Don’t miss World Travel Catering & Onboard Services Expo WTCE 2023

World Travel Catering & Onboard Services Expo (WTCE) is returning to Hamburg Messe on 6-8 June 2023, and the show’s organisers have released details ahead of the event. The expo brings together the inflight catering, onboard services and passenger comfort sectors, with 5,000 attendees from global, regional and low-cost airlines expected to visit, including more than 750 onboard buyers and around 300 exhibiting companies.

The 2023 event is being designed to showcase ‘a hotbed of innovation’, with international companies such as LSG, dnata, and SATS Catering expected to show an array of future-focused products and services. The on-trend food and drinks products on show will include fully prepared meals, meal components, snacks and beverages from suppliers such as Bottega Spa, Frankenberg, Monty’s Bakehouse, Smize Cream, and 4700BC Popcorn, while a range of amenity and hygiene products will also be showcased.

There will also be a host of suppliers exhibiting at the event for the first-time this year. These newcomers include premixed cocktail company, &Stirred Cocktails, which will showcase its range, all served in airline-friendly packaging, as well as French drinks brand Féfé, which will reveal its premium innovations of ready-to-drink cocktails. Elsewhere, UK healthcare brand, Sonisk will introduce visitors to its hero product designed to disrupt the oral care industry – the Sonisk Pulse – which is a portable, affordable and easy to use hygienic toothbrush.

Connect and collaborate
The WTCE Connect tool was launched at last year’s expo, and will again be available to visitors and exhibitors to help them efficiently arrange meetings ahead of time. The show’s organisers, Reed Exhibitions, say the online tool was hailed as a “huge benefit” by those who used it at the 2022 show, helping them find the products best suited to their needs and arrange meetings with the relevant exhibitors.

The VIP Lounge will also return once again, serving as a place for onboard buyers to meet, collaborate and build relationships, as well as providing a place to relax, work or network away from the show floor. VIP attendees will also benefit from a WTCE Digital Gift Bag, complete with exclusive offers plus a physical sample bag featuring product samples and giveaway opportunities.

Invaluable insights
Another feature familiar to previous WTCE visitors is the Taste of Travel Theatre, featuring a line-up of expert advisors, chefs and consultants who will discuss and forecast trends and advances in onboard catering. The daily sessions will help visitors understand the macro trends that will affect their organisations over the coming year and share ideas on how they can build their businesses and keep up with ever-changing passenger expectations.

The 2023 line-up will delve into important topics including passenger wellbeing, creating memorable experiences and offering sustainable solutions that are easy to communicate to passengers.

Visitors are also encouraged to learn more about current trends affecting other areas of the aviation industry at the co-located Passenger Experience Conference (PEC), which takes place the day before WTCE, on 5th June 2023. VIP visitors are eligible for a discounted ticket for PEC. For attendees looking to maximise the networking opportunities available at WTCE, the Welcome Party on 5th June is also a great place to meet new contacts.

WTCE’s event director, Polly Magraw, commented:“Our return to Hamburg for WTCE last year was met with resounding success and we’re now looking forward to the 2023 edition of the event being even better. We anticipate more exhibitors and more visitors, including some big names who have already confirmed. Alongside some of the show’s interactive features that we know are always popular, I’m looking forward to seeing visitors experience the new initiatives we are bringing to WTCE 2023. One of our themes for this year is creating memorable experiences, and the event is already shaping up to be very memorable indeed.”

Co-located with the industry-renowned Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX), WTCE will be found in Halls A1 and A4 of Hamburg Messe. Together, the events will provide passenger experience professionals with a great opportunity to identify new products and solutions throughout the cabin and passenger experience.