A warm welcome to all of you, and thank you for joining us at the JRE Academy 2026.

When we were planning this year’s gathering, we quickly returned to a fundamental question: What role does hospitality play today? Not just as a business, but as a meaningful part of the world we live in.

We are living in a time when everything is becoming increasingly uniform. Food, flavors, expectations — even relationships. So much around us is becoming industrialized, standardized, replaceable. And precisely because of this, I believe we as hospitality professionals carry a special responsibility. Not because we should preach or educate, but because we are often among the few who can still show that there is a difference. A difference between the authentic and the artificial. Between a flavor with origin, and a flavor engineered simply to please. A difference in how we treat our guests — between automated service and genuine hospitality, between quick contact and the kind of respect that can be felt. We can still offer what machines and algorithms can’t: sincerity, care, and meaning.

Sometimes, we must ask ourselves a very simple question: as a society, are we still able to recognize true, original, authentic taste? Do we still recognize what real hospitality means — time for one another, human connection? Inns and restaurants are becoming one of the last pillars still preserving all of this. That is why the JRE Academy is more than just an educational event. It is a space of responsibility — a space where we share knowledge, experience, and perspectives, and where we talk about the standards we want to shape for the future. This is where we decide not just how we work, but why.

We are incredibly proud to see so many of you here today. It shows us that the need for knowledge, conversation, and community within our profession has not disappeared — quite the opposite, it’s growing. As we've said before, JRE is not an elitist circle. We are passionate hospitality professionals who want to have a positive impact on the future of our field.

We are also proud to welcome three new members into the JRE family this year. This is a clear sign that our values are not only being preserved — they’re expanding. And we’re especially excited about the future: the fact that Slovenia will host the European JRE Congress in 2028 is not only an acknowledgment of our work, but of the entire Slovenian culinary scene. This is our chance to show Europe the strength, creativity, and heart of Slovenian hospitality.

At this point, I want to sincerely thank our partners: OTP Bank, Römerquelle, Miele, Zadružna zveza Slovenije, Radgonske Gorice, Winterhalter, Aklih, WMF, Aalt, Koželj Wines, the Slovenian Tourist Board, and our main sponsor, the Akademija za trženje v turizmu. Thank you for believing that investing in knowledge and culture is investing in the future.

Let today be dedicated to conversation, learning, and connection — and above all, to taking time for the things in our profession that must never become routine or taken for granted.

Thank you for being here!

Learn more about the JRE Academy here.