News

INTERNATIONAL. A high-class roll-call of food & beverage operations is today revealed in the short-list for the annual Airport FAB Awards to be named in Dallas next month.

The Airport Food & Beverage (FAB) Conference & Awards, organised by The Moodie Davitt Report, will be hosted by Dallas Fort Worth International Airport at The Westin Galleria Dallas on 26-27 June.

FAB is owned and organised by The Moodie Davitt Report with sister title The Foodie Report. The only industry event dedicated solely to the airport F&B sector, FAB attracts senior representatives from the world’s leading airports, food & beverage concessionaires and brands.

“This year’s FAB Awards attracted a record 302 entries, 18% up on last year’s record level. But it was the diversity and quality of entries in FAB 2019 that really impressed.”

As announced, HMSHost/Autogrill and SSP Group are Platinum Partners for FAB 2019. Other confirmed sponsors so far include Areas (Gold) Lagardère Travel Retail (Silver) and HWH Hospitality Investments (Bronze).

Chick-fil-A is lunch partner; while other partners include Booster Juice, Crews, Grab, High Flying Foods, Jackmont Hospitality, MAG Hospitality, Reco-Air, Robolab (Yanu), Tea Forté, Travel Food Services and TRG Concessions.

The Moodie Davitt Report Founder & Chairman Martin Moodie said: “This year’s FAB Awards attracted a record 302 entries, 18% up on last year’s record level. But it was the diversity and quality of entries in FAB 2019 that really impressed. To make this shortlist is an achievement in itself and we can promise the FAB audience that the winners, regional winners, Highly Commendeds and special judge’s prizes represent a collective state of excellence within the sector.”

This year’s judging line-up was extended to include more diversity of background, region and gender. Regular judges Martin Moodie; US airport commercial management consultant Alan Gluck; and fomer chef and Copenhagen Airport Food & Beverage Category Manager Anders Barsøe, now CEO for Denmark’s largest sushi chain Letz Sushi, once again played a lead role.

(Above and below) Scenes from FAB 2018 in Helsinki, Finland.

They were joined by Nick Goddard-Palmer, the co-founder of Hunter Palmer – Global Retail Solutions, a UK-based strategic travel retail partnership; author, journalist and luxury cuisine consultant Michele Tchea, based in Melbourne Australia; New York-based wine critic Marisa D’Vari; toxicologist, chef, and dietitian; Suzy Badaracco; and journalist and influencer, Cristina Alcivar, Founder of Vane Airport Media, which publishes news about health and wellness services and amenities in airports globally.

See the list of FAB Awards finalists here.

INTERNATIONAL. Leading travel food & beverage concessionaires will complement a strong presence from senior airport executives from the USA and around the world at the 2019 Airport Food & Beverage (FAB) Conference & Awards.

The two-day event, organised by The Moodie Davitt Report, will take place in Dallas this year, hosted by Dallas Fort Worth International Airport at The Westin Galleria Dallas on 26-27 June.

In addition to other airport company speakers announced recently, Manchester Airport Head of Retail Mike Ward will also address the conference, while delegates will hear insights fromsenior executives representing the major airport F&B concessionaires.

Among them are Emirates Leisure Retail CEO Andrew Day; HMSHost Corporation President and CEO Steve Johnson and Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer Sarah Naqvi; SSP Group Chief Strategy Officer Jonathan Sharp and SSP North America VP Business Development Pat Murray and OTG Founder and Chief Executive Rick Blatstein.

Also speaking will be HWH Hospitality Investments Co-Founder Mustafa Al Hashimi; Paradies Lagardère President, Dining Division Regynald Washington and Travel Food Services Executive Director Varun Kapur. Plaza Premium Founder and CEO Song Hoi-see will offer the independent lounge operator’s view of the channel.

Other food & beverage experts from diverse sectors will also share insights on a variety of issues facing the business. Speaking on health and wellness will be Rob Laing, CEO and Founder of Farm One, a New York hydroponic farming company. He will be joined by food trends analyst and forecaster Suzy Badaracco.

Redesign Group Managing Director & Owner Jo Pennycuick will share her perspective on the impact of design on the culinary experience at airports.

Crews Managing Partner and President Nicolas Buford and Chick-Fil-A New Restaurant Growth Director Sean Warren will both take part in a session assessing how hospitality is best served up in the USA. Qikserve Founder and President Daniel Rogers and Wow Bao President Geoff Alexander will discuss the impact of technology and innovation on the airport dining and customer experience.

