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INTERNATIONAL. The Moodie Report and sister title The Foodie Report are delighted to reveal the shortlist for the fourth annual Airport Food & Beverage (FAB) Awards, representing a roll-call of innovation and excellence in airport F&B. The awards will be presented at the annual FAB Conference & Awards, this year hosted by Copenhagen Airports on 9-11 June.
The awards will be presented during the Gala Dinner in the Hilton Copenhagen Airport Hotel, courtesy of Platinum Partner SSP. Delegates can visit www.FABAwards2014.com to register and to find out more about the world’s only airport-specific F&B event.
Autogrill/HMSHost is also a Platinum Partner of FAB 2014 while OTG is a Gold partner. Additional partners include TFS, TRG Concessions, Ãreas and Lagkagehuset.
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The award judges, David King, industry consultant and Director of the David King Partnership; The Moodie Report Chairman Martin Moodie; and (for select awards) The Moodie Report Executive Director – Business Development & Innovation Matt Willey, selected the shortlist from a record field of over 200 entries, spanning airports on every continent, plus the best in railway station food & beverage.
The resulting list is a compelling roll-call of the best in travel-related food & beverage operations worldwide.
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The Moodie Report Founder & Chairman Martin Moodie said: “We learned many things from judging this year’s FAB Awards. It was an exhaustive – and exhausting – process. The beauty of the FAB Awards is the way they reflect the rapid evolution of the sector. What would have been a stand-out entry, say, two years ago, would be left behind today. The quality of many of the entries was outstanding.
“We saw a consistent and encouraging focus on provenance, quality, diversity, freshness and presentation of food. We noted an absolute recognition of the vital nature of staff training. We saw a recurring focus on the need to balance international and local offers, and some (though not enough) strong executions of what we consider a critical concept, Sense of Place.
“We were delighted to see a continued sharp improvement in the quality of wine offers, for far too long a poor relation of our industry. The judges were particularly impressed by the quality of entries in the Marketing Campaign and Digital & Social Media Initiative awards. We also liked the focus on sustainability in particular and on Corporate Social Responsibility, in general.
“This year we really looked for innovation. It was good to see some operators, including the industry leaders, being prepared to risk new concepts and avoid the sameness that for many years has tainted the sector.
“If the standard of entries is anything to go by, then airport – and railway station – food & beverage is improving dramatically. We’ve tried to establish the best of the best but more importantly to champion quality, innovation and the tailoring of the food & beverage offer to the needs of the travelling consumer. All will be revealed on the big night.”
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SPECTACULAR FOOD, AMAZING SOCIAL VENUES; STAND-OUT SPEAKERS
FAB 2014 will also feature some stunning settings, food & beverage; and a powerful speaking programme.
The Opening Cocktail will be hosted by Autogrill/HMS Host in the Balanchine Lounge in the centre of the famous Tivoli Gardens. Guests will also have the opportunity to visit the gardens.
The SSP-hosted Gala Dinner will feature the expertise of Michelin-Star chef Francis Cardenau, who assisted in the creation of the menu. His Copenhagen Airport restaurant Le Sommelier was the winner of a FAB award last year. An internationally renowned sommelier will also introduce some special wines for the evening.
The conference keynote speaker is Claus Meyer, TV personality, entrepreneur, philanthropist and Co-Founder of Copenhagen restaurant Noma, recently named the World’s Best Restaurant by Restaurant magazine (it gained the same accolade in 2010, 2011 and 2012).
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Highlights from a spectacular FAB 2013 Conference and Awards in Dubai |
