INTERNATIONAL. Entries for the Airport Food & Beverage (FAB) + Hospitality Awards will be invited soon, with the key awards categories for 2023 announced today. We also announce the third edition of the FAB Superstars Awards (see below), designed to recognise staff and teams across the sector.
As reported, the FAB Awards will be the culmination of the eagerly anticipated Airport FAB + Hospitality Conference, to be held in Bangkok, Thailand on 12-13 September. Notably, FAB’s remit has been extended to feature wider airport hospitality services, including hotels and lounges.
The Moodie Davitt Report event, created in 2011 and hosted annually until the pandemic, will be held at the Millennium Hilton Bangkok. An official FAB+ registration and information site, including details of partnership opportunities and preferential room rates, will go live shortly.
In advance of this, we are pleased to announce the list of awards categories for this year. They include:
Airport Coffee or Tea Shop of the Year
Airport ‘Food to Go’ Offer of the Year
Airport Health-Centred Offer of the Year
Airport Bar or Pub of the Year
Airport Casual Dining Restaurant of the Year
Airport Food Hall of the Year
New Food & Beverage Opening of the Year
Food & Beverage Marketing Campaign of the Year
Airport Food & Beverage Offer Best Representing Sense of Place
Airport Restaurant Design of the Year
Airport Chef of the Year
To reflect the event’s wider focus on hospitality, some new categories are also being introduced:
Airport Lounge Food & Beverage Offering of the Year
Airport Lounge of the Year
Airport Customer/ Hospitality Initiative of the Year
Airport Hotel of the Year
And reflecting the importance of ESG in the channel, the following awards are also included:
Sustainability & Environmental Initiative of the Year
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Initiative of the Year
Women in Leadership Initiative of the Year
Health & Wellbeing in the Workplace Initiative of the Year
The eligibility period is 1 August 2022 to 1 July 2023 with a deadline for submissions on 15 July.
Bangkok, itself a city of gourmet delights, will play host to the world’s only dedicated airport food & beverage event. The Millennium Hilton Bangkok enjoys a prime position by the Chao Phraya River.
More details on entry requirements will be provided upon the launch of the submissions portal. An administration fee of US$199 per submission will also be payable via the portal.
In addition to the FAB+ Awards noted above, the FAB Superstars Awards, now in their third year, will be part of the programme. These awards shine a light on the frontline and behind the scenes heroes and heroines who have helped keep the travel dining industry going through its darkest times, and who are critical to its recovery and growth as better days come.
FAB Superstars categories are as follows:
Star Team – Front of House
Star Team – Back of House (Kitchen/ Stores/ Admin/ Logistics)
Star Individuals – Front of House
Star Individuals – Back of House (Kitchen/ Stores/ Admin/ Logistics)
Nominations are accepted from key regions as follows:
- Africa & Middle East
- Americas
- Asia Pacific
- Europe
The eligibility period is also 1 August 2022 to 1 July 2023 with a deadline for submissions on 15 July.
More details on FAB Superstars entry requirements will be provided upon the launch of the submissions portal soon. An administration fee of US$29 per submission will also be payable via the portal.
The winners of the FAB Superstars will be featured during the conference while winners of the FAB Awards will be announced at the event during the Gala Dinner.
{Click on the YouTube icon to view highlights of an unforgettable FAB 2019 hosted by Dallas Fort Worth International Airport}
The last in-person FAB was held at Dallas Forth Worth International Airport in 2019 – the first time the event, founded in 2011, had been held in the USA. The FAB Awards, the only global recognition of excellence in airport food & beverage, attracted a record 302 entries.
*For all partnership, speaker, content and other enquiries please contact Jeannie Wong, The Moodie Davitt Report Asia Bureau Chief and Head of Marketing & Events at Jeannie@MoodieDavittReport.com ✈
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.
Click here to read our eZine dedicated to the FAB Conference & Awards held in Dallas in June 2019
{Listen to Dufry CEO Xavier Rossinyol speak to Martin Moodie about the Autogrill opportunity – from 03.35 – and the wider F&B and travel retail market in this compelling interview first shown at The Trinity Forum in Singapore last November}
Once again in 2023, FAB Women – a highlight of the 2019 event – will be featured
(Above and below) The first FAB Conference & Awards Gala Dinner was memorably held underneath a British Airways Concorde at Manchester Airport in January 2011
