SPAIN. The Moodie Davitt Report is pleased to unveil a distinguished line-up of speakers for the upcoming Airport Food & Beverage (FAB) + Hospitality Conference and Awards 2025 set to take place in Barcelona on 25-26 June.
Owned and organised by The Moodie Davitt Report, the event will be hosted by Spanish airports operator Aena, bringing together senior executives from airports, food & beverage concessionaires and hospitality service providers, as well as other business partners from around the world.
Thabet Musleh, the dynamic and visionary Chief Retail and Hospitality Officer at Qatar Airways Group, is among the leading travel retail executives headlining the conference.
The much-respected industry figure has played a pivotal role in transforming retail and food & beverage offerings at Hamad International Airport in Doha.
He currently leads the group’s retail and food & beverage divisions at Qatar Duty Free (QDF), along with Internal Media Services, Dhiafatina Hotels and Qatar Airways’ lounge businesses worldwide.
Qatar Airways Group Chief Retail and Hospitality Officer Thabet Musleh (left) and Plaza Premium Group Chief Transformation Officer Mei Mei Song are among the highly respected figures from the travel retail and airport sectors to join the stellar speaker line-up at the Airport Food & Beverage + Hospitality Conference and Awards 2025
Under his leadership, QDF has grown to over 4,000 employees, contributing to Hamad International Airport’s rise as a global retail and dining destination. The team achieved record sales through experience-led hospitality, diverse offerings and innovative concepts such as ‘transit tourism’.
The achievements have been recognised across an unprecedented array of award programmes. In 2023, Qatar Duty Free won the Airport Food & Beverage Offer of the Year accolade at The Moodie Davitt Report’s FAB Awards in Bangkok, Thailand, one of 12 awards on the night including Food & Beverage Opening of the Year for Louis Vuitton Lounge by Yannick Alléno.
The company repeated its FAB success last year, snapping up several prestigious accolades at the FAB Awards 2024 in Ontario, California, including Airport Food & Beverage Offer of the Year.
Plaza Premium Group Chief Transformation Officer Mei Mei Song is also among the notable names joining this year’s speaker line-up. She has played a pivotal role in steering the transformation and strategic growth of the company her father established in 1998 in Hong Kong.
Song oversees sustainability, brand communications and marketing at Plaza Premium Group. She leads traveller-focused innovations, marketing and communications transformation, expands the brand portfolio and advances the company’s ESG strategy.
Over her decade-long tenure, she led Plaza Premium Lounge’s brand repositioning, service expansion, and the launch of the first Arrivals lounge and Aerotel, as well as innovative concepts such as Intervals and the ‘Proudly Local’ initiative.
Other notable guests to speak at the Barcelona event are (from left) Bottega President Sandro Bottega; Airport Dimensions Director of Business Development, EMEA & APAC Nick Redpath; and Heathrow Airport Head of Category – Retail Stephanie Pears
Joining them is Bottega President Sandro Bottega, the creator of the Prosecco Bar concept, who has brought Italian wine culture to 12 international airports across Europe and Asia, serving over 1.5 million customers.
As the head of Distilleria Bottega, he has driven the company’s global success, diversifying its portfolio beyond grappa to include Prosecco, premium wines and liqueurs. Under his leadership, Bottega Gold became the best-selling sparkling wine in travel retail (IWSR 2022).
Under his over two decades of leadership, the company has expanded from a €30,000 turnover to €96 million in 2024.
Another key industry figure speaking at the event is Airport Dimensions Director of Business Development, EMEA & APAC Nick Redpath.
With extensive experience in the transportation industry, Redpath currently leads the company’s global portfolio expansion.
Previously, as Vice President for Product, Partnerships & Cargo at Norse Atlantic Airways, he was instrumental in shaping the airline’s core proposition, including ancillaries, inflight service and non-seat revenue.
His career includes leadership roles at Emirates, Etihad, easyJet and Heathrow Airport, with a strong focus on innovation, partnerships and commercial success.
Heathrow Airport Head of Category – Retail Stephanie Pears also brings valuable insight to the conference.
She has led Heathrow Airport’s Food & Beverage, Essentials, and Technology & Bureaux categories since January 2022, focusing on enhancing the passenger retail experience.
Previously, she spent three years as Head of Corporate Strategy, shaping the airport’s growth agenda. Her background includes over a decade in corporate strategy, development and consulting across industries.
Click on the cover to view highlights from the last Airport Food & Beverage (FAB) + Hospitality Conference & Awards, which took place in Ontario, California on 25-26 June
As reported, registration for the Airport FAB + Hospitality Conference & Awards is now open via the official portal.
An Early Bird delegate pass is available for US$1,500 until 30 April, after which the standard registration fee is US$1,700.
As part of our commitment to industry engagement, airport delegates are eligible for an attractive -50% discount on both the Early Bird and regular registration fees.
Non-airport delegates can benefit from a -20% group discount when three or more delegates from the same company register together. Email Events@MoodieDavittReport.com for a discount code.
For general enquiries on FAB, please contact Vincci Chung, Associate Director, Events at Vincci@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 for your complimentary subscription.