TICKEAT

What TICKEAT does

TickEat Ltd is a UK-based B2B procurement networking and solutions partner that connects food and beverage suppliers with buyers in the travel, leisure, and hospitality sectors. Founded in 2015 by Heerum Fleary after a career in airline catering, the company operates a curated event-driven model encompassing flagship Meet the Buyer conferences, TickEat Marketplace showcases, Dinner With The Buyers evenings, and a dedicated Meet The Buyer: SPMLs Travel Edition for allergen and Free From procurement. Its platform combines pre-scheduled one-to-one meetings with structured sector-specific accelerator programmes (Sky Launch for airlines, Track to Go for rail, Ocean Ready for cruise), Travel Buyer Box sampling, strategy days, masterclasses, and bespoke events, supported by a wholly-owned Travel Forum subsidiary called Navigate.

The underlying technology is not a software platform but an event management and curated networking operation delivered through a small in-house team (1-10 employees) with deep domain expertise, including two former buyers with backgrounds in rail, airline, and foodservice catering. The company does not offer APIs, integrations, or proprietary software; its competitive differentiation rests on buyer network curation, market specialisation, and the logistical and editorial quality of its events. Free educational content (TickEat Guides, blog, success stories) and a digital presence on LinkedIn and Instagram support lead generation but the core conversion and relationship-building mechanisms are in-person.

TickEat operates as a membership-based networking organisation with a diversified revenue model including annual membership subscriptions, event registration and exhibitor fees, and paid accelerator programme tuition. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and subscriptions are not auto-renewed. The typical customer base spans enterprise buyer logos (British Airways, American Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, easyJet, Aer Lingus, Eurostar, TransPennine Express, CrossCountry, Wightlink Ferries, IAG, On Air Dining) on the buy side, and a long tail of food and beverage brands — from startups to established manufacturers — paying for access, training, and curated buyer introductions on the supply side. The company is registered in England and Wales (company number 09858390), headquartered in Milton Keynes, and serves buyers and suppliers primarily in England, Wales, and Scotland.

Name

TICKEAT

Legal name

TickEat Ltd

Website

https://tickeat.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

TickEat is a UK-based B2B procurement networking and solutions partner founded in 2015 that connects food and beverage brands with travel, leisure, and hospitality buyers through curated events, sector-specific accelerator programmes, and masterclasses.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Travel Catering Procurement and B2B Networking Events

NAICS

Tour Operators (561520)

SIC

Wholesale-Groceries & Related Products (5140)

akta.pro primary industry

F&B Experiences & Group Dining (Restaurant Buyouts, Tastings, Catering Coordination) (THAHADAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Specialty & Dietary Catering (Halal, Kosher, Vegan, Allergen-Free, Medical) (THAHAKAK)

Keywords

• B2B procurement networking
• Food beverage travel buyers
• Airline catering procurement
• Curated trade events
• Travel industry sourcing

Headquarters

HQ city

Milton Keynes

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Services: TickEat is a membership-based foodservice and hospitality networking organisation with members consisting of individuals and companies working in/providing services to the foodservice and hospitality market.
2. Event Revenue: Revenue from hosting curated B2B events including Meet the Buyer, Dinner With The Buyers, TickEat Marketplace, and Bespoke Events. Suppliers pay to exhibit and meet buyers.
3. Accelerator Programmes: Stage-based training programmes (Sky Launch, Ocean Ready, Track to Go) with registration fees for brands seeking to enter specific travel sectors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

TickEat connects food and beverage brands with travel and leisure buyers (airlines, rail operators, cruise lines, ferries, airport lounges, and hospitality providers) through curated in-person networking events, sector-specific accelerator programmes, masterclasses, strategy days, and a product sampling service. The company acts as a procurement solutions partner, helping suppliers secure listings with travel operators via pre-scheduled one-to-one meetings, domain expertise, and ongoing buyer introductions.

