The definitive industry innovation prize

Who are the innovators in the region taking this industry to greater heights? You decide.

The FTE EMEA Innovate Awards

Returning once again, after a successful launch at FTE Dublin 2023, will be the FTE EMEA Innovate Awards.

At the epicentre of event is the region’s largest and most respected innovation competition. Industry stakeholders will pitch on-stage in an effort to impress our judges and audience, whose all-important votes will decide who wins.

Whether you’re an airline, airport, established vendor or startup, we want to hear from you. The three categories are Best New CX Concept (open to vendors and startups only), Most Innovative Airline Initiative (open to airlines only), and Most Innovative Airport Initiative (open to airports only).

Winners will be announced on 13 June 2024 at the close of FTE EMEA/FTE Ancillary & Retailing.

View the 2023 FTE Innovate award winners >>
FTE-Innovate-Awards-trpohy

Awards categories:

The Best New CX Concept award is open to air transport industry vendors headquartered within the EMEA region. The judges will be looking for unique products and initiatives that display industry leadership. Concepts that truly deliver customer experience enhancement and more choice to passengers will be awarded maximum credit. The judges will also be looking to see if the concepts deliver benefits for the industry in the areas of Operational Efficiency, Commercial Performance and Sustainability, which are very pertinent to the sector.

  • Please describe the CX concept and how it came to be?
  • Has the concept gone live yet?
  • What is innovative about the concept?
  • Can you provide any tangible results that prove the success of this initiative?
  • What do you perceive to be the long-term impact of this concept?
  • To what extent did budgets, R&D and resources impact this initiative?
  • How much collaboration was needed internally, and with other stakeholders, to develop and roll this initiative out?
  • What are the key learnings, if any, from this project that other industry stakeholders could benefit from?
  • What benefits, if any, does your concept deliver in the areas of Operational Efficiency, Commercial Performance and Sustainability in the air transport industry?

If your submission is successful, can you commit to pitch your idea to our judges and audience at FTE EMEA in Dublin on 11-13 June, 2024?

Please attach any relevant documents to support your submission.

The Most Innovative Airline Initiative award is open to commercial airlines headquartered within the EMEA region. In order to qualify, the initiative must have gone live during or after January 2023. The judges will be looking for unique initiatives that display industry leadership and have delivered tangible benefits since being introduced. Initiatives that have delivered benefits in the following areas will be awarded extra credit: Operational Efficiency, Customer Experience, Commercial Performance and Sustainability.

  • Please describe the initiative and how it came to be?
  • When did the initiative go live within your organisation?
  • What is innovative about the initiative?
  • Can you provide any tangible results that prove the success of this initiative?
  • What do you perceive to be the long-term impact of this innovation?
  • To what extent did budgets and resources impact this initiative?
  • How much collaboration was needed internally, and with other stakeholders, to develop and roll this initiative out?
  • Is this initiative something that could scale across your organisation further, and perhaps the wider industry?
  • What are the key learnings from this project that others could take into their organisation?
  • What benefits, if any, does your initiative deliver on Operational Efficiency, Customer Experience, Commercial Performance and/or Sustainability for your airline?

If your submission is successful, can you commit to pitch your idea to our judges and audience at FTE EMEA in Dublin on 11-13 June, 2024?

Please attach any relevant documents to support your submission.

The Most Innovative Airport Initiative award is open to airports headquartered within the EMEA region. To qualify, the initiative must have gone live during or after January 2023. The judges will be looking for unique initiatives that display industry leadership and have delivered tangible benefits since being introduced. Initiatives that have delivered benefits in the following areas will be awarded extra credit: Operational Efficiency, Customer Experience, Commercial Performance and Sustainability.

  • Please describe the initiative and how it came to be?
  • When did the initiative go live within your organisation?
  • What is innovative about the initiative?
  • Can you provide any tangible results that prove the success of this initiative?
  • What do you perceive to be the long-term impact of this innovation?
  • To what extent did budgets and resources impact this initiative?
  • How much collaboration was needed internally, and with other stakeholders, to develop and roll this initiative out?
  • Is this initiative something that could scale across your organisation further, and perhaps the wider industry?
  • What are the key learnings from this project that others could take into their organisation?
  • What benefit, if any, does your initiative deliver on sustainability, passenger experience, commercial performance and/or operational efficiency of your airport?

If your submission is successful, can you commit to pitch your idea to our judges and audience at FTE EMEA in Dublin on 11-13 June, 2024?

Please attach any relevant documents to support your submission.

Awards criteria:

Click on a category above to view the criteria.

In all categories, extra credit will be awarded to efforts that deliver tangible benefits in the following areas: Operational Efficiency, Customer Experience, Commercial Performance and Sustainability.

Meet our judging panel:

x-factor-judges-panel

Kevin-Kleist

Kevin Kleist, the visionary Senior Emerging Trends Advisor at Southwest Airlines, ready to be wowed by your innovative spark

Linda-Schucroft King-Salman logo

Linda Schucroft, the dynamic Vice President of Innovation and Customer Experience at King Salman International Airport, looking forward to discovering how you enhance the passenger journey

Manuel van Lijf

Manuel van Lijf, Director Aviation Innovation, nlmtd


Why you should enter the FTE Innovate Awards

The FTE Innovate Awards recognise and celebrate the best air transport industry innovations from across the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region. Successful entrants, including shortlisted companies and the overall winners, will receive huge recognition for their outstanding achievements through FTE’s media platforms in the months to come, and at Future Travel Experience EMEA, which will take place in Dublin on 11-13 June 2024.

