The Airline Catering Association (ACA) Leadership Symposium takes place in under a month. This year, the airline catering industry will gather in Toulouse from 18-20 February to discuss emerging trends, share best practices, and address sector challenges.

Airline Catering International asked some of this years attendees to tell us about themselves, the people behind the companies, and what excites them most about taking part in the event. Here is what SUBU Connect said ahead of its presentation at the Pitch Galley during the conference next month.

What is SUBU Connect?

SUBU Connect is a B2B marketplace platform designed to simplify and strengthen global food and beverage sourcing. Purpose built for airline procurement teams where timing, consistency, and compliance are mission-critical, the platform directly connects verified buyers and suppliers. This helps to reduce complexity, improve visibility, and enable faster, more confident decision-making across supply chains.

The idea for SUBU Connect emerged from first-hand experience of the challenges facing food procurement today. These range from rising costs, fragmented sourcing, limited transparency, and reliance on inefficient intermediaries. As digital tools increasingly shape how industries operate, SUBU Connect forms part of a broader shift towards smarter sourcing models.

Who is behind SUBU Connect?

The company was founded by Matt McCabe and launched in 2025. McCabe’s career spans professional kitchens, public sector roles, and commercial positions within aviation. This gives him a unique end-to-end perspective on how food systems operate and where they fall short.

At its core, SUBU Connect is about enabling better connections. By providing inflight caterers with access to a trusted, global network of suppliers, the platform supports agility, scalability, and informed sourcing decisions. It also helps suppliers engage directly with qualified buyers in a fair and transparent environment.

 

What does it expect from the ACA Symposium?

SUBU Connect is proud to take part in the ACA Symposium and join the Pitch Galley alongside fellow members. Being part of an event that brings together innovation, and shared purpose across inflight catering is something we value deeply.

What excites SUBU Connect most is the opportunity to contribute to a wider industry conversation. The inflight catering sector is at a pivotal moment, shaped by sustainability pressures and regulatory change. Events like this create space not just to showcase innovation, but to listen, learn, and collaborate with the organisations driving the future of the industry.

SUBU Connect is more than a platform. It reflects a belief that stronger, more transparent connections can help build a better food system for aviation and beyond.

 

featured image: Adobe Stock