The 12th edition of World Travel Catering & Onboard Services Expo (WTCE), which took place on 28-30 May, welcomed 3,000 attendees – a 15% increase on 2023’s figure.
The industry converged at Hamburg Messe for three days of collaboration, networking and discussion, through a diverse programme of features, conference sessions, and product launches, many highlighting the latest innovations in inflight catering, onboard services, and passenger comfort, which aligned with the show’s key themes of special diets, beverages, nutrition, and sustainability.
Visitors at this year’s event included 870 VIP attendees, marking a 3% increase from 2023’s figure. The VIP visitors included buyers from 145 airlines, more than 50 travel catering companies, and 12 rail operators, representing 72 different countries in total.
A further 4,000 attendees (including 750 airline buyer VIPs), visited WTCE from the co-located Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX), enabling passenger experience professionals from all of the world’s leading airlines to widen their networks and discover innovative products across all elements of the inflight experience.
RX, the event organisers, have confirmed that some of WTCE’s most popular products this year included beverages, healthy food, pre-prepared meals, savoury snacks, amenity kits, tableware, trolleys, galley equipment, and food packaging solutions.
Learning from the experts
Launched this year, the WTCE 2024 Ambassadors panel participated in Taste of Travel Theatre sessions, met with airlines and industry colleagues in the dedicated Ambassador Lounge, and helped shape product trends through a pre-show thought leadership campaign, driving impactful discussions on health and wellbeing, sustainability, food, and drink in the aviation industry.
The Ambassadors panel was made up of Melissa Adamski, a leading travel dietitian and nutritionist, and founder of Nutted Out Nutrition; Kelly Stevenson, former global wine and beverage manager at British Airways and current Director of JetVine; Matt Crane, co-founder of the Aviation Sustainability Forum (ASF); and Julianne Ponan MBE, CEO of Creative Nature, and a passionate allergies campaigner.
Driving industry collaboration
The WTCE organisers strive to ensure the event is not just a place to see new products, but a place to make business connections and build collaborations within the industry. A useful tool is WTCE Connect – a platform designed to facilitate pre-arranged meetings between exhibitors and attendees – which was used to book more than 1,400 confirmed meetings this year.
Speaking about the tool’s benefits for exhibitors, David Guarch, business director at Beanstalk Foods, said, “WTCE has been incredibly helpful for us as we aim to convince airlines to add plant-based options for everyone, not just vegans. This was our first time at the show, and we had productive meetings with key customers, thanks to the matchmaking opportunities WTCE Connect offers. It’s a rare chance to meet directly with purchasing managers, and the experience has exceeded our expectations.”
Learning at Taste of Travel
RX reports that this year’s Taste of Travel Theatre attracted “significant attendance”, with over 500 attendees engaging in 16 interactive sessions. The event featured more than 50 speakers discussing topics ranging from culinary trends, sustainability, and special meals, to nutrition, wellness onboard, and passenger experience enhancement.
Matt Crane, co-founder of the Aviation Sustainability Forum (ASF) and one of the WTCE 2024 Ambassadors, presented a session on the current state of cabin waste in the aviation sector. Revealing the latest findings from ASF cabin waste audits, Crane shared an interesting statistic: 659,000 tons of cabin waste is equivalent to feeding every American four times a year.
Crane joined a panel of experts, including Daniela Stange, corporate sustainability manager at IATA; Claire Luiten, sustainability engineer at KLM Royal Dutch Airlines; Celine Hourcade, vice president, group sustainability & ESG at SATS Group; and Michael Bauer, cabin & cargo architect – Airbassador at Airbus Commercial Aircraft, in urging the sector to unite and address the pressing issue of cabin waste by breaking down barriers and implementing sustainable solutions onboard.
Closing the Taste of Travel Theatre on day three, Steve Walpole, chef director at Steve Walpole Ltd, hosted an interactive live cooking demonstration with Kelly Stevenson, director of Jetvine and WTCE 2024 Beverages Ambassador, who tried and shared product pairings of low alcohol and wellness drinks, including Longbottom & Co’s Virgin Mary mocktail.
VIP treatment
Onboard buyers and procurement teams from airlines, rail operators, and travel catering companies benefited from WTCE’s exclusive VIP Buyer Programme. The programme included access to the VIP Lounge and VIP Sample Bags, sponsored by Marfo, featuring over 15 products from exhibitors such as Vithit Drinks, Bamboovement and Joe & Seph’s. The VIPs also received digital gift bags, showcasing premium selections available to collect from exhibitor booths such as Soothing Solutions and La Fabrique Cookies.
