BP is back at the International Forecourt & Fuel Equipment (IFFE) Show for 2009. The oil giant is expected to showcase its Connect Wild Bean Café franchise

concept. The news coincides with an announcement from BP UK fuels manager, Janet Ashdown, that the company intends to grow its dealer business by investing in key projects such as franchising.

BP’s attendance at IFFE brings the number of oil companies exhibiting to seven. The other six are: Harvest Energy, GB Oils, Gulf, Murco, Pace, and Total Butler. LP Gas is also attending, as well as Dresser Wayne, Experian Catalist, Gilbarco Veeder-Root, HTEC, Karcher and sandwich chain Subway.

Meanwhile IFFE sister event, the Convenience Retailing Show, has a new section entitled Café+ @CRS and part of that section will house the Café+ Live event. This will comprise seminars and panel discussions advising retailers on how to maximise their sales and profits through food to go, cafés and coffee.

The programme for the Live event is being devised by Max Jenvey, managing director of the Oxxygen Marketing Partnership, who has years of experience working with the forecourt sector, having helped with the development of Esso’s On The Run format.

Using coffee as an example, he told Forecourt Trader: "The bar has been raised; for many people coffee is not a luxury item but an everyday purchase and forecourt retailers need to up their game if they want to be a destination shop for coffee."

IFFE and CRS take place at the Birmingham NEC from March 1-3. For more details log on to [http://www.forecourtshow.com]