Being part of these unique awards is beneficial for many reasons:

  • Showcase your achievements – tell everyone about your success!
  • Generate excellent PR opportunities
  • Generate new business opportunities
  • Receive validation for your team and organisation’s hard work
  • Inspire the industry with your ideas and contribute to our mission of continually advancing the industry for the benefit of its passengers and stakeholders

If your submission makes the final shortlist, you will be invited to deliver a pitch to your industry peers and a panel of expert judges at FTE EMEA 2024 in Dublin on 11-13 June. The judging panel will provide immediate feedback and each member of the audience will vote for their favourite entry using the event app. In each category, the initiative with the most votes will be named the overall winner.

The overall winner in each category will be announced during the closing session of FTE EMEA in Dublin on the afternoon on Thursday 13 June, 2024.

All submissions will be reviewed by the FTE team, select members of the FTE Advisory Board, and members of the FTE Innovate Awards judging panel. Those selected as finalists will be invited to deliver a pitch to their industry peers and the expert judging panel at FTE EMEA 2024 in Dublin on 11-13 June. The audience will vote for the winner in each category during the event.

If you are selected as a finalist and accept the invitation to deliver a pitch, your organisation will qualify for one complimentary ticket for FTE EMEA to enjoy the show and pitch your submission on stage. Airline and airport finalists will also be offered a showcase spot on the exhibition floor to display the details of their shortlisted initiative and enable our audience to engage with them directly to learn more before casting their vote.

FTE will share details of the finalists and their initiatives in advance of FTE EMEA through our many communication platforms. Onsite at the event in Dublin there will be a dedicated pitch session for each category, during which the finalists will have time to make their case directly on stage to our judges and audience. The judges will share their immediate thoughts and comments on what they have heard, including who they think the winner should be in each category, before the members of the audience cast their all-important votes.

  • Each entry may include a maximum of 10 appendices to support the submission
  • Appendices are supporting evidence and must be relevant to your entry
  • Any appendices too large to submit can be shared as a zip file using secure transfer sites such as wetransfer.com to kerry@futuretravelexperience.com
  • Entries made after the deadline will not be accepted. For questions regarding this deadline, please contact kerry@futuretravelexperience.com
  • Leave plenty of time to complete your entry to ensure it is of the highest quality and allow extra time for content to be signed off by your organisation internally
  • Ensure you have the appropriate permissions to share the information provided in your submission

Testimonials

Exhibitor & Delegate Testimonials

“It has been a marvellous and very well organised event, with great speakers and excellent networking. I think it is a very personal show with the opportunity to meet many potential partners. I have really enjoyed it.”

Charlotte Posada-Kandel, Manager Ancillary Products, SunExpress

“The experience here at FTE EMEA and FTE Ancillary & Retailing has been really great. What I have most enjoyed is the networking opportunities, which have enabled us to make many new connections and will potentially lead to new commercial relationships.”

Giovanni Gennaro, Open Innovation Manager, Aeroporti di Roma

“The event has been very good, with lots of interesting new companies to talk to. Some of the tech on display is excellent, so I have been delighted to spend time here and hopefully there will be some opportunities for us afterwards with new companies. I would thoroughly recommend attending FTE EMEA and FTE Ancillary & Retailing – it has been very enjoyable, with lots of good new relationships being built here.”

Neal McMahon, Chief Operations Officer, Ryanair

“It has been a really great event. I attend most years and I think the organisation is excellent. The networking opportunities here are fantastic and the conference sessions have been very interesting, with new ideas for us to collaborate on. The range of exhibitors is also very good – from walking around the exhibition floor and speaking to the companies showcasing their technologies and services, it is clear that it is a very diverse and well put-together set of vendors here. For me, FTE EMEA and FTE Ancillary & Retailing is always educational, and we have had good conversations to follow-up on after the event. I will 100% be back – I absolutely love the FTE events.”

Nick Woods, CIO, Manchester Airports Group

“The event has been really good with a lot of great networking – I have met so many people from within the industry and potential new partners. I really like the size of the event, which means you truly get the opportunity to experience everything, visit the good range of companies in the exhibition, and connect easily with attendees. The conference sessions have also been very good quality, with the speakers sharing real examples of what their companies are doing, so you can really bring some great learning back home with you. I will definitely come back.”

Lisa Hjalmarsson, Senior Product & Partnership Manager, SAS – Scandinavian Airlines

“My experience at FTE EMEA and FTE Ancillary & Retailing has been really good. There have been a lot of interesting discussions and presentations around the customer experience and innovations in that area, as well as a focus on digital and AI which has been very interesting. I have had the opportunity to look around the exhibition, which has been quite diverse – there are certainly a lot of interesting companies exhibiting. The networking opportunities have been really beneficial, as sharing experiences and plans for the future with other airports and stakeholders is invaluable. I will definitely come back – it is an interesting event that enables me to keep up with what is going on in the industry and network with like-minded people.”