Speaking about his experience, Cameron Woodward, senior manager of customer experience at Qatar Airways said: “The show is indispensable for discovering new products and understanding market trends. It’s a highlight of my calendar, providing unparalleled networking opportunities and insights into the western markets, crucial for our global offerings.”
Innovations revealed
This year’s WTCE also provided exhibitors with a platform for industry innovations and product reveals, with many advancements for the inflight catering, onboard services, and passenger comfort sectors. Amongst the announcements was first-time exhibitor, Catrion, which shared its new menus, and gave visitors a chance to try them, as they were expertly crafted by chefs live on the stand.
Meanwhile LSG Group and The Vegetarian Butcher announced a partnership to offer plant-based and vegan meals in airline catering. The collaboration will enable airlines to cater to vegetarians, flexitarians, and meat lovers alike, allowing passengers to enjoy their favourite dishes with plant-based alternatives without compromising on taste or texture.
Sustainability was a talking point at this year’s event, with Skypro presenting its eco-fabrics for crew uniforms that combine environmental responsibility with the high performance required during work.
In the realm of passenger comfort, Buzz Products revealed a new sleep collection created in collaboration with Nest Bedding for American Airlines.
Technology and innovation were also at the forefront, with Dnata unveiling its cooking robot, developed by BotInKit. Visitors to Dnata’s stand experienced live cooking demonstrations, with the robot displaying its ability to replicate a chef’s stir-frying technique with precision and consistency.
In the New Exhibitor Village, up to 20 companies highlighted new products set to enter the airline industry. Exhibitors in this area included Swypes, Kate’s Real Food, Lockdown Liquor & Co, POSHI and The Drinks Bakery.
Sustainability takes the lead
With many airline and catering buyers seeking sustainable onboard products to adhere to passenger requirements, the new Steps to Sustainability feature was a hit with both attendees and exhibitors. Eight companies showcased their products in a dedicated area, whilst 19 exhibitors starred on the trail, including Procurall Solutions, Deli Lites, deSter, Royal Smilde, Cocohagen, Reedbut Group, Linstol, Formia, and more, showcasing an extensive range of eco-friendly options for onboard catering and services.
Commenting on the trail, Jeremy Hassett, business development manager from new exhibitor Ecoffee Cup, said: “We’ve engaged with most of our targeted airlines, offering an easy, cost-effective way to achieve onboard sustainability with our new launch, Ecoffee Cup Aero. Being part of the Steps to Sustainability trail at WTCE has been a fantastic opportunity to connect with the right buyers and promote our product – something we couldn’t have accomplished without this platform.”
Improving the passenger experience
During the Passenger Experience Conference (PEC), which took place at the Hamburg Messe on Monday 27th May, experts from airlines, airframers, OEMs, suppliers and design organisations collaborated with ideas of how to improve passenger experiences, covering topics from customer feedback, healthy onboard food demand and circularity strategies, to legislative support, sustainable design, data-driven decisions, and AI (Artificial Intelligence) integration for enhanced inflight services.
Speakers included Anne de Hauw, founder of IN Air Travel Experience; Matt Crane, co-founder of the Aviation Sustainability Forum (ASF); and Melanie Berry, director of customer experience at Iberia. The conference concluded with the official Welcome Party, sponsored by Eutelsat OneWeb, providing networking opportunities for industry stakeholders before the WTCE and AIX shows opened.
Commenting on the 2024 show, Polly Magraw, event director of WTCE, said: “WTCE 2024 has once again proven to be an unmissable event for the inflight catering, onboard services, and passenger comfort industries. With groundbreaking product launches and numerous networking opportunities, the show continues to set the benchmark for innovation and collaboration in the sector.
“The Ambassador Programme, the Wellbeing Walk-through and the new Steps to Sustainability feature were particularly successful. These initiatives provided attendees with in-depth looks at the latest advancements in passenger wellness and sustainable practices. in line with WTCE’s core themes of travel nutrition, special diets, beverages, and sustainability, all of which were projected in the Taste of Travel Theatre. Anticipation for next year’s event is already building as WTCE continues to solidify its reputation as the leading global platform for airline and catering industry professionals, and we are already excited to return to Hamburg next April.”
If you would like to attend next year, visit the WTCE site for more information on World Travel Catering & Onboard Services Expo 2025, which takes place from 8-10 April 2025 at Hamburg Messe.
