Making the most of WTCE: A perspective from Austrian Airlines
Simone Walli, Catering Manager Culinary Art and F&B onboard Concepts, Austrian Airlines
WTCE 2025 is approaching and will run at the Hamburg Messe from April 8 to 10. Ahead of the returning event, Simone Walli, Catering Manager Culinary Art and F&B onboard Concepts, Austrian Airlines, discusses her time at WTCE 2024 and explains why it is a valuable experience for herself and other airline attendees.
Of her role at Austrian Airlines, Walli says she is “constantly looking for new ideas, suppliers and products to bring on board in terms of culinary innovation.”
She explains that, while some menu items become signature products onboard, it is important to have some products that change regularly. As a catering professional, Walli is consistently on the lookout for new, innovative and exciting food products to bring on board.
Business Class cuisine on Austrian Airlines
Speaking on how WTCE 2024 helped her and Austrian Airlines achieve this, Walli says, “WTCE provides a really easy way to network, and it helps me to find novel ideas and products. The setup is always valuable for me and for other airlines.”
Walli explains that although the event provides the opportunity to meet with some of Austrian Airlines’ existing catering suppliers, being present at WTCE is an opportunity to reach out to other suppliers and find inspiration that will create a new vision for the airline.
Walli cites the WTCE Connect platform as an essential tool in helping to set up meetings prior to the show.
“I used a website a lot to find the suppliers and fields I was looking for. For me, the WTCE Connect platform was really useful to reach out to contacts," she says.
The Taste of Travel
At WTCE 2024, Walli was also a speaker at the Taste of Travel Theatre, taking part in the panel session entitled "Why special diets are the way forward for airlines to increase customer loyalty." She reiterated the importance of discussing the topic of food allergies and special meal provisions in airline catering.
For Walli, WTCE was instrumental in shedding light on some of the most prevalent trends in the industry. Discussing some of the airline’s key priorities for the future, she mentioned sustainability, food waste and allergy-free menus and meals.
Results and outcomes
When it comes to the best and most notable outcomes from the 2024 show, Walli reiterated that it was a great place for her to network with prospective suppliers. Meeting new contacts at WTCE and finding new and exciting food products resulted in Austrian Airlines signing deals and forming new industry contacts.
Following WTCE 2024, Austrian Airlines signed with Monty’s Bakehouse. Walli explains that WTCE was instrumental in facilitating this initial meeting.
“Before going to WTCE, we found Monty’s because we were looking at supplying hot handheld snacks for second service on short flights. So, I reached out to Monty’s, we set up a meeting at the WTCE, and two weeks later, they were on board!” she explains.
Advice for other airlines
Discussing her experiences of the show, Walli shares her advice and learnings for airlines attending in 2025. She recommends airline visitors attend all three days of the show, taking the time and opportunity to talk to as many people as possible.
Walli also highlights the value of attending the show with her colleagues, noting the value of face-to-face meetings and the benefits of being exposed to more "big picture" ideas and conversations.
“Coming as a team is always good because everyone has their own meetings and focuses. You get exposed to far more things than just the ones you’re focusing on,” she says.