Product overview

TickEat operates as a platform-plus-events model for B2B procurement networking in the travel, leisure and hospitality food and beverage sector. The core offering combines curated events (Meet the Buyer, TickEat Marketplace, Dinner With The Buyers, Meet The Buyer: SPMLs Travel Edition, Bespoke Events) with structured accelerator programmes (Sky Launch for airlines, Track to Go for rail, Ocean Ready for cruise) and supporting services (Travel Buyer Box, Procurement Services, Travel Masterclasses, Strategy Days, Partnerships). TickEat connects innovative food and drink brands with procurement professionals from airlines, trains, cruise lines, ferries, airport lounges, and hospitality providers through pre-scheduled meetings, educational resources (TickEat Guides, Blog, Success Stories), and ongoing support, enabling brands to secure listings with travel operators.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Meet the Buyer Flagship curated B2B networking event bringing together 45+ top-tier travel buyers and innovative food and beverage suppliers for pre-scheduled one-to-one meetings, hosted at venues such as Doubletree Hilton, Milton Keynes.
• TickEat Marketplace Showcase event dedicated to innovative food and beverage brands less than five years old, presenting products to 40+ top-tier travel and leisure buyers in a relaxed environment the day before the main Meet the Buyer event.
• Dinner With The Buyers Intimate networking dinner event connecting food and beverage brands with travel buyers in a relaxed, social atmosphere designed for meaningful conversations and relationship building.
• Meet The Buyer: SPMLs Travel Edition UK's only travel-focused Special Meals (Free From, allergen-safe) Meet the Buyer event connecting SPML suppliers with buyers from airlines, rail, cruise, and travel retail seeking scalable compliant solutions.
• Bespoke Events Custom event planning service ranging from private dinners to focused buyer showcases, tailored to specific brand goals and budgets.
• Sky Launch 4-stage accelerator programme preparing food and drink brands to meet airline standards — from packaging, logistics, and menu fit — culminating in direct pitch to airline buyers.
• Track to Go 3-stage accelerator programme helping brands tailor products for onboard rail catering and station retail, aligning with passenger demand, formats, and operator requirements.
• Ocean Ready 3-stage accelerator programme supporting brands navigating cruise procurement, volume requirements, and multi-outlet dining, with insight, preparation, and buyer exposure.
• Travel Buyer Box Product sampling service where suppliers distribute products to 10 selected committed travel buyers who provide detailed structured feedback, enabling suppliers to test external markets and gain buyer insights.
• Procurement Services Strategic procurement service connecting travel buyers with innovative food and beverage suppliers, helping airlines, trains, cruise lines, lounges, and hospitality providers discover products that elevate customer experience.
• Travel Masterclasses Expert-led educational sessions providing insights into the travel, leisure, and hospitality industries for food and beverage brands seeking to enter the sector.
• Strategy Days Strategic planning session helping brands develop tailored approaches for entering the travel and leisure food and beverage market.
• Partnerships Strategic partnership service connecting food and beverage brands with travel industry partners to create lasting relationships and unlock new business opportunities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Suppliers report multiple follow-up meetings and new client acquisitions after single events
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers19 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• IFE (International Food Equipment)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 21 March 2025TickEat partnered with IFE to connect F&B suppliers with top travel industry buyers through exclusive networking and expert insights, opening new doors for innovation in travel catering
• Creating Nature's CorridorsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLogo partner displayed on TickEat website, representing environmental/sustainability focus in travel corridors
• Airline-Suppliers.comminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLogo partner representing airline supply industry network
• Rail-Suppliers.comminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLogo partner representing rail supply industry network
• Airport-Suppliers.comminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLogo partner representing airport supply industry network
• Coeliac SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial partner for Meet the Buyer: SPMLs Travel Edition event, supporting allergen-safe and Free From product sourcing in travel sector
• Free From Food AwardscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial partner for SPMLs Travel Edition, bringing expertise in Free From food evaluation and recognition to travel sector buyers
• Farm Shop & Deli ShowminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTickEat served as judges at Farm Shop & Deli Show for third consecutive year, helping spotlight innovative food and drink brands

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• RX Global (Reed Exhibitions): World's largest trade show organiser (owned by RELX), running major food, hospitality and travel events globally. Broad incumbent offering that overlaps with TickEat's buyer/supplier matchmaking but at vastly greater scale and across many verticals.

Direct peers

• CloserStill Media: UK-based B2B events organiser running major food and hospitality shows (e.g., Food & Drink Expo, HRC). Comparable GTM (curated B2B trade events) and overlapping F&B buyer/supplier audiences with TickEat, though at significantly larger scale.
• APEX/IFSA EXPO: Joint Airline Passenger Experience Association / International Flight Services Association expo covering airline catering, F&B and onboard hospitality. Closely comparable audience (airline buyers and F&B suppliers) to TickEat's Sky Launch and Meet the Buyer events.
• Hyve Group: International events company running food, hospitality and travel-adjacent exhibitions. Similar B2B events-led model targeting F&B suppliers and travel/retail buyers, overlapping with TickEat's marketplace and meet-the-buyer formats.
• Speciality & Fine Food Fair: UK trade fair for artisan and speciality F&B suppliers to meet retail and foodservice buyers. Comparable supplier-discovery and buyer-meeting format, though broader retail rather than travel-sector focused.
• Easyfairs: European events organiser operating specialised food, hospitality and logistics trade fairs. Comparable event-led B2B matchmaking model for F&B suppliers and buyers, with adjacent vertical focus to TickEat.
• The Onboard Hospitality Conference: Conference and networking platform dedicated to onboard hospitality across airlines, rail and cruise – directly comparable to TickEat's travel F&B networking proposition, though it is a media-led event rather than a matchmaking platform.
• PAX International: Media brand and event organiser covering airline catering, onboard retail and passenger experience. Comparable to TickEat in targeting the same airline F&B buyer/supplier community, though as a content-led rather than matchmaking-led business.
• WTCE (World Travel Catering & Onboard Services Expo): Flagship international trade exhibition focused on airline catering, onboard services and travel hospitality procurement. Direct peer to TickEat's travel F&B 'Meet the Buyer' concept, but operating at much larger, international scale.
• International Flight Services Association (IFSA): Global association serving the airline catering and in-flight services industry, producing content, events and buyer connections. Directly comparable audience to TickEat's airline buyer community, but as an association rather than a commercial platform.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tickeat
• Instagraminstagram.com/tickeat1

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about TICKEAT