Fidelma Lucey, Head of Proposition, Dublin Airport

“This is my second year at the event and my experience has been fantastic. I have had great learnings every time I have attended. It is good to learn about what other airlines are doing and get a broader view of the industry. My favourite parts are always the startup and innovation pitches – it is really interesting to hear the new ideas people are coming up with. The networking here in the exhibition has been fantastic and the social events that FTE holds are also a great way to connect with new people. The conference sessions have all been very good, are very relevant and give broad perspectives. I will definitely be back to this event and to FTE Global – we believe in the FTE events and the message that FTE sends.”

Thomas Garrison, Enterprise Architect Emerging Trends and Innovation, Southwest Airlines

“It has been really great collaborating with all of the other airlines and airports here. This is my first time attending FTE EMEA, having attended FTE Global several times previously, so it has been really interesting to meet with some new partners that we do not normally get to talk to and the collaboration has been great. It is always interesting to hear about new technologies and what other players in the industry are thinking about doing, so there have been a lot of really great learnings. I have really enjoyed the panel discussions in the conferences, as there is a real sense of collaboration and learning from each other. I will be back – I always gain a lot of knowledge from FTE events and it has been fantastic.”

Jenny Xu, Senior Technology Consultant, Southwest Airlines

“It has been a nice FTE EMEA and FTE Ancillary & Retailing event. I attended last year, and I think this year’s event has been even better. The conference sessions have addressed topics that are very relevant to me and the variety is really interesting. The networking opportunities have been excellent as well. I have checked-out many of the companies in the exhibition and there are some cool, innovative products. I will definitely come back to this event. I have been to many industry events and the FTE events are the most relevant for me. It is very intimate and a good vibe here.”

Timothy Haupt, Manager Ancillary Strategy & Commercial Development, Lufthansa Group

“Overall, I am very satisfied with this event. It has been really nice to meet a lot of industry experts. The conference sessions have addressed very relevant topics and the exhibition features a wide range of interesting vendors with very new products and new ideas that I haven’t seen before in the industry. This event has lots of great opportunities for networking, with lots of really relevant people to meet here, share experiences with and learn the latest trends in the industry from other experts. I will definitely come back to the event next year – I am already looking forward to it.”

Lasma Zajanckovska, Ancillary Revenue Manager, airBaltic

“My experience here at the event has been very nice. The conferences have touched on some very interesting themes. I have most enjoyed the networking opportunities that we have had with many different companies related to the airline and aviation industry. It has been very interesting to look around the exhibition and meet new companies, as well as building closer relationships with those we are already working with. I am very interested in attending this event again.”

Antoni Vicens, Discovery Manager, Air Europa

“Being at the Future Travel Experience event has been an absolute joy. It serves as a future-thinking platform for the aviation industry. I have enjoyed the interactions in a multi-faceted way – the networking has been great, the conference presentations have been even better, and participating in the Working Groups was insightful. The FTE World Ancillary & Retailing Working Group already has over 400 members after less than a year. We really have evolved as a Working Group with lots of breakout sessions, where leaders in the industry can share experiences and apply new insights to their own businesses. Networking at FTE events is always great and it has been nice to meet with many new and old friends in the industry. I definitely will come back to this event and to FTE Global too.”

Martijn Steur, Managing Director, Kinetic Consultancy

“My experience at FTE Dublin has been really interesting. It has been really good fun meeting old friends and reconnecting with them again, but also meeting new people. I think some of the presentations and discussions have been really interesting. As an operations person, I have spent quite a bit of time listening to the retail side of things and it is very interesting that the industry is really beginning to boom back to the pre-pandemic numbers of passengers.”

David Wilson, Managing Partner, daa International

“My experience here at FTE Dublin is great. I really enjoy the networking opportunities. I get the chance to meet some new startups and some new companies that have come to the event. It is always great to hear from some of the panellists about the great ideas that they are starting to pursue or look towards in the future in our industry.”

Kevin Kleist, Senior Emerging Trends Advisor, Southwest Airlines

“FTE Dublin is always super exciting. I always appreciate the great conferences here. It is really impressive seeing the airline CEOs, with Sir Tim Clark, President of Emirates, having a keynote here and really talking about the future of aviation, not just looking at what is happening right now, but what is going to happen in 5, 10, 15 years. Obviously, that is supported by all the great companies and startups in the exhibition.”

Jonas von Kruechten, Head of Strategy and Business Development, AERQ

“It has been a great experience at FTE Dublin as always. I have been participating with FTE since 2015 and this has been a great show, I have really liked it. We have had the opportunity in the exhibition to show our new Lufthansa Allegris Mixed Reality. I have really liked all of the good conference sessions as well.”

Björn Becker, Head of Program Future Intercont Experience, Lufthansa Group

“FTE Dublin is again consistent with years and years of previous events as an opportunity to meet with industry peers, meet with prospects, and build out the network of relationships in a nice, laid-back atmosphere. It is a chance to share the products and services that we are all busy building. It is also always nice to be in Dublin when the sun is out, which is a nice bonus.”

Simon Dempsey, Chief Commercial Officer, Plan 3

“I have really enjoyed the diversity of different activities going on at the show. There is the education and conference aspect, the really nice social element, and also the opportunity to meet the vendors and some of our fellow airlines. It has been really fun.”

