WTCE returns to inspire the world’s airlines and rail operators

Event World Travel Catering & Onboard Services Expo 2024
Organiser Reed Exhibitions
Event Date 28.05.2024
Press Release Date 26.11.2019

The leading event for the travel catering, onboard retail and passenger comfort industries is back. Returning to Hamburg Messe from 31 March – 2 April 2020, as part of Passenger Experience Week, World Travel Catering & Onboard Services Expo (WTCE) will be a hotbed of innovation, with the world’s top airlines and rail companies looking for on-trend food and drink products, novel packaging ideas, onboard retail solutions and much more.

Driven by innovation
The global travel market continues to thrive. However, as passenger numbers increase – air passenger demand set to double by 2034[i] – the need to deliver something memorable and bring the home destination onboard has never been more important.

Today, passengers expect the services available to them in the air or on the railway to mirror the standards of any out of home outlet. Therefore, it is no surprise that key trends, such as sustainability, onboard technology, passenger comfort and catering continues to be a major focus for the thousands of professionals that visit WTCE.

Discover more
Co-located with the industry renowned Aircraft Interiors Expo, WTCE will be found in Halls A1, A3 and A4 of the Hamburg Messe. Together, the events will provide passenger experience professionals with a unique opportunity to identify new products and solutions throughout the cabin, all under one roof.

At WTCE, 350 plus exhibitors will come together to highlight innovative ways that airlines and rail operators can enhance their onboard experience. Suppliers will present new food and drink products, packaging solutions, toys, games, foodservice equipment and much more.

Among those confirmed to exhibit are AK Services and Skysupply, which create incredible amenity and children’s kits, as well as comfort items that satisfy the needs of every customer. They will be joined by Euro-GOODNIGHT, a company that develops blankets and comforters to meet the demand of today’s passengers.

When it comes to travel catering, all the major groups will be present, including LSG Sky Chefs, Do & Co. and Dnata. Showcasing their newest solutions, buyers from airlines and rail businesses will be able to find unique ways of creating a home away from home and supply unforgettable onboard food and service experience for their passengers.

WTCE will feature more food and drink brands in 2020 than ever before. Among these will be first-time exhibitor Bord Bia – Ireland’s dedicated food board – and leading Italian cuisine producer, Barilla. With consumer snacking on the rise, the event will also welcome The Gourmet Center, which aims to bring some of the most recognised names in the world of snacks to the skies.

In recognition of the growing number of consumers looking for something different when travelling, visitors will be able to try a variety of innovations first-hand. With a shift towards more experimental and exotic tastes, Cocktail House Swiss – the world’s first ready-to-drink cocktail – will showcase its newest products at the exhibition, helping passenger experience professionals tap into the popular cocktail trend. Not for grown-ups, For Aisha, a unique halal-certified baby food brand, will also be exhibiting, ensuring passengers of all ages won’t have to compromise while travelling.

With passengers demanding more sustainable solutions, exhibitors such as The Humble Co will be popular in 2020. The company will showcase its eco-friendly bamboo toothbrush as a socially responsible alternative. Visitors can also expect to find the hottest onboard technologies and packaging solutions from Global C, which will present its compostable cutlery sets and full recyclable meal kits, designed with the balance between quality, function and value in mind.

Insights and beyond
Located at the heart of WTCE, Hall A3 is set to be a hot spot for visitors in 2020. In addition to housing many of the first-time exhibitors, visitors will find the popular networking drinks and VIP Buyers Lounge, as well as the highly anticipated Taste of Travel Theatre here also.

WTCE is renowned for providing the latest industry insights and a sneak peak into what is next for the world of onboard hospitality. The 2020 show will be no different, with the return of the eagerly anticipated Taste of Travel Programme.

Run in association with Onboard Hospitality magazine, the 2020 programme will tap into the hot topic of sustainability, addressing current and future issues on packaging, transparency and generational trends. These specially curated sessions will feature live demonstrations from the world’s leading chefs and exclusive presentations from top passenger experience professionals and experts in sustainability. More details will be released in the coming months.

Following their success last year, both WTCE’s popular What’s New Onboard and Spotlight on Travel Apparel areas will also return to the exhibition, housing on-trend products that will enhance passenger experience. And, the free-to-attend Drinks Reception will again present the perfect opportunity for individuals to network. Sponsored by Heineken, the event will take place on 31 March, providing yet another chance for attendees to meet new contacts and discuss opportunities to generate revenue onboard.

Additionally, the highly popular Business Meeting Hub – a dedicated space for attendees to schedule on-site meetings with potential new partners – will return to the event, with VIPs able to book tables in advance.

Archana Sharma, Exhibition Director, said:
“WTCE 2020 is going to be even bigger and better. Housed with the well-known Aircraft Interiors Expo and Passenger Experience Conference, it provides a vitally important platform to source new products and identify new trends affecting the future onboard experience. We look forward to helping professionals from across the aviation, rail and cruise industries meet with the industry’s creative, trend setting innovators, and highlighting the opportunities they have to transform their businesses overnight.”

For more information on the opportunities to exhibit at WTCE or to register your interest, visit www.worldtravelcateringexpo.com or join the conversation online:
Follow WTCE on twitter: www.twitter.com/wtce_expo #wtce2020
‘Like’ WTCE on Facebook: www.facebook.com/wtce.expo
Join us on LinkedIn: www.worldtravelcateringexpo.com/linkedin

Contact

Reed Exhibitions
Gateway House
28 The Quadrant
Richmond
Surrey
United Kingdom
TW9 1DN
  • +44 (0)20 8271 2181