The organisers of World Travel Catering and Onboard Services Expo (WTCE) have been busy firming up a stellar line up for the Taste of Travel Theatre programme, with themes covering everything from technology to sustainability, practical drink serves to allergy and nutrition.
Sustainability will again be a key topic for WTCE 2025, taking place at Hamburg Messe from 8-10 April. The Taste of Travel Theatre will serve as a forum for lively discussions about how onboard hospitality can become more sustainable to help the planet while also enhancing the passenger experience.
On day one of WTCE, Matt Crane, WTCE’s sustainability ambassador and founder of the Aviation Sustainability Foundation (ASF), will moderate a session looking at cabin waste. The session, titled ‘What Goes Up Will Come Down’ will take place at the theatre stage from 15:15pm on Tuesday 8 April, where Matt will be joined by Daniela Stange, corporate sustainability manager at IATA, Svenja Steffen, sustainability lead at Lufthansa Industry Solutions, Justin Cook, inflight product and catering leader at TUI, and Diana Cawley, head of commercial at ASF. The panel will discuss cabin and catering waste and how airlines can meet the challenge of understanding, measuring and reducing cabin waste.
For the first time, the onboard sector has a standardised operating procedure for the segregating, measuring and recording of cabin and catering waste, and this panel of experts will cover the importance of establishing a robust Cabin Waste Composition Audit (CWCA) measurement and analysis.
Kicking off day two of the Theatre will be the ‘Mile High Marketplace’ session. Transforming passengers into shoppers, this session’s panel of experts in retail travel will look at innovative solutions to drive revenue both onboard and at airports worldwide – all while enhancing the customer experience. At the heart of this innovation lies the sustainability agenda, with consumers now factoring it into purchasing decisions.
On Wednesday 9 April at 10:30am the panel will delve into the growing trend of eco-friendly products and services, examining the various factors influencing their adoption and effectiveness. The session will be moderated by Maryann Simson, director of Jetway Communications, who will be joined by panellists Vimal Kumar Rai, co-founder and managing partner of Commercial Excellence Partners – Blue Skies – AI-led Inflight Customer Experience, Kai Kosicki, founder of ExpAir and member of Hayward Partnership, and Manuel Huebschmann, head of retail at Lufthansa Group.
One topic that continues to be big in the airspace is carbon reduction targets. On Wednesday 9 April from 14:00pm, you can stop by the ‘Target 2030’ session to understand ways in which the supplier industry can support airlines in making significant carbon reduction targets over the next five years.
Many airlines have regulatory reporting requirements as well as significant carbon reduction targets to meet by 2030, so this session dives into ways in which the supplier industry can support airlines in making this target. Moderated by Alison Wells, owner & CEO of Plane Talking Products, this session will include key considerations around product development and the procurement process. Panellists will include Philippe De Naeyer, director of sustainability / ESG of deSter, Sarah Klatt Walsh, sustainability lead at Formia, and Paula Lafora, director of customer experience at Iberia.
The free-to-attend Taste of Travel Theatre will be located in Hall A1 at Hamburg Messe from 8-10 April 2025. In addition to the programme of educational sessions, a series of live cooking demonstrations, and tasting opportunities will also take place. All sessions are free to attend.
Visit https://www.worldtravelcateringexpo.com/en-gb.html for more information.
