Speaker Spotlight: Dee Laffan
Telling the Real Stories Behind Irish Hospitality
Great hospitality isn’t just built on systems and strategy.
It’s built on stories.
At Hospitality Expo 2026, Dee Laffan brings more than two decades of experience at the heart of Irish food, drink, travel and hospitality media, shaping conversations that connect people, place and purpose across the industry.
About Dee Laffan
Dee Laffan is a journalist, editor and broadcaster with over 20 years’ experience specialising in food, drink, travel and hospitality.
She has previously served as editor of Food & Wine Ireland, Easy Food Magazine and Yes Chef Magazine, and now works freelance, writing monthly columns for Irish Country Magazine and TheTaste.ie.
In 2022, Dee founded Scoop: Irish Food Stories, an annual independent food magazine published by Nine Bean Rows Books. Each issue explores Irish food culture through a different lens:
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What Is Irish Food?
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Eat Your Feelings
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A third issue, due Spring 2026
Scoop has grown beyond print into live events through “Scoop and a Yarn”, an in-person storytelling format where Dee chats with hospitality voices and audiences alike. These events have appeared at:
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Ballymaloe Food Festival
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International Literature Festival Dublin
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Dingle Food Festival
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Samhain Festival of Food and Culture
Dee is also an accomplished podcast creator and host. She co-authored Blasta Book #5: SOUP with Mei Chin and Blanca Valencia, following the success of the Spice Bags podcast, which won Best Food Podcast at the Irish Food Writing Awards in 2021 and 2023.
She is currently co-host of the Beár Bia Podcast with Oisín Davis, focusing on Irish food and drink pairings, shortlisted for Best Food Podcast 2025.
A regular stage host and speaker, Dee has delivered keynote talks and moderated discussions at festivals and conferences nationwide, including events for Fáilte Ireland Dublin. She is a proud member of the Irish Food Writers’ Guild and a judge for Blas na hÉireann.
Dee at Hospitality Expo 2026
Dee will play a central role across the talk stages at HEX26, hosting and moderating sessions that explore the realities shaping Irish hospitality today and into the future.
🔹 Key Sessions Hosted by Dee
Tuesday 10 February
10:30 – 11:15 | The Business of Hospitality Stage
The Future Trends Shaping Hospitality
A forward-looking panel exploring the trends influencing Irish hospitality in 2026 and beyond.
Panellists include Ali Dunworth and Annie Dunne.
12:00 – 12:45 | The Business of Hospitality Stage
The Future of the Irish Pub
A deep dive into how Irish pub culture is evolving.
Panellists include Tom Cleary (The Temple Bar, incoming LVA Chair), Fionnuala Carolan and Michael O’Donovan.
14:30 – 15:15 | The Future of Hospitality Stage
New Technology Behind the Bar Counter
Exploring smart optics, data and new technologies reshaping bar operations.
Panellists include representatives from Mixologiq and Barflo.
Across these sessions, Dee brings clarity, context and energy, balancing tradition with innovation and keeping discussions grounded in the lived experience of hospitality operators.
Why Dee’s Voice Matters at HEX26
Dee sits at the intersection of media, hospitality and culture.
Her strength lies in translating complex industry shifts into accessible, human conversations that resonate with operators, suppliers and leaders alike.
At Hospitality Expo 2026, she helps ensure that the industry’s most important conversations are not just informative, but engaging, relevant and rooted in reality.
📍 Meet Dee Laffan at Hospitality Expo 2026
RDS Dublin | 10–11 February 2026
Free to attend for industry professionals.