The programme will also feature industry trends analysts who will share customer insights across a number of themes. Kathy Casey, celebrity chef, mixologist and owner of Kathy Casey Food Studios – Liquid Kitchen, will discuss food trends and their impact on airports, with contributions from Menu Matters President Maeve Webster and Vane Airport Media Founder Cristina Alcivar.

M1nd-set Travel Research Director Clara Perez will share a quantitative analysis of consumer insights across global airport F&B outlets. Wally Doolin, Founder and Chairman at TDn2K, will be joined by ACI ASQ Director Dimitri Coll to discuss the importance of employee engagement on the customer experience at airport bars and restaurants.

The conference will open with a welcome address from host airport CEO Sean Donohue. The full agenda is online at the FAB 2019 website.

As announced, HMSHost/Autogrill and SSP Group are Platinum Partners for FAB 2019. Other confirmed sponsors so far include Areas (Gold) Lagardère Travel Retail (Silver) and HWH Hospitality Investments (Bronze). Additional partners include Grab, MAG Hospitality, Reco-Air, Robolab, Tea Forté, Travel Food Services, and TRG Concessions.

For speaker, programme and logistics details please contact Michael Barrett at Michael@MoodieDavittReport.com.

For commercial and sponsorship opportunities please contact Irene Revilla at Irene@MoodieDavittReport.com or Sarah Genest at Sarah@MoodieDavittReport.com

DXB’s consumer-centric vision, and the changing face of F&B at the world’s leading international airport, will be a highlight of FAB 2019.

Other distinguished airport speakers include Gatwick Airport Head of Retail Rachel Bulford and Great Hall Partners, Ferrovial Airports CEO Ignacio Castejón.

They will be joined by a host of top airport executives, including Vancouver Airport Authority Director, Commercial Services – Terminals Mirela Rusu; Vantage Airport Group (Chicago) Management – Midway Partnership CEO,Sammy Patel; and, from the host airport, Dallas Fort Worth Executive Vice President of Customer Experience and Revenue Management Kenneth Buchanan and Vice President Concessions Zenola Campbell.

Dallas Fort Worth Airport Vice President Concessions Zenola Campbell (pictured with Dermot Davitt) will represent the host airport in speaking at the June event.

Experienced airport commercial executive Dan Cappell, now a Director at aviation consultancy Leigh Fisher, will add his insights into the airport F&B business model.

They will be joined by several top names from the concession community (details to be announced next week), design experts, consumer insight specialists, restaurateurs and chefs.

The two-day conference will address the challenges, opportunities and issues facing travel F&B. The event will assess the rise of healthy and eco-friendly eating; the fusion of physical and digital to enhance the consumer experience; and the critical role of Sense of Place in design and cuisine. The programme will also feature specialists from the culinary world who will talk about global foodie trends.

Details of the full programme will be released on the FAB 2019 event website soon. Registrations can be made directly via the site – note that early bird rates for the conference are available until 21 April.

The 2019 FAB Awards are set to be hotly contested, with nominations pouring in since they were announced in January. Details of the awards categories are available on the event website here: airportfab.events/awards. The deadline for submitting nominations is Friday 5 April.

FAB, which is owned and organised by The Moodie Davitt Report, is the only event dedicated to the burgeoning airport food & beverage business. Since its launch in 2011, FAB has flourished and become the key global gathering for a constantly evolving sector, serving as a litmus test of its challenges, opportunities and quality aspirations.

For speaker, programme and logistics details please contact Michael Barrett at Michael@MoodieDavittReport.com.

For commercial and sponsorship opportunities please contact Irene Revilla at Irene@MoodieDavittReport.com or Sarah Genest at Sarah@MoodieDavittReport.com

For speaker, programme and logistics details please contact Michael Barrett at Michael@MoodieDavittReport.com.

For commercial and sponsorship opportunities please contact Irene Revilla at Irene@MoodieDavittReport.com or Sarah Genest at Sarah@MoodieDavittReport.com

Nominations are now being accepted for the eagerly awaited 2019 FAB Awards, which celebrate the best in travel dining worldwide. The awards ceremony will take place during the 2019 Airport Food & Beverage (FAB) Conference & Awards, to be held at The Westin Galleria Hotel in Dallas on 26-27 June. Hotel bookings and conference registration are also now open via the event website: Airportfab.events.

The event, which as announced is hosted by Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, will feature a two-day conference and a glittering awards ceremony that champions best practice across this burgeoning global industry. To view details of the FAB Award categories and/or to nominate entries click here.

This year 17 different categories will be the subject of awards at the Gala Dinner. New awards for 2019 aim to recognise fast-emerging concepts and trends, as well as the critical role of individuals.