David Kondo, Head of Airport Customer Experience, Finnair

“It has been a fantastic experience and a packed three days. The working groups we had on the first day were fantastic, there were some wonderful social events, and brilliant speakers and exhibitors. But the most exciting thing for me is that we bring together an audience of really progressive minds who want to do new things and when they make connections with others fantastic things happen. I think we will see some amazing output from this – things which just would not have happened otherwise.”

Daniel Coleman, Founder & CEO, Future Travel Experience

“FTE in Dublin has been absolutely incredible. Watching inspirational leaders like Emirates President Sir Tim Clark, connecting with Virgin Atlantic CEO Shai Weiss, and hearing the forward plan as to how they are going to take the airlines not just in the next few years, but for the next decade, really underlines what Future Travel Experience is all about. Also, having Mesfin Tasew, the Group CEO of Ethiopian Airlines, really brings every component of what FTE EMEA stands for, all under one roof.”

Joe Leader, CEO, APEX & IFSA

“FTE Dublin has been another great event. I really enjoyed our FTE Baggage Innovation Working Group meeting, which I lead. We had one of our largest showings ever. I have made great connections with some new members, as well as moving our team forward in terms of how we continue to innovate in baggage with our POCs and how we make automation & robotics fit into what the future of baggage looks like.”

Darin Juby, Director Baggage Services, Greater Toronto Airports Authority, and Head of Baggage Transformation, Future Travel Experience

“It has been fantastic – it is the second time I have attended FTE Dublin. This is, from my side, a place to pitch ideas and visions, to look at new things in the exhibition, and to network and meet people. I have the opportunity for discussions with suppliers and colleagues about recent developments and the kind of products we are looking at now, as well as what kind of pitches we should do for the future.”

Idar Sørgjerd, General Manager, BHS & Tech, Avinor

“It has been a great event. It has been really nice to get out and start engaging with colleagues from across the industry on what the future holds, having had a pretty tricky couple of years. There has been a really good mix of speakers and topics discussed in the conferences – everything from sustainability to technology to looking towards the future with eVTOL operations. The diverse range of exhibitors is also nice to see, including the start-ups and disruptors, which provide food for thought as to how the industry is evolving. The networking is excellent – it has been good to catch up with people I have met through previous FTE events and also meet many new contacts. I will definitely return to FTE Dublin again – I have attended for many years and always found it among the most interesting and relevant events for what I do.”

Chris Annetts, Chief Strategy Officer, Heathrow

“It has been very interesting for me to attend FTE Dublin. Coming from a company specialising in business aviation and transitioning towards Advanced Air Mobility, it is really useful to discuss the synergies with industry colleagues and progress together. The conferences have been very interesting with a fantastic quality of speakers. I also found what I was looking for in the exhibition. There are many interesting exhibitors and it is especially nice and refreshing to see the start-ups. It is very important to see how things are moving forwards in the industry and this event really delivers that. The social events and networking opportunities at the event are also very valuable and enjoyable. Based on my experience this time, I will return to FTE Dublin next year.”

Christophe Lapierre, Head of Strategy, President Business Aviation Support Services, Luxaviation Group

“It is our first time exhibiting at FTE Dublin and it has been very successful. Our product is very relevant to the audience here and we have had many good conversations with the airlines attending. The quality of visitors to our booth has been excellent – we have definitely met the right people. The social events have been very enjoyable and very good from a networking perspective. We have had a successful experience at FTE Dublin and will return next year.”

Dennis van den Helder, Sales Director, Flexiroam

“It has been great being back face-to-face with people – that has been the best thing for me, seeing old friends and colleagues in the industry. The networking opportunities are fantastic and really make this event stand out. I have particularly liked the meeting areas and the ability to connect with other attendees using the app – I have found that very useful. I have also enjoyed the conference sessions and the content – I was very interested in the speakers and topics. The exhibition has also been very interesting to look around. The event has something for everyone in the industry, there is so much under one roof. I will be back at FTE Dublin next year.”

Lucinda Pike, Sales Director – Europe, Aviation, Inmarsat

“I think it’s a great event that gets put together every year. I was really happy to receive the invite to come and speak because it’s just a great platform to discover lots of different ideas out there. We as an airline can take advantage of some of these ideas and work together with our partners to bring some of them to life.”

Robert Carey, President, Wizz Air

“It’s great to have FTE EMEA back in Dublin and it’s even better to see the industry gathering together again under one roof. There’s a sense that the industry is back on its feet. It certainly is here in Ireland – the traffic levels are back to 90% of where they were in 2019, so hearing people’s experience of how the rebound is working across the industry has been great. The conferences have addressed the right topics – clearly, we need to engage with the future of the industry. There are a lot of challenges that airports and airlines are facing in terms of ramping up – I’m hoping that those are challenges of 2022 and we need to put those behind us and collaborate as an industry. We need to get back to focusing on the future of the industry over the next decade and put all of the bad experiences of the last couple of years behind us. From a networking perspective, it’s great to see people back together in the same room and have the opportunity to just bump into people when you haven’t seen them face-to-face for so long. I certainly hope the event returns to Dublin again – it’s always great to see that people enjoy coming here.”

