The Airport Food & Beverage (FAB) + Hospitality Conference & Awards has attracted a record number of submissions, with more than 270 nominations received.
The record number of entries highlights the importance of the burgeoning F&B and hospitality sectors and the strong industry support for the event, which is shaping up to be another blockbuster edition.
The FAB Awards and FAB Superstars Awards will be the glittering culmination of the Airport FAB + Hospitality Conference & Awards to take place in Ontario, California on 25-26 June, and to be hosted by Ontario International Airport. The Gala Dinner and awards ceremony will be held at the Sheraton Fairplex Hotel & Conference Center on 26 June.
Organised and owned by The Moodie Davitt Report, the only global airport food & beverage and hospitality event will encompass all aspects of airport food & beverage, lounges, and other related hospitality services.
Click on the cover to access the relaunched FAB eZine, which features highlights of FAB+ 2023 in Bangkok
Entries for both the FAB Awards and FAB Superstars Awards will be evaluated by an illustrious panel of judges made up of well-respected industry experts, led by The Moodie Davitt Report Founder & Chairman Martin Moodie.
As previously announced, judges include industry veteran and consultant Nick Inkster; Sevly Inc President & CEO Sevda Fevzi; Concession Planning International Managing Partner Susan Gray; ECE Marketplaces Project Director – Leasing Services Jonathan Doughty; 4QD Strategy Consulting LLC President Peter Gargiulo; Hunter Palmer – Global Retail Solutions Co-Founder Nick Goddard-Palmer; ServiceQ CEO and Founder Jaquie Scammell; and Ground Control CEO Kevin Zajax.
Shortlisted finalists will be notified in early May.
OTG Chairman of the Board of Directors and Interim CEO Tom Fricke (left) and Ontario International Airport CEO Atif Elkadi will be among the big-name speakers at the Airport FAB + Hospitality event
The conference programme will feature a top-class speaker line-up, representing airport F&B and hospitality service providers.
As previously announced, newly named OTG Chairman of the Board of Directors and Interim CEO Tom Fricke and Ontario International Airport CEO Atif Elkadi are set to deliver keynote speeches.
Other influential travel retail executives to speak at the event will include Dallas Fort Worth International Airport Vice President Concessions Zenola Campbell; Lagardère Travel Retail Executive Vice President Foodservice Mélanie Guilldou; Paradies Lagardère CEO Gregg Paradies; Vantage Airport Group & Midway Partnership Vice President, Commercial Sammy Patel; and Villa Restaurant Group Director of Business Development Christopher McNamee.
Other highly regarded figures from travel retail included in the speaker line-up are (top, from left): Paradies Lagardère CEO Gregg Paradies; Lagardère Travel Retail Executive Vice President Foodservice Mélanie Guilldou; Dallas Fort Worth International Airport Vice President Concessions Zenola Campbell; (bottom, from left) Vantage Airport Group & Midway Partnership Vice President, Commercial Sammy Patel; and Villa Restaurant Group Director of Business Development Christopher McNamee
SSP America Vice President of People Sherree Coker; Concessions International Chief Executive Officer Donata Russell Ross; Plaza Premium Group Director of Global Brand and Transformation Mei Mei Song; SSP America Chief Executive Officer Michael Svagdis; and San Diego International Airport Revenue Generation & Partnership Development Director Deanna Zachrisson are also set to speak at the conference.
Adding lustre to the already stellar line-up of speakers confirmed for FAB 2024 are (top row, from left) SSP America Vice President of People Sherree Coker; Concessions International Chief Executive Officer Donata Russell Ross; Plaza Premium Group Director of Global Brand and Transformation Mei Mei Song; (bottom row, from left) SSP America Chief Executive Officer Michael Svagdis; and San Diego International Airport Revenue Generation & Partnership Development Director Deanna Zachrisson
The Moodie Davitt Report is co-organising a session with the Airport Restaurant & Retail Association (ARRA), which represents the interests of commercial concessionaires in North America. ARRA Executive Director Andrew Weddig and Paradies Lagardère Executive Vice President David Bisset are among those on the panel (others to be named shortly), which will discuss the ‘new normal’ in airport concessions in the region and challenges to the business model.
Former ARI CEO, daa Chief Commercial Officer and current Castlepole Director Jack MacGowan will co-moderate the programme alongside The Moodie Davitt Report Founder & Chairman Martin Moodie and President Dermot Davitt.
Industry executives to speak at the FAB Conference are (top, from left): Pragma Chief Executive Officer Alex Avery; Paradies Lagardère Executive Vice President David Bisset; Airport Restaurant & Retail Association Executive Director Andrew Weddig; Castlepole Director Jack MacGowan; (bottom, from left) Conceptional Founder and Chief Executive Officer Reoewein Niesten; tRetail Labs Chief Product Officer & Co-Founder Sossina Shenkute; Dreamfolks Services Limited Chief Business Officer Sandeep Sonawane; Ontario International Airport Chief Revenue Management Officer Elisa Grey; and Delaware North Senior Director, Brands and Concepts Liz Grzechowiak
The event will see the Opening Cocktail take place on 25 June at TopGolf Ontario.
Delegates for the Airport FAB + Hospitality Conference are also highly encouraged to register before the early bird registration period ends on 30 April. (Click here to register.) 
Note: The Moodie Davitt Report publishes the FAB Newsletter, which features highlights of openings, events and campaigns from around the world of airport and travel dining.
Please email Kristyn@MoodieDavittReport.com to subscribe.
The world’s only event dedicated solely to the airport food & beverage and hospitality sectors makes a welcome return to the US in June. Please contact The Moodie Davitt Report Associate Director, Events Vincci Chung at Vincci@MoodieDavittReport.com for details.