These include Airport Smoothie or Juice Bar of the Year and Airport Health-Centred or Vegan Offer of the Year. The much talked-about topic of sustainability will feature in both the conference programme and awards with the Environmental Initiative of the Year award.

In addition to the Team Member of the year award, launched last year, this year we will also recognise Airport Chef of the Year. In recognition of a key aspect of the airport dining market, we also introduce the Family Friendly Food & Beverage Concept of the Year.

The full list appears below. Award nominations close on Friday 5 April.

The Westin Galleria Hotel: High-class venue for this year’s FAB Conference and Awards.

FAB attracts senior representatives from the world’s leading airports, food & beverage concessionaires and brands.

Registration details can also be found on the website, together with information about the conference programme and exciting social calendar.  The conference, Awards Ceremony and Gala Dinner will take place inside the Dallas Westin Galleria Hotel, situated next to the prestigious Galleria Dallas Shopping Mall. Preferential room rates for FAB delegates at The Westin Galleria Hotel can be booked via the link on the travel page of the dedicated FAB 2019 website.

The Opening Cocktail will be held at The River Ranch in Fort Worth, where we look forward to welcoming delegates for a spectacular evening of true Texan style culture, culinary specialties and entertainment.

For speaker, programme and logistics details please contact Michael Barrett at Michael@MoodieDavittReport.com.

For commercial and sponsorship opportunities please contact Irene Revilla at Irene@MoodieDavittReport.com or Sarah Genest at Sarah@MoodieDavittReport.com

Dallas Fort Worth International (DFW) Airport is to host the annual Airport Food & Beverage (FAB) Conference & Awards next year on 26-27 June – the first time the event has come to the USA.

FAB, conceived, owned and organised by The Moodie Davitt Report, is the only event dedicated to the burgeoning airport food & beverage business. Since its launch in 2011, FAB has flourished and become the key global gathering for a constantly evolving sector, serving as a litmus test of its challenges, opportunities and quality aspirations.

FAB 2019 will bring together senior executives from airports and food & beverage concessionaires worldwide as well as varied industry partners, including design agencies, research companies and technology providers. The conference programme will showcase the latest F&B developments, innovations and trends at major airports, featuring presentations by some of the world’s leading airport commercial directors, concessionaires, chefs, key industry opinion leaders and analysts.

Zenola Campbell (pictured with Dermot Davitt at the 2018 FAB Awards): “We’re looking forward to sharing our hospitality with leaders across the industry and further building the great relationships that have elevated the customer experience over the years.”

The FAB Awards, evaluated by an independent panel of judges, represent the pinnacle of airport food & beverage excellence. The 2019 nominations procedure will be announced soon.

DFW Airport Vice President Concessions Zenola Campbell said: “It’s a great honour to be the first airport in the United States to host FAB. We’re looking forward to sharing our hospitality with leaders across the industry and further building the great relationships that have elevated the customer experience over the years and will continue to innovate the products and facilities that define the future of travel and dining.”

FAB Founder and Chairman of The Moodie Davitt Report Martin Moodie commented: “We are thrilled to bring FAB to the USA for the first time. And what better place than Dallas Fort Worth, the epicentre of American airport food & beverage development? DFW has always been a tremendous supporter of our pan-industry initiatives, including FAB and The Trinity Forum, and their thought leadership and commercial dynamism will bring much to the evolution of this event.

“The Lone Star state is itself a fulcrum of culinary excellence and innovation and we know that delegates from all around the world will love the Texas experience.”

The Moodie Davitt Report Events and CSR Director Michael Barrett added: “We’ve got big plans to improve and extend the FAB format in 2019, including increased branding and showcasing opportunities through an extended exhibition area. We’re going to be simultaneously championing and challenging the airport F&B world during an event that we believe will be absolutely FAB-ulous!!”

Details of the venue and conference agenda will be announced in the coming weeks.

For speaker, programme and logistics details please contact Michael Barrett at Michael@MoodieDavittReport.com.

For commercial and sponsorship opportunities please contact Irene Revilla at Irene@MoodieDavittReport.com or Sarah Genest at Sarah@MoodieDavittReport.com

INTERNATIONAL. Leading travel food services group Autogrill and its food & beverage divisions HMSHost and HMSHost International have been named as Platinum Partners of the seventh annual Airport Food & Beverage (FAB) Conference and Awards, which take place in Helsinki on 20-21 June.

FAB, which is dedicated to travel-related food & beverage, attracts senior representatives from the world’s leading airports and F&B concessionaires to network with their industry colleagues, share best practice and insights in this fast-growing sector.

