Revolutionising the skies: health, wellbeing, and sustainability in the spotlight at WTCE

The organisers of World Travel Catering & Onboard Services Expo (WTCE) have released full details on the show and programme of events, ahead of its return to the Hamburg Messe from 28-30 May 2024.

Taking place across three days, WTCE will bring together over 250 exhibitors, ranging from new companies and well-known brands entering the onboard scene, to established industry suppliers offering a variety of products for onboard catering, food and beverage, amenity products and hospitality services. In addition, several new features will inspire and educate buyers from 175 of the world’s leading airline and rail operators. Sustainability will be a large focus at the show as the sector continues to shift with the needs of today’s eco-conscious passengers, and WTCE will introduce new visitor features for 2024, as well as educational content aimed at the whole passenger experience community.

Best-in-class exhibitors

The event will welcome industry leaders unveiling their onboard dining options and services tailored to meet the evolving demands of today’s passengers. At this year’s WTCE, visitors will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the latest innovations showcased by the sector’s leading players, including Linstol, LSG Group, FORMIA, dnata, En Route, Buzz Products, Cuisine Solutions, Frankenberg, SATS, Catrion, Flying Food Group, and many others.

As the largest global exhibition for suppliers of onboard products to interact with industry-leading companies, WTCE will also open its doors to BeanStalk, a plant-based food manufacturer and Intervine, a distribution and food and beverage management company. Hello Straw, providers of eco-friendly and biodegradable products beyond paper straws, Ferents and Co, producers of amenity kits for major airline and railway companies,Freshorize, a leading industry provider that specialises in air fresheners, hand wash, lotion, and sanitizer, and Sotoco, manufacturers of paper cups for hot drinks, will also highlight their latest products and services. They will be showcasing their products as part of more than 250 suppliers offering on-board ready products, making it the essential event for discovering the latest innovations heightening the passenger experience.

Endless learning with Taste of Travel

Introducing an enhanced program to WTCE, the Taste of Travel Theatre — produced in association with Onboard Hospitality and sponsored this year by En Route — will welcome industry experts to the stage for a series of thought-provoking sessions.

Providing visitors with opportunities to learn about the latest trends and discuss future passenger requirements to inspire and elevate the onboard experience, the theatre will host a series of highly informative sessions over the three-days.

One must-see session for visitors this year – moderated by Joe Harvey, Business Development Manager for Travel at Deli Lites – includes ‘Innovative approaches to next generation pre-ordering?’. Joe will be joined by industry leaders Thorunn Ingjaldsdóttir, Chief Commercial Officer at Icelandair; Salim Hazif, Managing Director at Food Folk; Brett Hooyerink, Director of Sales & Culinary for McGuire & Associates and Co-Chairman of the IFSA Innovation Committee; and Paul Bilham, VP Sales at Omnevo. The panel will explore ground-breaking approaches to driving inflight retail and pre-ordering services for the next generation of travellers.

Another session of interest will be ‘The Journey Experience’, moderated by Alison Wells, Managing Director of Plane Talking. Debating the complete end to end journey experience from the passenger point of view will be Antony McNeil, Global Food and Beverage Director – Inflight Service Delivery at Singapore Airlines; Todd Traynor-Corey, MD Guest Products at Alaska Air; and Vimal Kumar Rai of Commercial Excellence Partners. They will discuss how products and services can enhance a personalised experience onboard, and the fast-moving developments in this space.

In addition to the programme of educational sessions, live cooking demonstrations and tasting opportunities will take place at the Taste of Travel theatre. Visitors will get a flavour of what airline and rail caterers are offering passengers to not only meet the pressing concerns of health and wellbeing-conscious customers, but also demonstrate comforting options that can help elevate the passenger experience.

VIP buyer programme – designed for airlines and rail

For onboard buyers and procurement teams from airlines, rail operators and travel catering companies, WTCE will offer its exclusive VIP Buyer Programme. The programme provides several added benefits before and during the event, including access to the exclusive VIP Lounge and VIP Sample Bags.