Vincent Harrison, Managing Director, Dublin Airport

“FTE is one of the best organised aviation shows available covering both airport and inflight. They create the perfect mix of content, social events and attendance, making our presence on the exhibition floor worthwhile every time we are there”

Job Heimerikx, CEO AirFi.aero and APEX board member

“The first thing I like is that it’s forward leaning. I’m a digital innovation manager so for me it’s not always about today; it’s also about tomorrow and what will happen next so this event has been impressive for me. FTE is the only one that does this in a good way.”

Mats Berglind, Digital Innovation Manager, Swedavia

One of the areas that we are focusing on is the travel experience, so we are working with airports and airlines. One thing that is really good is that you have a lot of the aviation companies like airlines and airports. I also really like the 1-2-1 networking app.

Mikko Sjoblom, Business Development Executive, Digitalist

“I was particularly interested in the Digital & Innovation conference and it was very interesting to see what other companies do in terms of innovation.”

David Kasipovic, Innovation Department, Lufthansa

“It is my first time at FTE and I have had a very good experience. It is definitely different than other conferences. The Co-creation session was a great way to bring together people that didn’t know each other and we saw that after an hour and a half of brainstorming we could come up with an idea of a product that people like.”

Gilles Brentini, IT – Airport Innovation Manager, Geneva Airport

“What I really like about this event is that it is about reinventing the future together and you can really feel that everybody that has a role in creating this ecosystem is here, such as airlines, airports, and other companies. So, this really inspires me.”

Maïte Oonk, Head of People Strategy & Change, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines

“The conference sessions have contained a lot of good information. The topics covered have been very interesting. I particularly enjoyed the keynote presentation. We have used the One-to-One Meeting System, which has been very useful. The networking opportunities have been excellent.”

William Racinne, Area Sales Manager, IER

“It has been a very interesting event. The subjects discussed in the conference sessions have been very well targeted. From a networking perspective, we have met some good new contacts. The exhibition features some interesting companies.”

Marianne Thomson, Customer Experience Manager, easyJet

“The event has been very good in terms of meeting the right airline and airport executives. I am working on the PASSME project, and there have been lots of relevant people to meet here at FTE Europe. The networking opportunities have been excellent.”

Peter Biesslich, Air Transport Operations and Infrastructures, German Aerospace Center

“The conference sessions have been really interesting. It is a good size show for networking and exchanging ideas with people. We have certainly been meeting the right people here. We have been using the One-to-One Meeting System, which has been a very useful initiative. The party at the Guinness Storehouse was, of course, good for networking. The exhibition has also been very interesting.”

Lara Münch, Manager Traffic Development & Sales, Aviation Marketing, Hamburg Airport

“For me, the event has been excellent. It is a very personal event and easy to connect with the right people. The conference topics have been very interesting, and there has been a very good level of interaction between the speakers and the audience.”

Ingvi Gudmundsson, Product Designer, Icelandair Digital Labs

“I am very satisfied. I came last year as well, and this time it was even better. It has been interesting to have the innovation sessions. The networking has been excellent, and I have spoken with several vendors in the exhibition.”

Naoya Shiratori, CS & Products Services, Products & Services Strategy, Assistant Manager, ANA All Nippon Airways

“The overall experience here at FTE EMEA and FTE Ancillary & Retailing has been great. It is our third consecutive year exhibiting at the event. It is a really nice networking opportunity – we get to speak with a lot of our airline partners, which is the primary focus for us. The number and quality of visitors to our booth has been very good. The set-up of the venue and exhibition is very nice and facilitates networking. From a vendor perspective, this event is a great platform for us to showcase our continuous evolution and is definitely one to come back to.”

Anup Shegaonkar, Principal Sales Engineer EMEA, FLYR

“This is our second year exhibiting at this event and it has just been a wonderful experience. We are already planning to come back again next year. We have had a wonderful time – the networking is fantastic, and the food is great. In particular, it is nice to find all of the decision-makers in one room, so we are really happy that we have seen the right people. FTE has been an incredible platform for CELITECH to be able to share all of the wonderful news and things that have been happening for us. A year ago, we were so happy to meet Alaska Airlines here at FTE EMEA and FTE Ancillary & Retailing – we signed a partnership with them and went live here at the event yesterday. We are so thrilled to have been able to announce this partnership here at the event with Alaska Airlines – it was a special moment.”

Lauren Koenig, Co-Founder & Chief Marketing Officer, CELITECH

“The overall experience here at the event has been fantastic – I have really enjoyed it. We have liked meeting up with airlines and different partners, with great discussions, and are pleased with the number and quality of visitors to our booth. We were able to pre-arrange meetings with our existing customer base, so it has been great to catch-up with them. We have also met with new, prospective customers and had useful conversations – nothing beats having those meetings in-person. In terms of the overall networking, it is great to see like-minded partners. We will definitely be returning.”

Richie Casey, Director Commercial Operations, Datalex

“The experience in the Startup Zone has been great. It is the first time we are showcasing our sustainability solutions to the aviation industry and the response here has been absolutely phenomenal. The number and quality of visitors to our booth has been amazing and the engagement is great. We have been showcasing our solutions to a broad range of airports and airlines and the feedback is fantastic. We will definitely come back next year.”

