World Travel Catering & Onboard Services Expo (WTCE) has announced the lineup of its official ambassador panel for the 2025 exhibition. Designed to help highlight the key pillars of the event – technology, sustainability, nutrition, allergens and special meals, and beverages – this year’s show will also see the addition of a brand-new technology ambassador.
The event organisers said the five product ambassadors will play a vital role in ensuring WTCE remains aligned with key industry trends, offering attendees deeper insights and supporting the industry in developing sustainable, profitable strategies that enhance passenger satisfaction.
Kai Kosicki, founder of ExpAir, an inflight consulting company, will provide his expert insight into technology’s role in the onboard catering and services sector. WTCE has added this pillar to the 2025 event to reflect the importance of technology and WTCE’s commitment to staying at the forefront of industry evolution. Kai’s consultancy work focuses on optimising the onboard experience to meet rising expectations without driving up costs.
“Technology is essential for meeting passenger expectations while reducing waste and enhancing efficiency,” said Kosicki. “By accurately predicting customer demand, we can help to minimise waste and create a tailored inflight experience. I’m excited to join WTCE as an ambassador, as this is the ultimate industry event that leads the future of airline catering. My goal is to bring a focus on tech-driven solutions that not only streamline catering but also open new retail opportunities, making the inflight experience more engaging and valuable for passengers.”
In addition to this, the four returning ambassadors from WTCE 2024 – Julianne Ponan MBE, Melissa Adamski, Kelly Stevenson and Matt Crane – will once again join for the event in April 2025. The subject specialists will work closely with the event organisers to raise awareness of the event across the industry, highlight their specialist topics, and provide advice and knowledge throughout the exhibition.
Meet the ambassadors
Technology ambassador: Kai Kosicki
Kai Kosicki is the CEO of ExpAir, a consulting company focusing on customers’ onboard experiences. The company’s main target is to optimise the onboard experience at the lowest possible cost. Kosicki has more than 25 years of experience in the industry, having worked as a division manager at Lufthansa and Sky Airline before moving into consulting.
Beverage ambassador: Kelly Stevenson
Kelly Stevenson holds a diploma in Wine and Spirits from the Wine & Spirits Education Trust (WSET), is a Certified Sommelier and a member of the Cicerone beer programme. Stevenson will provide WTCE visitors with tools to create exceptional inflight beverage experiences – sharing knowledge ranging from building complementary wine lists and non-alcoholic alternatives to understanding how altitude affects flavour.
Nutrition ambassador: Melissa Adamski
Melissa Adamski is an accredited dietitian and nutritionist and will be supporting the show’s nutrition pillar with her expertise in travel food and nutrition. As the founder of Nutted Out Nutrition, which supports the travel sector through food, nutrition and dietary guidance, Adamski will highlight essential aspects of health and wellbeing in flight, helping operators refine their future offerings to support passenger wellness.
Allergens & special meals ambassador: Julianne Ponan MBE
Julianne Ponan MBE is founder of allergen-free brand Creative Nature and brings first-hand experiences and insight from the free-from food space. Living with severe anaphylaxis and multiple food allergies herself, Ponan is dedicated to making food accessible for those with similar conditions and will advise WTCE’s visitors on how to offer safer onboard experiences for those 220 million people worldwide who suffer with allergies.
Sustainability ambassador: Matt Crane
Matt Crane, founder of the Aviation Sustainability Forum (ASF), brings a wealth of expertise on cabin waste management and sustainable practices to his role as sustainability ambassador. He will educate WTCE visitors of the impact of onboard products and services and offer insights into effective solutions that airlines can adopt to reduce cabin waste and improve sustainability.
Also returning for 2025 is the Taste of Travel Theatre, a dedicated auditorium space where the ambassadors will be hosting talks and networking sessions, amongst other key spokespeople. This dedicated space will provide visitors of the show with targeted advice on these pillars and the opportunity to network with other, like-minded guests.
“We are thrilled to announce the return of the ambassador programme at WTCE 2025,” said Shona Thomson, WTCE’s event manager. “Our product specialists bring invaluable insights into the evolving needs of the onboard catering and services industry. WTCE is committed to staying at the forefront of innovation in this sector and the ambassador-led events are a key part of this mission, offering attendees deeper knowledge and unique value. Their presence enriches the experience for both visitors and exhibitors and we look forward to hearing more from them as we approach April.”
For more information or to register interest for the event, visit: https://www.worldtravelcateringexpo.com/en-gb.html