Available to VIP badge holders, the VIP Sample Bags — sponsored by Marfo — will contain over 15 products from some of the event’s not-to-miss exhibitors, such as Vithit Drinks, Joe & Sephs, Doves Farm Foods and The Bamboovement. Furthermore, tailored exclusively for VIPs, Digital Gift Bags will feature an enticing array of product offers to choose from and collect on exhibitors’ booths, showcasing premium selections from exhibitors such as Soothing Solutions, La Fabrique Cookies, and Koppert Cress.

The VIP Buyer Programme also offers a discounted rate for Passenger Experience Conference (PEC), taking place at the Hamburg Messe on 27 May 2024. Here, delegates will have the opportunity to look ahead into the 2030s and beyond, anticipating innovation in aviation and travel experiences. Delving into three key themes, the conference will explore initiatives shaping industry standards and systemic changes, navigate the complexities of multimodal travel solutions, and address resource efficiency for a sustainable future. Featuring thought leaders from Air Canada, Boeing, Airbus, and more, PEC promises insightful sessions and exclusive networking opportunities to discuss transforming challenges into business opportunities and envisioning memorable journeys for future passengers. The PEC ticket also includes access to the Welcome Party, taking place on the evening of the 27^th May 2024.

The path to wellbeing: Wellbeing Walk-through

With 73% of travellers worldwide prioritising their wellbeing and health during travel more than they did before the COVID-19 pandemic[1], WTCE’s Wellbeing Walk-through is a feature not to be missed., The feature willencompass a holistic approach that includes health and nutrition, wellbeing and mental health ensuring visitors gauge a comprehensive focus on passenger wellbeing through the products on offer.

This dedicated trail will enable specially selected exhibiting companies to highlight innovative product ranges that can alleviate the side effects associated with travelling long distances, as well as promote long-term health and well-being. For visitors interested in food, drink, beauty, and amenity kit products that can improve passenger wellbeing while travelling – from noise cancelling headphones and nutritious food, to alcohol free beverage alternatives – companies such as Snackboxtogo, Lily O’Briens, Rivazur Cakes, and Swypes are not to be missed.

Prioritising sustainability onboard

New for 2024, WTCE will introduce the Steps to Sustainability feature, incorporating a dedicated feature area and trail. The area located in Hall A1 will celebrate the accomplishments of a select number of sustainable exhibitor products that will allow attendees to see the innovations leading the way for 2024, from companies including Sustainaholics, Hello Straw, Onyx Plate and Ly Company Italia Srl.

Meanwhile, the trail will take attendees on a journey around the show floor to discover over 20 companies with the latest impactful products, ranging from tableware, food and beverage to amenity products, enabling a more sustainable onboard experience for passengers.

First time exhibitors

With a heritage in bringing new products and services to the onboard hospitality sector, WTCE will welcome over 50 first time exhibitors to the 2024 event.

Attendees will be able to discover TUBES – an award-winning company known for its innovative beverage solution contained in a tube. Well-suited for the travel industry, TUBES provides sustainable, ready-made, single-serve tubes that host a variety of beverages, from exclusive wines to flavoured cocktails.

Also debuting at WTCE 2024 for the first time, Swypes – a company revolutionising hygiene onboard – will showcase its extra-large, 100% biodegradable wet wipes for face & body. Infused with Vitamin E, the wipes provide an eco-friendly and convenient alternative for in-transit hygiene. Ly Company Group will highlight the advantages of water packaged sustainably in carton with its personalised ‘Aqualy’ water. It will be joined by Zhejiang Shuangjian, a manufacturer of high-quality aircraft tableware, which will bring its range of air cups, air lunch boxes and air non-slip trays, all made using materials which are environmentally friendly. Other first-time exhibitors include IFCS (In Flight Catering Software), Paxia, Soothing Solutions Ltd, Serenissima Ristorazione S.P.A, Signature Cocktail Co., Koppert Cress B.V and more.