Felix Roick, COO, Tao Climate

“I really love the energy that we have experienced here at the FTE event. The two days in the exhibition have been very exciting and we received so many really good enquiries and networking opportunities. We will absolutely be back next year – this is an event we cannot miss.”

Abhishek Semwal, Strategy Manager, Servicebots.ie

“We have had a great experience at FTE EMEA and FTE Ancillary & Retailing this year. I have enjoyed meeting the airlines because that is our target market. We have had a good number of meetings and leads to follow-up, with a lot of visitors to our booth and many networking opportunities. We are looking forward to attending FTE’s events again next year.”

Trideep Aggarwal, CEO, TWAI

“My experience here at FTE EMEA 2024 has been amazing. We have had some great conversations with some very interesting people, and also had the opportunity to participate in the Startup Pitch Session. It has been a really valuable, really useful event. The conference sessions have also been very interesting. The networking, the refreshments, everything about the event is very high quality, so we are very happy to be here. We have made a lot of very good contacts here and spoken to people we have never met in-person before. We will be back and are looking forward to participating in future FTE events.”

Richard Vilton, CEO, Emu Analytics

“The experience here at the event has been fantastic. The footfall at our stand has been more than worthwhile and the contacts we have made here really are our target audience, with a very good range of airline and airport stakeholders. Additionally, the opportunity to connect with companies that are in our overall ecosystem has been excellent.”

Cormac Walsh, Global Aerospace Lead, Nordcloud an IBM Company

“What I really appreciate about Future Travel Experience is the great organisation of the networking events. FTE really focuses on having the right environment, the right people, the right tone and the right length of time. I really recommend FTE events to anybody. Our overall experience has been fantastic – it is a really well organised event, with great delegates that are really right for our audience. We will be back for sure – it has been a great event.”

Patrick Alexander, Head of Business Development, Commercial Services, CAVU

“The event has been amazing, and we are really happy to be part of the Startup Zone in the exhibition. We have had a lot of quality opportunities come to our booth and at multiple times, so we are really pleased with the number and quality of visitors. The networking opportunities and social events here mean you get to spend more time networking and building meaningful relationships than you would do at a typical event. I really like how intimate it has been and will definitely be back.”

James Cotterill, Head of Partnerships, Adapta Mobility

“The overall experience here at the event has been fantastic. It is a great opportunity to not only showcase what we are doing product-wise and how we are bringing innovation to the industry, but also to learn about what other players are doing. The event is an ideal opportunity to interact with airlines and other players in the industry, so we are very pleased we exhibited. The networking opportunities have been fantastic – both on the airline side of the equation and also the vendors. Attendees overall have been very engaged, visiting the booth and asking questions. The networking app has also worked fantastically well to make contacts. It has been a fantastic experience this year and we are very excited to participate again next year.”

Martin Restrepo, Director of Business Development, TravelX

“Exhibiting in the Startup Zone at FTE EMEA and FTE Ancillary & Retailing has been an amazing opportunity for us. We are highly targeted at airlines and airports, so we definitely feel these two days in the exhibition have exceeded our expectations. The visitors to our booth have been very high-quality – we have had a lot of good conversations. People are very approachable here and it is easy to get in touch with the right people. We will definitely be back at this event again.”

Christoph Schulte, Head of B2B Cooperation, Discovercars.com

“We have had a wonderful experience. This is our first time exhibiting at FTE Dublin. The quality of people that we have met has been superb. It is one of the first events we have been to where there is a real social aspect to it. What FTE puts on outside of the actual conferences and exhibition is really engaging.”

Mike Bathard, Managing Director, beSIM Globa

“We very much enjoy coming to Dublin for FTE EMEA and FTE Ancillary & Retailing. We have had a good event, speaking to exactly the right people. It is everything we hoped for. The social events are of paramount importance. In the exhibition we have serious talks about business and our vision, then the social events really give a different aspect to the event – you are able to converse with people on a different level in a more relaxed atmosphere.”

Jasper Quak, Managing Director, BAGTAG

“I have been very happy being here. We have had a good audience with lots of nice meetings and relevant people. The social aspect of the event has been very nice – the opportunities have been there to meet people, and everyone has been in good spirits. The conference content has been well tailored. Will we attend again? The immediate answer is yes.”

Christian Baillet, CEO, SimpleVisa

“It is the second time that we have exhibited at FTE Dublin and it has been fantastic. I think the conference subjects have been really interesting and topical. The networking has been fantastic, with good conversations and good individuals to meet from across different areas of the travel sector.”

Jennifer Koontz, Assistant Vice President European Airport Properties & Relations, Enterprise Holdings

“It is my first time attending FTE Dublin and I have really enjoyed the whole experience. It has been very nice to get to know other companies with which we can collaborate in the future and explain how our industry makes a difference in the aviation sector. We would like to be back next year.”

Özge Bayraktar, European Airport Properties & Relations Specialist, Enterprise Holdings

“FTE Dublin 2023 has been great. We have been able to speak with a lot of existing customers plus prospective ones. I think most importantly, what is very good about FTE is it creates a forum where we can discuss with airlines and other technology vendors the future of real customer experiences. It is very nice to meet people in an unconstrained social environment, connect and forge relationships that will hopefully lead to partnerships in the near future.”