Walter Seib: “We look forward to FAB 2018, where relationships are formed and the excellence of the travel F&B industry is celebrated”

The event is organised by The Moodie Davitt Report and sister title The Foodie Report, and hosted this year by Finavia.

HMSHost International CEO Walter Seib said: “Through relationships we create places to be. We’re very proud of our successful partnership with Finavia, host of the FAB Conference & Awards this year. Our cooperation started at the end of 2013. Today we operate 19 exciting food & beverage concepts in the leading airport in Northern Europe.

“We are proud of everything we have accomplished together: the opening of Pier Zero, the FAB ‘Wow’ Factor 2017 and the Best Food & Beverage Partnership of the year 2017 Frontier Award. Proud to be Platinum sponsors, we look forward to FAB 2018, where relationships are formed and the excellence of the travel F&B industry is celebrated.”

Nominations for the annual FAB 2018 awards, a cornerstone of the event, are open with a 28 March deadline. The judging criteria are available at http://airportfab.events/ along with hotel and conference registration, which is also open.

NOTE: The Moodie Davitt Report also publishes The Foodie Report, the world’s only media focused on airport (and other travel-related) food & beverage. The Foodie Report e-Newsletter is published every two weeks and The Foodie Report e-Zine every month.

Please send all news of food & beverage outlet openings, together with images, menus, video etc to Martin@MoodieDavittReport.com to ensure unrivalled global exposure.

The company also organises the annual Airport Food & Beverage (FAB) Conference & Awards. This year’s FAB will be held in Helsinki on 21-22 June. Click here for details.

INTERNATIONAL. Leading travel food concessionaire SSP has been named as a Platinum Partner of the seventh annual Airport Food & Beverage (FAB) Conference and Awards, which take place in Helsinki on 20-21 June.

Kate Swann: “We believe strongly in promoting our sector by supporting events such as FAB, which celebrates the best in travel F&B.”

SSP will also host a special live cooking session titled FAB Cooks! on day two of the conference. This will feature renowned Finnish chefs Marko Palovaara (Bistro O Mat, Kirkkonummi) and Mika Roito (Ravinteli Bertha, Tampere), who work closely with the company.

SSP CEO Kate Swann said: “SSP is delighted to be a Platinum Sponsor of the FAB Conference & Awards. We believe strongly in promoting our sector by supporting events such as FAB, which celebrates the best in travel F&B. As long time partners of headline sponsor Finavia, we’re particularly pleased that the event is being staged in Helsinki, where we run a number of excellent restaurants, bars, cafes and lounges.

“Following the success of last year’s SSP FAB Cooks! live demonstration in Toronto, we’re pleased to be staging the event once again with two of Finland’s finest chefs, Mika Roito and Marko Palovaara, who have both worked with us at Helsinki Airport. No doubt, this year’s FAB will be an excellent event.”

FAB, which is dedicated to travel-related food & beverage, attracts senior representatives from the world’s leading airports and F&B concessionaires to network with their industry colleagues, share best practice and insights in this fast-growing sector.

The event is organised by The Moodie Davitt Report and sister title The Foodie Report, and hosted this year by Finavia.

Nominations for the annual FAB 2018 awards, a cornerstone of the event, are open with a 28 March deadline. The judging criteria are available at http://airportfab.events/ along with hotel and conference registration, which is also open.

FINLAND/INTERNATIONAL. A powerful programme of diverse and expert speakers is taking shape for the seventh Airport Food & Beverage (FAB) Conference, to be held in Helsinki from 20-21 June.

FAB is organised by The Moodie Davitt Report (with sister title The Foodie Report) and will be hosted this year by Finavia Corporation, operator of Helsinki Vantaa Airport.

Topics will range from best practice in airport food & beverage to digital developments and health and wellness; plus insights from the world of F&B design. Case studies and interactive sessions will highlight a range of innovative concepts and chef-led dining experiences.

Confirmed speakers include:          

• Finavia Vice President Commercial Services Elena Stenholm
• Concessions International Chief Executive Donata Russell Major
• Dubai Airports Executive Vice President Commercial Eugene Barry
• Sydney Airport General Manager Retail Glyn Williams
• Zürich Airport Head of Commercial Centres Heidi Köpple
• gategroup CEO Xavier Rossinyol
• HMSHost CEO Walter Seib
• HMSHost North America President & CEO Steve Johnson
• SSP CEO Western Europe, Middle East, Asia Pacific and Nordics Nick Inkster
• OTG CEO Rick Blatstein
• HWH Hospitality Investments Chief Executive Officer Talha Al Hashimi
• JHP Joint Managing Director Steve Collis
• Airport Sherpa CEO Patrick DellaValle
• Chef Marko Palovaara of Bistro O Mat in Kirkkonummi, Finland
• Chef Mika Roito of Ravinteli Bertha in Tampere, Finland

Location, location, location: The Clarion Hotel is one of Helsinki’s best-equipped conference venues and lies at the heart of the city

The event will be held at the Clarion Hotel in Helsinki. Click here for hotel and conference registration.