Many of the events’ first-time exhibitors will be located in WTCE’s New Exhibitor Village, which will host up to 20 companies bringing new products to the market. Exhibitors in this space will include pioneering technology solutions company, Avsos; cookies, cakes, and madeleines manufacturer La Fabrique Cookies; frozen food solutions company Manna From Heaven; along with Ecoffee Cup, Kimirica Hunter, Burren Balsamics,L’Escadrille and more.

Supporting WTCE’s vision

Launched this year, WTCE’s Ambassador programme has added an invaluable dynamic to the show, enriching the attendee experience through curated insights and driving impactful discussions around the latest trends and innovations in the aviation industry. The Ambassadors feature Melissa Adamski, leading travel dietitian and nutritionist; Kelly Stevenson, former global wine and beverage manager at British Airways and current CEO of JetVine; Matt Crane, Co-Founder of the Aviation Sustainability Forum (ASF); and Julianne Ponan, CEO of Creative Nature and passionate allergies campaigner. By shaping product trends through a thought leadership campaign supported on social media and contributing to the Taste of Travel programme, the Ambassadors will play a pivotal role in enhancing the show’s key themes of health and wellbeing, sustainability, food, and drink.

The Taste of Travel Theatre will also welcome the Ambassadors to the stage, where they will each enlighten attendees on the latest trends, innovations, and best practices in their respective fields. Here, Melissa Adamski will deliver a session on ‘Culinary nutrition’; Kelly Stevenson will debate ‘The changing drinking habits of passengers. What are the demographics?’; Matt Crane will leave a lasting impression on visitors during his session ‘Putting an end to food waste’; and Julianne Ponan will explore the latest trends in allergen-free catering in her session titled ‘Tackling Health and Wellbeing for the Modern Traveller’.

Visitors and exhibitors will have the opportunity to meet the Ambassadors in the new Ambassador Lounge – a dedicated space on the show floor in Hall A1 where attendees can arrange meetings and network with each Ambassador during the three-day event and discover more about their specialist areas.

WTCE Connect

Launching in April 2024 for attendees, WTCE Connect – the online show-planning tool – will offer visitors personalised supplier recommendations as well as allow them to search for exhibitors that suit their needs with relevant products. They can then easily book meetings with any exhibitors to either hold on their booth or within the WTCE Connect Lounge.

WTCE’s Event Director, Polly Magraw, said: “With such a diverse range of new and returning show features marking our twelfth edition of WTCE in Hamburg, we will present the industry’s finest and most innovative companies that not only excel in health and wellbeing, sustainability, food, and drink categories, but are dedicated to creating a better passenger experience. From elevating taste and quality in food and drink offerings to providing luxurious amenities, our exhibitors epitomise innovation and excellence, shaping the future of travel experiences.

“We are proud to deliver the inflight catering, onboard services, and passenger comfort industry with a leading global event where there will be exciting at-show activations, such as the Steps to Sustainability feature and the Wellbeing Walkthrough. With the quantity of research available on sustainability, it is a key issue that we must unite on as an industry in order to move in a positive direction. We are excited to see everything in action in Hamburg this May, and we are sure that this year’s WTCE will leave a lasting impression on the industry as it moves forward.”

Once again, WTCE will be co-located with the industry-renowned Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX). Both shows will be taking place at the Hamburg Messe from 28-30 May to provide passenger experience professionals with the opportunity to network and explore new products, services, and solutions across the cabin. Registering for one show grants visitors access to both events, free of charge.

For more information or to register for World Travel Catering & Onboard Services Expo, visit https://www.worldtravelcateringexpo.com/reg

[1] https://thewisemarketer.com/mental-wellbeing-just-as-important-as-physical-wellbeing-when-it-comes-to-post-pandemic-travel-new-study-from-collinson-shows/