Alex Mans, Founder & CEO, FLYR Labs

“The experience here at FTE Dublin has been great. We arrived on the first night and had the FTE Ice Breaker – there was great music and lots of people talking to each other, which was very friendly. The conference sessions were very good as well. We have had a lot of people visiting the exhibition booth – everyone is very interested in new technology and I think we will get a lot out of it.”

Brad Stein, VP Global Solutions Consulting, PolyAI

“This is our first FTE event, so it has been such an exciting experience for us. The decision-makers are here at the event – it is nice to have meetings with people who can actually do things. It was very easy to arrange meetings beforehand – the app was super great. People are actually really active in the app, which I found refreshing. There has been a great energy here. It has been very much worth it.”

Lauren Koenig, Chief Marketing Officer, CELITECH

“It has been a great experience for us. It is our first time attending and exhibiting as CAVU here at FTE Dublin. We have had a great time and the networking has been great with some very valuable meetings and hopefully some good conversations to continue from them. We are really pleased with our stand location. We have had some great walk-ups and scheduled meetings – the team have had a very busy few days, so we are very happy.”

Paige Smith, Business Development Manager, CAVU

“It is the first time BagsID has had an exhibition stand at FTE Dublin. We have attended previously as visitors. We have had a technology demonstrator here in the exhibition, so for the first time in our history we could really show people what we have been talking about for the last two or three years. Showing the solution says more than a thousand words. We will come back next year – it is a good place to meet people and share ideas.”

Erwin Meier, VP Customer Relations, BagsID

“This is my first time attending a Future Travel Experience event. The difference between this event and other events is the quality of people. The meetings we have had over the last few days have all been with decision-makers with buying power – for us, that is what makes the difference. I had a chance to attend some of the conference sessions and have found all of the topics to be very relevant, particularly focusing on ancillary revenue. With the demand for travel coming back so rapidly, this is a big topic for all travel stakeholders, not just airlines, to find new and innovative ways to monetise their customers and provide a good service. It has been one of the better events we have attended from a networking perspective, and we attend quite a lot of conferences. The quality of attendee here is fantastic – they are all decision-makers, they all showed interest in our product, and I definitely foresee a good return on investment. I will definitely be attending future FTE shows, whether here in Dublin or even on the moon – I’d probably go there too.”

Robert Ardino, Vice President, Blue Ribbon Bags

“The overall experience at FTE Dublin has been very positive. We have only just started looking at the travel industry and this is a really great gateway for us to meet some of the major players and hear from some key individuals right across the space. In terms of the attendees we’ve met, the quality has been incredibly high. We came here with a set audience we wanted to really meet, and we have exceeded our expectations. The networking is great – there is some good time set aside between conference sessions to facilitate that networking, as well as the social events. We would absolutely come back to FTE events again – we’re already in conversations to do FTE Global and we’re looking at FTE APEX Asia Expo too, so we’ll definitely be back again.”

Tim Headley, Demand Generation Manager, iProov

“The overall experience here at FTE Dublin has been really great. We have actually met a lot of new contacts that we weren’t expecting. We met a really good variety of potential customers, so it’s been really good for us. Our expectations have been exceeded. We’ve made really good contacts with some big airlines and have arranged future meetings with them, so the prospects are looking good. We’ve learned a lot as well in the conference sessions. The Baggage Innovation Working Group meeting was also really good – Dublin Airport gave us good information about how they procured and installed the baggage system, and how successful they’ve been with Hold Baggage Screening. So, that was a really good insight into how Dublin Airport tackled all of the issues and a very useful experience for us. From a networking perspective, we’ve made a lot of new friends here. The good thing is it’s not just been people we’ve known before – we’ve made new connections and I believe those connections are going to turn into prospects for us in the future. I will definitely be returning to FTE Dublin and probably attending FTE Global too.”

Shabbir Girach, Managing Director, Shabstec Limited

“We are very humbled and proud to have won the FTE EMEA Startup Innovation Award here, which is a great milestone for us. We have met a number of interesting people here and had many good conversations. Our priority has been to meet the many airlines here, which is our channel to market. We have had some good conversations and now our job is to transform those conversations into real business. We’re very pleased to have been here at the event and pleased with the quality of visitors we saw. Another nice element has been to network with our start-up peers. It’s also very good from the perspective of airline and airport contacts – it’s nice to have a broad ecosystem here. We as SimpleVisa would be most pleased to come back to the Future Travel Experience events.”

Christian Baillet, CEO SimpleVisa

“My experience here at FTE Dublin has been really great. We’ve found the event very beneficial, engaging with airports and airlines, especially as a start-up. We’re really very proud to be here and this is my sixth time attending the conference. There’s been a good amount and quality of visitors to our booth. We’ve had a lot of airports and airlines coming to our booth asking about the technology so, overall, we’ve had great responses. My favourite conference session was the start-up pitch competition – getting on stage as a start-up and talking about what we do, as well as listening to a lot of other start-ups and what they do, has been very interesting. The networking has been huge. Every time I come here there’s a new company showcasing, so just understanding a lot more about the travel industry is very beneficial to me and my team. Based on my experience this year, this is definitely an event I’ll come back to next year and hopefully in the years to come.”

