How big is the event this year and how has it grown?
We are expecting to welcome around 3,700 onboard industry professionals to WTCE 2018, which will be our biggest-ever event. In previous years we have filled two halls at the Hamburg Messe but for this year’s event from 10-12 April, the show will span four halls. More than 350 suppliers will be showcased, each bringing the latest onboard products and services for the travel catering, passenger comfort and travel retail industries.
Last year we introduced the popular New Exhibitor Villages and they will also be expanded this year to make way for more first-time exhibitors at WTCE. BitesWeLove, which makes nutty snacks with great taste and health benefits, will exhibit for the first time as well as cheese supplier Bridgehead Foods, Inflight Equipment International, an Australian inflight dining specialist that will showcase its range of premium tableware, and Kasih Food Production, which produces Mediterranean food. Visitors can expect to see plenty of products and companies for the first time this April.
What is new at WTCE this year?
2018 will also see new and improved networking facilities introduced to ensure that attendees can easily initiate business discussions and maximise their time spent at the event.
Brand new networking features for 2018 include the WTCE Business Meeting Hub – a dedicated place for attendees to schedule meetings to discuss new contracts and potential partnerships. VIP guests are invited to book space in advance of, or at the show.
What stand out exhibitors will be at the show in 2018?
Snacks are going to be big at WTCE this year and lots of companies have signed up to showcase theirs. British-based NIBNIBs, a new exhibitor, will offer visitors a chance to try its premium mini breadsticks and grissini, cookies and award-winning coconut mini biscuits, while Italcarelli di P Lopez Srl will display Un Due Tris Merenda, nutritious sticks of salami, cooked ham or crunchy breadsticks made especially for children for on-the-go snacking.
The biggest names in onboard catering will be well represented with gategroup back with a wide range of products and solutions for catering and hospitality, provisioning and logistics as well as onboard services.
Likewise, LSG Group will be back with its integrated businesses LSG Sky Chefs (the company’s core catering company), as well as Kaelis On Board Services;the world-leading provider of onboard products and services will highlight its latest developments in amenity kits, blankets and business tableware. Also bringing its amenity kits will be Anaik Beauty, Azusa Corporation and TAGS, while products such as air fresheners will be on display from Coolike-Regnery.
Who will be the stand out speakers at this year’s show?
Our industry-renowned educational programme will feature more expert sessions, panel discussions and practical demonstrations than ever before. It will kick off with the Passenger Experience Conference, which returns to the Hamburg Messe on Monday 9 April and provides delegates with insight from world-leading experts on a broad cross-section of topics currently affecting the industry.
Sessions will fall under three main streams at the conference: Convergence and Mobility; Personalising the Journey; and Flexible and Sustainable Thinking. Thought-provoking presentations will includea discussion entitled New Frontiers for Transport and the Passenger Experience, delivered by Boeing’s Director of Differentiation Strategy, Blake Emery. This session will consider some of the challenges of implementing next generation transport solutions.
Meanwhile, Raymond Kollau, founder of AirlineTrends will speak on how today’s on-demand economy is shaping customer expectations of their inflight food and beverage experience, and how the industry can address the challenges of on-demand catering.
Our highly popular Taste of Travel Theatre, in association with Onboard Hospitality and managed by Jo Austin, will also return the following day at WTCE with a roster of new speakers and content. This year will bring a stellar line-up of world-class chefs, inspirational presenters and industry high-fliers. These include Sturla Birgisson, ex-competitor and current judge of Bocuse d’Or, who will present a session on The Nordic Kitchen, explaining how he launched a fresh, simple and ethical menu for Icelandair Saga Class.
Gastronomy on the Rails will look at the modern catering concept onboard Czech Railways while further themes will include The Powers of the Mediterranean Diet hosted by celebrity chef and award-winning author Valentina Harris.
How to get a product onboard will be covered by Alan Hayes of Alpha LSG, whowill welcome Robin Padgett, CEO DNATA Catering and Sheelagh Mahoney of Portfolio Partners to join this hotly-anticipated debate.A further related session will see five companies discussing their developments in packaging and why they believe the change will positively impact their chances of getting their products onboard.
All sessions are free, so we recommend that visitors arrive at the theatre early.
Lastly, why is the event a must-attend for airline and rail operators?
The event offers the biggest annual platform for buyers from leading air and rail operators, to discover newly launched products, services and innovations, as well as new suppliers. It also offers unmissable networking opportunities as the industry gathers in Hamburg.
The My Event tool allows people to plan ahead of the show and throughout. Both visitors and exhibitors can enhance their show experience by using the facility to build their own itinerary. The tool enables all attending WTCE to create a personal list of must-see contacts and book meetings before and during the show, as well as earmarking key products and Taste of Travel sessions of interest.
Together with WTCE’s sister events, Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX) and the new Passenger Technology Solutions launching in 2018, WTCE completes a collection of exhibitions making the Hamburg Messe a must-attend destination from 10-12 April 2018.Professionals within the air, rail andcruise industries will gather to discover the latest cabin interiors, inflight entertainment and connectivity, onboard technology, passenger comfort, catering and retail offerings for the ultimate passenger experience.
Archana Sharma, Exhibition Director at WTCE
Archana Sharma joined Reed Exhibitions in 2010 as a Marketing Manager. Over the last eight years, she has progressed at the world leading exhibitions company, and now holds the position of Exhibition Director for the global and annual event World Travel Catering & Onboard Services Expo (WTCE) and the newly launched Passenger Technology Solutions (PTS), which take place each April in Hamburg. Archana’s earlier career included positions with other exhibition companies such as easyFairs and Centaur Communications working within varied B2B sectors.
Reed Exhibitions
Reed Exhibitions is a global events business that builds trade, grows brands and creates extraordinary networks for customers. Its global portfolio attracts more than seven million people annually, generating billions of dollars for our customers, and boosting the local economies wherever our events are hosted. Today, Reed events are held throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Asia Pacific, and organised by 41 fully staffed offices. With more than three thousand colleagues in over 30 countries, it is culturally diverse and opportunity rich.
For more information and to register visit www.worldtravelcateringexpo.com
