INTERNATIONAL. The Airport Food & Beverage (FAB) Conference & Awards are set to take place virtually on 12-13 September, with an exciting, diverse line-up of speakers representing the world of travel dining.
Registration for the event, organised by The Moodie Davitt Report, is free and can be made at this link. The pillar themes are: People, Planet, Partnership and Progress, with sponsorship support from leading industry concessionaires Areas, Autogrill/HMSHost and SSP.
The two-day event will feature a mix of live sessions and filmed interviews (full agenda here).
Day One: Key Sessions
Highlights of day one will include a discussion of how F&B is trending at Heathrow Airport with Retail Director Fraser Brown. Representing Norwegian airports group Avinor, Commercial Director Terminal Areas Iskra Skram will talk about the latest and forthcoming round of tenders for dining contracts at key locations.
Areas, Autogrill/HMSHost and SSP will each host sessions in which they deliver their insights into the themes that will drive the recovery and next wave of market growth.
Speakers across these separate sessions include Areas Chief Corporate Officer Montse Adán, SSP Group CEO Patrick Coveney (and many of the group’s major partners), plus Autogrill Group CEO Europe Andrea Cipolloni and HMSHost International CEO Walter Seib.
Day one will also feature the return of FAB Women, where we will hear the voices of leading women in F&B about their experiences in the sector. Speakers include Ann Elliott Hospitality Consultancy Owner Ann Elliott, The Restaurant Group People Director Jacqui McManus and Chef Lorena Garcia.
Diversity & inclusion is also on the agenda, with a case study from Los Angeles International Airport on how to involve minority-owned concessionaires in the airport business. Los Angeles World AirportsDeputy Executive Director Commercial Development Dave Jones, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield Executive Vice President and Group Director Mike Salzman and Concord Collective CEO Greg Plummer take part.
Day Two Highlights
‘What sustainability means in food service’ will lead day two, where guests will hear from Lagardère Travel Retail Group EVP Foodservice & CSR Mélanie Guilldou. Travel Food Services Executive Director Varun Kapur will talk about the company’s strategy and the new Indian consumer. Senior executives from Bangalore International Airport Limited will address the new ‘terminal in a garden’ concept and how the dining offer has taken shape.
The role of sustainability in F&B outlet design and how it feeds into the wider consumer experience will be discussed by Smart Design CEO Nick Baker and Interior Designer & Project Manager Jill Danis.
In a special session co-organised by The Moodie Davitt Report and the Airport Restaurant & Retail Association, leading airports and concessionaires discuss the challenges of labour, debt and revenue, and what ‘recovery’ looks like to each of them. Speakers include Crews Hospitality Managing Partner & CEO Nicholas Crews, SSP America Deputy CEO Pat Murray, Salt Lake City Corporation Director of Airports Bill Wyatt and Port of Seattle Acting Aviation Chief Operating Officer Dawn Hunter.
Chef, mixologist and pioneer Kathy Casey will explore current and emerging trends in F&B and how these translate into the world of airports and travel retail locations.
The event conclude with the eagerly anticipated FAB ESG & Superstars Awards, which shine a light on teams and individuals that have gone above and beyond the call of duty in the past difficult year for the sector.
Click here for registration and more details about the event.
