Design and functionality is the essence of MEC2, as shown in its company statement.

100% pure: nothing is as powerful as an idea at the right time. That is what we are pursuing here at MEC2 with livecookintable.

We are a design and engineering company and we design products which function correctly and compatibly with each other. We use reduction coupled with maximum function, a design principle to make long-lasting, sustainable and future-oriented products. We look towards the future, not the past.

With these statements in mind, livecookintable embodies design and design flexibility. And who better to see and understand design trends and the clients’ wishes, than the design and sales team of livecookintable?

The founders of MEC2 and designers of livecookintable, Simone Heckmann and Norbert Fischbach’s, approach when starting this company was “everyone said it couldn’t be done, but we hadn’t heard that. So, we turned up and simply did it!” Their goal was to create a desirable brand and spark design trends not solely by listening to clients, but by creating something to satisfy clients’ needs, before even the clients knew they needed it.

In this respect, Norbert also says “that customer ideas and customer wishes are very important. We should listen to them to understand what moves them. We should make use of all these customer conversations to deduce the direction in which we want to develop and which leaps in innovation we are taking”.

The holistic approach to the products of the founders of livecookintable is the key to success, showcased by the over ten years’ success of the company. Additionally to this insight, the interviews done with the sales team asked and sparked more detailed feedback on the current client requests, which as Norbert and Simone also say, are important to be listened to and understood.

As livecookintable has clients globally in the industries of hotels, cruising, catering and MICE, the sales team looked at their specified regions and industries when replying to the following questions.

What is the most often used channel / source of new customers in your region?

In the region of the Middle East and Europe, specifically in the hotel industry, the source of most of the new customers is through partner or corporate collaboration and / or contracts and previous and thus returning customers.

When looking at Europe and all the industries, the source of new requests is often through referrals, corporate contracts or in response to marketing and social media efforts.

Which business type is currently placing the biggest orders in your region?

The industries purchasing most recently are hotels in the Middle East, and catering in Europe. The cruising and MICE industry unsurprisingly show the least activity, but medium- to long-term interest for future projects.

Which style of serving do you see most often?

In the countries mostly affected by Covid, buffet has widely been replaced by table service or a restricted buffet. These restricted buffets are then either serviced, or with single-portion self-service. When buffets are not used, one can see a shift back to table services with supported technologies, ie QR codes for online ordering.

In which outlet or space are our products most often placed?

The livecookintable concept is predominantly placed in the pre-function / banquet areas. Also, outdoor spaces such as terraces, poolside, etc are extremely popular, especially due to Covid restrictions.

The most recent examples of pre-function and / or outdoor usage of livecookintable are: Double Tree by Hilton Abu Dhabi, Vida Umm Al Quain, Jumeirah Muscat Bay, Pullman Paris Montparnasse and Pan Pacific London.

Which solutions are the clients most often looking for when purchasing livecookintable?

While flexibility was mentioned by everyone in the sales team, the reasons for wanting this flexibility vary per industry and region.

The main concern in most hotels is front-of-house appearance versus back-of-house storage space and, due to multiple outlets within the one hotel, culinary freedom is also important.

Additionally, hotels are looking to replace their fixed F&B structures to open up spaces and have the freedom of versatility in their products. Livecookintable enables them to do this with their double purpose, FF&E and OS&E usage with one setup.

The design flexibility is one of the most unique features of our equipment. This flexibility is supported by the possibility of applying different personas to the one product, ie the ability to change the face of a table by having a variety of colour and material choices for the tabletops, blinds / cladding and furniture.

Clients like to structure their buffet better. Our products enable our clients to take their guests on that unforgettable food journey by serving quality and fresh food. As an added benefit, our clients significantly reduce their food cost due to limiting food waste.

What are the main reasons of the clients purchasing the equipment?

Linking to the above replies of the solutions the clients need, the main reasons for purchase for all regions and industries can be broken down into the USPs for livecookintable:

• Increased flexibility
• Adaptability
• Customisation

What style of design are customers most often looking for?

Dion: Whilst aesthetic design is important of course, the pattern we are seeing is more so about flexibility of design and operational workflow. Having the ability to change the face of a table along with modularity is the standout.

Thomas: The customers appreciate the Mix&Match collection in general due to the two colour options for the tabletops and the fact that all colours match. Customised cladding creates a lot of interest but at the end the customers mostly revert back to our core colours and materials. The customers appreciate the enormous choice on offer and the adaptability to their interior design.

Concluding, the entire livecookintable team continuously receives and uses clients’ feedback and choices, while staying on top of and actively designing trends, before clients know they need these new products and solutions.