INDIA. The Airport Food and Beverage (FAB) + Hospitality Conference & Awards 2026, set for 7-8 July, continues to take exciting shape, with additional senior industry executives joining an already diverse and powerful speaking line-up.
Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) leadership will be out in force, including CEO and Managing Director, the inspirational Hari Marar, and Vice President Hospitality George Bennet Kuruvilla.
TFS Managing Director and CEO Varun Kapur; Panoramic Advisory Director Mark Angela; tRetail Labs Professor for Hospitality Management Dr Thorsten Merkle; Plaza Premium Group Director of Strategic Initiatives Mira Hmoud; and Conceptional Associate Partner Michiel Reuvers are others to join what amounts to a collective thought leadership ensemble.
Owned and organised by The Moodie Davitt Report since 2011, this year’s FAB will be hosted by BIAL in Bengaluru on 7-8 July.
The only global airport food & beverage and hospitality event will bring together senior executives from airports, food & beverage concessionaires and hospitality service providers, as well as other business partners from around the world.
BIAL CEO and Managing Director Hari Marar will deliver the Welcome Remarks and take part in a fireside chat with The Moodie Davitt Report Founder & Chairman.
The charismatic and visionary Marar brings nearly three decades of experience in the aviation sector, including his role as a former Jet Airways executive, where he became instrumental in the development and growth of Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru since its inception.
At BIAL, he has held several senior leadership roles and played a key part in the operationalisation of Bengaluru’s greenfield airport, as well as the introduction of advanced airport management systems in India.
He has overseen major expansions, including Terminal 2, helping position the airport as a benchmark for technology, sustainability and passenger experience.
“FAB 2026 is a case of Go, Go, Go,” said Martin Moodie, the event’s creator in 2011 and Founder & Chairman of The Moodie Davitt Report. “We recognise the difficult market conditions caused by the Middle East war and the resultant impact on business travel and air ticket prices.
“However, we have attracted an outstanding line-up of speakers, a stellar list of entries for the FAB Awards, impressive sponsorship levels and an encouraging uptick in delegate registrations.
“Our commitment to the airport F&B sector has been absolute since that fledgling event in Manchester in early 2011 and we are not wavering from it now. With the magnificent support of Bangalore International Airport Limited and one of the world’s greatest airports on the doorstep of the event, FAB 2026 will be an exhilarating, engaging and educational experience.”
BIAL Vice President – Hospitality George Bennet Kuruvilla will feature on the panel ‘Raising the Bar in Indian Airport Food & Beverage.’
Beyond his role as Vice President – Hospitality at BIAL, Kuruvilla also serves as CEO of Bangalore Airport Services Limited. He is focused on redefining airport hospitality in India, with a strong emphasis on operational excellence, people-first leadership and sustainability-driven service.
Drawing on more than 32 years of experience across leading luxury hotel brands in India and internationally, he has held senior roles with Marriott, Oberoi, Taj, Hyatt and Radisson, and previously served as General Manager of The Ritz-Carlton, Bangalore.
With 15 years of global aviation experience across Canada, Jordan and the UAE, Mira Al-Hmoud will take part in a session themed ‘Creating World-Class Environments through Enhanced Design, Ambience and Service’, bringing expertise in strategic initiatives, partnerships and commercial development.
Since joining PPG in 2022, she has led initiatives focused on people, innovation and ESG. She previously spent nearly a decade at the International Air Transport Association, managing global commercial portfolios spanning airline distribution, modern retailing and digital transformation.
Varun Kapur will join a panel exploring ‘Global, Regional and Local’ trends, drawing on over a decade of industry experience. Based in Mumbai, he heads TFS, a leading airport F&B and lounge operator with more than 500 outlets across 20 airports in India and Southeast Asia, and over 35 international airport lounges.
As reported, Alina Alam, the inspirational Founder & CEO of Mitti Café in India, will deliver a keynote address. At FAB 2024 in Ontario, California, Alam and Bangalore International Airport Limited were awarded the FAB Humanitarian Award for their joint initiative in bringing Mitti Café to the airport world.
Mitti Social Services Foundation creates employment by hiring and training team members in its cafés across airports and other public institutions. The first Mitti Café was opened at Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru, a breakthrough that has led to other airport openings, including more at the Bengaluru gateway.
Mark Angela will join the discussion on ‘Airport F&B Manifesto 2035: A Movement to Redefine Airport Dining’, bringing over 40 years of experience across FMCG, retail and foodservice.
He recently stepped back from a full-time role after 14 years with SSP, where he held senior leadership positions across the UK, Asia Pacific and EEME regions, as well as global commercial and business development functions.
Angela’s career spans leadership roles at Colgate-Palmolive, Pizza Express and Greene King, where he led large-scale hospitality and retail operations across international markets. He is now active in an advisory capacity within the food travel sector, with deep expertise in strategy, transformation and business building.
Joining Angela on the panel is Dr Thorsten Merkle, Professor for Hospitality Management at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences.
With a PhD in Business and Management and an MBA, he brings over 20 years of global experience in catering, major events and service excellence.
His work focuses on foodservice innovation, climate-conscious hospitality and airport F&B concessions, and he regularly advises airports and concessionaires on passenger experience, social reputation and sustainable cuisine.
Michiel Reuvers joins Al-Hmoud on the panel, bringing more than 25 years of international experience across travel, hospitality and food & beverage. He specialises in turning strategic concepts into commercially viable and operationally effective F&B environments, particularly within complex assets such as airports, retail centres and mixed-use developments.
His career includes senior roles at Schiphol, Avolta (formerly HMSHost/World Duty Free), McArthurGlen and Vermaat Group, where he most recently served as Chief Commercial Officer for the Netherlands. He is currently Associate Partner at Conceptional, focusing on business development and master planning for large-scale destination projects.
Early bird registration for the event remains open until 1 June, with delegates encouraged to register via the dedicated website.
For general enquiries on FAB, please contact Vincci Chung, Head of Events at Vincci@moodiedavittreport.com. 
