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UK. Leading concessionaire HMSHost kicked off the inaugural Airport Food & Beverage (FAB) Conference & Awards in style at Manchester Airport last night with a well-attended Opening Cocktail.
HMSHost developed a special travel lounge setting at the Radisson Blu Hotel, creating the perfect relaxed ambience for delegates arriving in Manchester.
The pioneering FAB event is organised by The Moodie Report and hosted by Manchester Airport at the iconic Concorde Conference Centre. Platinum sponsors are HMSHost and SSP.
170 delegates have registered. The conference takes place today and Tuesday, while the first-ever Airport FAB Awards will be presented at the SSP-sponsored Gala Dinner this evening.
The conference agenda features the strongest line-up of F&B experts ever to address a travel retail industry event.
COMMENT: The Moodie Report believes that food & beverage offers one of the stellar, glittering opportunities in the airport commercial revenues sector. The channel has gained hugely in importance over the past decade but there are still too many opportunities being missed to grow footfall, penetration, spend – and an airport’s reputation.
If global airport food & beverage is a circa US$10 billion market today, then it could, should and will be much bigger in years to come. Passenger traffic will grow sharply – from 4.4 billion in 2009 to 7.3 billion by 2017. More passengers means more potential customers.
Secondly, commercial revenues will continue to escalate in importance for every established and new airport terminal in the world. With traditional aeronautical revenues under relentless pressure, their non-aeronautical counterparts have become the game changer for funding of airport infrastructure.
Thirdly, the industry can become a lot better at what it does. That will be the prime focus for FAB 2011.
We’ll bring you a full report in coming days.
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Elie Maalouf, President and CEO of HMS Host with Julie-Ann Beattie, Manager Commercial Development, Christchurch Airport, at the superb HMSHost-sponsored Opening Cocktail in Manchester last night |
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(Left to right) Peter Rebeiz, Chairman of Caviar House & Prunier; Kalle Ruuskanen, Managing Director SSP Finland and Nick Inkster, CEO of SSP North & West Europe; Martin Moodie, Founder & Chairman of The Moodie Report |
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Karen Mirante, Rick Blastein and Lori Blatstein of OTG Management |
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FAB Awards Judge Patrica Ryan with the delegation from Delhi International Airport |
