures, open discussions, workshops and tastings. There will be something for everyone – whether you want a behind-the-scenes look at the work of the most successful chefs, are interested in Gault&Millau ratings, or are seeking new ways to utilise artificial intelligence in the catering industry. Topics such as food waste, revenue management, sustainability and local produce will also be covered.
And just as important as the programme itself will be the atmosphere. Over the years, Gastrolove has built a reputation as an event where people from across the industry meet naturally: a student alongside an experienced hotelier, a café owner alongside a head chef, a producer alongside someone from the tourism sector. Without unnecessary barriers or formality. Because it is often over a cup of coffee, a glass of wine or during a workshop that connections are forged which are of greater value than yet another presentation on the programme.
This year, Gastrolove will also offer participants even greater comfort. The event is moving to the new premises at the ENSANA Esplanade Hotel in Piešťany, which will provide more space for networking, tastings and informal get-togethers.
“Every year, we strive to raise the bar – not just in terms of the quality of the professional programme, but also the overall experience our guests take away from the event. We chose to move to the ENSANA Esplanade Hotel to provide greater comfort for participants, as well as our partners and exhibitors. The larger venue allows us to create a much more pleasant setting for networking, tastings and informal discussions, which are characteristic of Gastrolove,” explains Simona Budinská, the event organiser and founder of the Kávičkári.sk portal.
The importance of cross-sector collaboration is also emphasised by the event’s main partner, the Trnava Region Tourism Organisation.
“Connecting stakeholders in the tourism sector is the way to create a successful destination. At the Gastrolove conference, we demonstrate how collaboration between producers of local ingredients and chefs and hoteliers can work. It is partly thanks to this that a destination can create an attractive offering for visitors,” says Agáta Mikulová, Executive Director of the Trnava Region Regional Tourism Organisation.
Gastronomy that helps
However, this year’s Gastrolove will not be just about inspiration, networking and new trends. Behind the professional programme lies very concrete support.
All proceeds from ticket sales will go to the Jozefínum emergency shelter for women and children in Dolní Krupá. So anyone who buys a ticket isn’t just coming for the talks, workshops, tastings and people who have gastronomy in their blood. They’re also helping to create a safer environment for families who find themselves in difficult circumstances.
And this is precisely why Gastrolove fits so well with its own philosophy: “About how to live and thrive in gastronomy with love.”
After all, a love of food, craftsmanship and hospitality needn’t end with what’s on our plates. It can also be seen in how we work together, how we support those around us and what we’re willing to do for others.
Gastrolove 2026 therefore promises a day full of inspiration, flavours, encounters and fresh perspectives on where gastronomy and tourism can go from here. And this time, every ticket has an added bonus: it helps.
