Being awarded at the Moodie Davitt Airport FAB Awards is like winning an Oscar in the aviation world. Trust me, I was there. Of course, so were dozens of other airports all vying for a chance to be recognized for their best practices. It was an exciting few days to meet new people, engage with aviation professionals and celebrate excellence.
This was the first time that the Airport FAB Awards were held in North America. Previously, they’ve been held in fabulous locations like Geneva and Dubai. But this year, it was all about Toronto. (Ps. Rumour has it that next year they’ll be in Helsinki.) Toronto Pearson hosted the event and did a fantastic job of welcoming everyone to the city.
I attended the event with Cristina Alcivar – founder of Vane Airport Magazine. First and foremost, Vane is about how to keep up your healthy lifestyle at the airport. Especially when it comes to food and beverage! We were ecstatic to be part of the Moodie Davitt Airport FAB Awards this year and can’t wait for next.
Here’s a little recap of the 3-day event.
Day 1: The opening reception
Who: Everyone from the Airport FAB Awards
Where: The Hockey Hall of Fame
What: The first mingle of the event
I actually had the craziest time getting to the Hockey Hall of Fame. My uber was late, I went to the wrong location and then when I finally got there, I went to the wrong entrance. But it all turned out to be well-worth it. The food was amazing (all samples from Toronto Pearson’s offerings) and the drinks were flowing, along with excellent conversation. What a great start to the conference!
Day 2: The Airport FAB Awards reception
Who: Winners, runner-ups and airport reps
Where: The Ritz-Carlton
What: The awards reception
The Airport FAB Awards reception was incredible. There was a chance for mingling with exceptional food & drinks before the actual awards and let me tell you – I think I filled up on ultra-fresh sushi before the actual dinner even begun. It was way too good. The dinner served during the awards was amazing as well. I even ate mushroom soup! Something I truly never thought I would let touch my lips, let alone enjoy.
Congratulations to all the winners!
Day 3: The closing reception
Who: Everyone still standing
Where: Cluny Bistro
What: The final meet & mingle
Unfortunately because of work (life of a freelancer, hey?) I couldn’t attend the actual conference talks. But of course I made time to rush in for the fun parts – as everyone teased me about. The final meet & mingle of the week was held at Cluny Bistro in Distillery District.
Cluny is one of my favourite restaurants in Toronto! They’re one of the special few that serve my favourite alcoholic beverage: The Aviation Cocktail. Come to think of it, they should’ve been serving it at this reception! It would’ve been extremely fitting for an airport conference, if I do say so myself.
Check out my coverage of the Airport FAB Awards for Vane Airport Magazine here.
