Amadeus wins Farnborough

The seven-year contract will see Amadeus run all retail catering at exhibitions, conference and banqueting catering, as well as hospitality at live events.

Amadeus will bring a range of exciting innovations to the venue including street food concepts, retail concepts worthy of the high street and technology solutions designed to enhance the customer experience. A conference and banqueting offer boasting nutritionally balanced menus to enhance delegate performance and a bespoke online menu selector will also ensure the Centre’s catering stands out from the competition.

Farnborough International – which operates the 20,000 sqm exhibition and conference venue – delivers industry-leading aerospace events including one of the world's biggest and high-profile trade shows, Farnborough International Airshow. This exciting contract will also see Amadeus deliver catering at the biennial event, with the next Airshow set for 2020.

Kevin Watson, Managing Director of Amadeus, said:

“Our extensive knowledge of the events industry – and 40-years’ experience delivering retail, conference, banqueting and event catering – make us the perfect partner for Farnborough International Exhibition and Conference Centre.

“The quality of food is a really important factor for both clients booking event space at the venue and the customers that come to these evets. As a team we understand the unique challenges catering at an exhibition venue brings – peaks in visitor numbers and ever-changing customer demographics require the business to be agile, constantly reacting to the schedule of events taking place at the venue. We also know how important food is when it comes to selling venue space and conferencing facilities, developing bespoke menus tailored to visitor profile and spearheading advances in the conference catering space.

“As a caterer we share Farnborough International’s pioneering spirit and we look forward to working in close partnership with the team, improving the food offering and delivering innovative catering that compliments the industry-leading venue.”

Gareth Rogers, CEO of Farnborough International, says: “We’re delighted to be working with Amadeus; few other organisations can compete with their experience and understanding of complex industry requirements. We know they will deliver our clients imaginative catering options that offer great quality and value, making a vital contribution to successful events at the Farnborough International Exhibition and Conference Centre.”

The prestigious win adds to Amadeus’ growing portfolio which includes catering for 4 million visitors a year at the NEC Group’s five world-class venues and over 30 venues across the UK including visitor attractions, exhibition venues and conference centres. In addition, Amadeus caters for hundreds of corporate events every year and a number of internationally renowned sporting tournaments.