A Gala Dinner on 21 June will see the annual FAB Awards recognise and reward best practice in airport food & beverage. Leading travel restaurateur and master concessionaire OTG has been named as a Platinum Partner for FAB 2018.

FAB 2018 will begin with an Opening Lunch on 20 June (preceded by an airport tour), followed by a half-day plenary session and the Opening Cocktail. Day Two will feature a full-day conference, culminating in the Gala Dinner and FAB Awards on 21 June.

FAB, the only industry event dedicated solely to the airport F&B sector, attracts senior representatives from the world’s leading airports, food & beverage concessionaires and brands.

FAB Awards

The submission deadline for nominations for the 2018 Airport Food & Beverage (FAB) Awards is b Wednesday 28 March.

The annual awards recognise and reward best practice in airport (and railway station) food & beverage. For more information on awards categories, click here.

Recognising excellence: The FAB 2017 winners at last year’s event in Toronto

Nominations are already flowing in as excitement builds for the airport world’s only event dedicated solely to food & beverage.

The glittering awards ceremony will champion best practices across the global industry. To make a nomination, click here. Entries must relate to businesses that were trading, or campaigns operating by the first quarter of 2018.

INTERNATIONAL. The submission deadline for nominations for the 2018 Airport Food & Beverage (FAB) Awards is just one month away – Wednesday 28 March.

The awards, organised by The Moodie Davitt Report and sister title The Foodie Report, are a cornerstone of the Airport Food & Beverage (FAB) Conference & Awards. This year’s FAB will be hosted by Finavia Corporation, which operates Helsinki Vantaa Airport, and takes place at The Clarion Hotel in Helsinki on 20-21 June.

Nominations are already flowing in as excitement builds for the airport world’s only event dedicated solely to food & beverage.

The glittering awards ceremony will champion best practices across the global industry. To make a nomination, click here. Entries must relate to businesses that were trading, or campaigns operating by the first quarter of 2018.

Hotel and conference registration is also open. Full details can be found here.

Recognising excellence: The FAB 2017 winners at last year’s event in Toronto

This year 20 different international awards will be handed out at the Gala Dinner, together with regional winners across Asia Pacific; Europe; the Americas; and Middle East, Africa & India.

New awards for 2018 include F&B Team Member of the Year; Outstanding Food & Beverage Design of the Year; Airport F&B offered within a Retail/Convenience Store of the Year; and Airport Street Food Offer of the Year.

In an exciting innovation, this year will see a first Motorway Services F&B Offer of the Year award, along with the long-established Railway Station Individual F&B Business of the Year award.

Additionally, the hugely popular Airport Bar of the Year and Airport Casual Dining Restaurant of the Year awards will each be split into two, graded by total sales. This is designed to recognise top-class bars and restaurants in smaller airports.

Location, location, location: The Clarion Hotel is one of Helsinki’s best-equipped conference venues and lies at the heart of the city

Appropriately enough in the Chinese Year of the Dog, The #AiroftheDog Great Airport Cocktail Award, sponsored by Copper Dog blended Speyside malt whisky, returns for FAB 2018.

This award places the emphasis squarely on people, on panache, on passion and on product. We’re looking for the best original cocktail (made with Copper Dog of course) created with the airport environment in mind – one that captures the eclectic, exciting travel world in concept, name, suitability, taste and presentation.

First introduced in 2017, the  ‘La spirito de vojaĝado’ (meaning ‘The spirit of travel’ in Esperanto, the universal language) award will recognise the best original dish created especially for FAB 2018 – one that is relevant and best captures the essence of international travel.

FAB 2018 will begin with an Opening Lunch on 20 June (preceded by an airport tour), followed by a half-day plenary session and the Opening Cocktail. Day Two will feature a full-day conference, culminating in the Gala Dinner and FAB Awards.

FAB attracts senior representatives from the world’s leading airports, food & beverage concessionaires and brands to network with industry peers, share insights and celebrate best practice in this burgeoning, ever-changing sector.

Leading travel restaurateur and master concessionaire OTG has been named as a Platinum Partner for FAB 2018.