EVENTS
A summer to celebrate
The industry will gather for WTCE at the Hamburg Messe for the first time since the pandemic began
WTCE returns to Hamburg in June, just in time to celebrate its 10-year anniversary by JANE HOBSON
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fter a three-year hiatus, the WTCE (World Travel Catering and Onboard Services Expo) is returning to the Hamburg Messe this summer to celebrate 10 years since its inception. The event for inflight catering, onboard services and passenger comfort will take place June 14 to 16. At the time of publication, event organizers RX told PAX International they are expecting more than 1,750 attendees from the airline industry, rail companies and international caterers including dnata, Newrest, SATS and LSG. More than 250 exhibitors – including approximately 60 who have exhibited every year since the event started and 70 first-timers – will be present, showcasing solutions to push travel closer to full recovery. The 10th anniversary will be a big part of this year’s event, RX says. The organizers will be running a host of initiatives to mark the milestone including Onboard Icons which recognizes 10 of the most influential people in the sector – as voted by the industry. There will also be a showcase of 10 of the 50-plus companies
18 APRIL 2022
that have exhibited at WTCE since 2012 and have successfully developed in the onboard services industry. All visitors and exhibitors are invited to the free-to-attend Drinks Reception that will prompt introductions, networking and other opportunities – sponsored by Heineken.
New at the event
WTCE Connect is launching ahead of the show. The online tool will enable visitors and exhibitors to arrange the meetings ahead of time. Using data supplied by visitors and suppliers during the registration process, WTCE Connect will match businesses based on their interests and offerings as well as enable them to search for who they would like to meet and schedule a meeting at the Expo.
Familiar favorites return
Many catering programs return to the Hamburg Messe as in previous years, as well as the co-located Passenger Experience Conference which takes place on June 13. The sessions cover a range of issues and challenges,
Polly Magraw, Event Director for WTCE
and will provide visitors with the opportunity to learn about the future of the passenger experience, and onboard environments and services. “There is a huge amount of excitement building around the exhibition; people have really missed the opportunity to network, learn and share ideas during this period,” says Polly Magraw, Event Director for WTCE. Entry to the event will be in accordance with the German 2G rule which requires either proof of triple vaccination or proof of negative COVID test or proof of recovery. “We are expecting that the use of masks will be advised regardless of the restrictions at the time, but social distancing will probably not be necessary. While we will be encouraging all our visitors and exhibitors to follow local restrictions, these will also be enforced by the venue as part of the hosting agreement. We can’t wait to reunite the industry for WTCE in Hamburg in June,” Magraw says. As a proud Media Partner for the event, PAX International will be in attendance and distributing editions of the WTCE issue during the show.