The Moodie Davitt Report Founder & Chairman Martin Moodie and President Dermot Davitt kicked off the 2023 Airport Food & Beverage Conference & Awards after a four-year in-person absence.

They noted this was the first time the event had been held in Asia Pacific and thanked Airports of Thailand and Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau for supporting it with such generosity.

Setting the scene, Moodie emphasised how far the industry has come over recent years. He said: “Since we began FAB [in 2011, at Manchester Airport], this event has changed a lot – as has the world. Digitalisation and even sustainability were barely themes on the radar – now they are top of everyone’s agenda – with COVID an accelerator, if a most unwelcome one.”

He added: “Back in 2011, Chef-driven restaurants were in their infancy and while the concepts of food provenance and Sense of Place were well-established, they have picked up extraordinary momentum since.

“Our sector has gone through a qualitative revolution in those 12 years – at every level. In that time travel dining has also become a more central part of the conversation about how travelling consumers are served and how our industry functions.

“Consolidation plays from some of the biggest companies have underlined F&B’s significance as very much complementary to retail, with the convergence of those channels an important dynamic.”

Moodie concluded: “Here in Bangkok we aim to champion the excellence and to showcase the success stories of F&B – a channel that has become centre stage in the airport world in the years since we created this event.”