Safir Monroe, CEO & Founder, UnDelay

“Our experience at FTE Dublin has been really good. There have been a lot of interesting conversations and a lot of interesting companies that we haven’t had interactions with before. I would say that the quality of conversations that we’ve had has been really high. The conference sessions that we have attended have also addressed very interesting topics. From a networking perspective, you can really feel that people have missed meeting face-to-face. It’s been a friendly environment and added a lot of value to our business. I like the start-up section – it’s a nice way to get in touch with companies that you rarely bump into in other forums, so for us it was a good and positive event and we will attend again.”

Simon Arvidsson-Öhrling, Head of Growth, Snowfall

“It has been a great experience here at FTE Dublin. It’s great to be back with so many people in-person. It’s a really nice, laid-back vibe. I always find the FTE events really accessible – it’s just the right kind of busy. It’s easy to say hello and grab a coffee with somebody, so it’s been a very enjoyable couple of days. We’ve had a really good flow of people coming to visit our booth, with several meetings booked in advance and quite a lot of good footfall. So, we’ve had probably an equal measure of impromptu meetings and pre-planned ones, and some really good conversations. I was able to jump in and out of some of the conference sessions over the last couple of days in between our own meetings – it has been a really nice blend of customer experience content and the technology side as well, providing a good sense of where airlines find themselves now post-COVID and where they’re focusing their energies. So, it’s been really nice to get a bang up-to-speed health-check on what that looks like from a really good variety of speakers. It’s a really good event from a networking perspective. I think the blend of accessibility around the exhibition hall is good and the social and evening events are really strong as well. You can’t beat just grabbing a drink with someone in the evening who you met briefly during the day. So, the networking side of things at the event is really strong. I would definitely consider coming back to FTE Dublin. I’m a long-term fan of the FTE events – I find them very consistent and the content really well-considered and curated. Whether it’s FTE EMEA or FTE Global, it will always be on our radar as an event to meet the people we’re trying to build relationships with, so yes 100%.”

Simon Dempsey, Chief Commercial Officer, Plan3

“The experience we’ve had here at FTE Dublin over the last couple of days has been phenomenal. It’s been very busy with a lot of meetings and a lot of catching up – it’s nice to see people we haven’t seen in the industry for a long time. There’s a great quality of people here attending, with new conversations for us, so it’s nice to catch up again. I’ve had the opportunity to attend a few of the panel sessions and a few of the keynotes – I think they’ve been incredible in their content and very detailed. There’s been a lot of great sharing going on. I think the conferences have been addressing the right issues – they’re very forward-thinking, with a lot of visionary content. Let’s hope a lot of this comes to fruition and we can put together great customer experiences for passengers all over the world. The opportunities to connect and network with people here at FTE Dublin have been incredible – there are so many opportunities, not just walking around the exhibition hall, but also in the evenings at the social events. Those opportunities to forge new relationships and reacquaint with old contacts have been incredible. This is certainly an event that we will come back to and we’ll also look at the other FTE events around the world.”

Ed Thorne, Global Marketing Director, Airport Dimensions

“We’ve had a really good event here at FTE Dublin. It’s great to be back in-person – we’ve really enjoyed the show. We have had a very decent number of visitors to our booth and the quality has been even better than before. The event has been great from a networking perspective. I really love the new app that has been introduced – that is a big plus. The meeting area for networking is also working its charm. It’s our seventh time in a row attending FTE EMEA and we’ll definitely be here again next year.”

Jasper Quak, Managing Director, BAGTAG

So, for us the exhibition was really great. It has been basically a day and a half of non-stop client interaction with people at the right level about our solutions. We had a lot of good leads from it and it’s been a very positive experience for us.

Ilya Gutlin, Member of the Board, Elenium

“Epic. We’ve got 13 solid leads from big airlines. The networking tool is awesome. We do a lot of trade shows and I have to say the 1-2-1 networking tool has made a big difference.”

Al Tredinnick, Business Development Manager, 15Below

We’re very happy. It’s been one of the best shows for us so far as it’s been very focused. We had a lot of meetings set up before the show and I think we’ve had more than 20 airline meetings, and we’ve received very good feedback.

Diego Cachero Rodriguez, CEO, 3D SeatMapVR

“It’s been a great show for us with lots of good meetings; the number of airlines here has been good for us. The app has been very efficient.”

Fitzhugh Patrick, Director, Business Development, Fusion & Mark Brown, VP Sales & Client Accounts, EMEA, Fusion

“We have a booth here and it has been a very good event for us the past two days. We have met a lot of airlines which we are targeting because of our product. Through FTE shows, we managed to secure partnerships with Qatar Airways and Singapore Airlines and we really launched the business in that sense. The conferences here were really good.”

Janne Kyllönen, Founder, QuietOn

“It’s very good to have everybody together, to see the corporates and startups together. It's been valuable to attend.”

Tarvo Topolev, CSO & Co-founder, RebelRoam

“The show has been very good for us. It is a very personal event – the networking is fantastic, and people are very open to talk. It has been very busy for us, and we have had good time during the breaks to speak to visitors.”

Saba Rakhshandehroo, Design Research Lead, Samsonite

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