Food Businesses Attend Event at Dublin Airport

This article was originally published prior to the dissolution of City & County Enterprise Boards and the establishment of Local Enterprise Offices. This article may therefore make reference to City & County Enterprise Boards.

DAA Dublin Airport Business Event Audience

Owners of Dublin-based food businesses prepared for ‘take-off’ this week, as they gathered in Dublin Airport for the Dublin Food Chain event, in association with Fingal County Enterprise Board, Dublin Airport Authority (D.A.A.) and Aer Rianta International.

The "Doing Business Through Food at Dublin Airport" breakfast event attracted over 70 representatives from food businesses all over Dublin. The event gave the food community a unique insight into food operations and business opportunities at Ireland’s biggest airport.

Dublin Airport offers strong commercial opportunities for food businesses, with 11 million shoppers passing through their doors in 2013, generating over €64 million in sales.

Over 60 airlines use Dublin Airport and between them connect 180 destinations, making Dublin Airport the 24th largest airport worldwide. Importantly for food companies, food and beverage concessions at the airport accounted for over a third of the overall business generated by the Airport Retail Division in 2013.

Speakers at the “Doing Business Through Food at Dublin Airport” event included Bill Twomey from Dublin Airport Authority (DAA), Clyde Jameson of SSP, as well as Simon Povall and Eileeen Delaney of KSG. Topics included the airport’s food strategy, along with business opportunities for food producers in the airport food travel sector.

Food businesses were given a tour of the landside food operations and were invited to take part in the ‘Producer Showcase’, pitching their products to buyers from twelve different operators within Dublin Airport.

Speaking about the event, Oisín Geoghegan, CEO of Fingal County Enterprise Board, welcomed the food initiative, saying: “ With over 20 million passengers passing through Dublin Airport each year, there are real opportunities for food producers to become suppliers to these consumers through the many outlets at the airport.”

He went on to add: “We are delighted that the DAA and Aer Rianta International have embraced this opportunity to connect with our excellent local food companies. I am very hopeful that new business relationships will be created on the back of introductions made at this Dublin Airport event”.