Routes Beijing – annie winners evenly distributed across globe

Refresh your screen if the movie doesn’t play – and don’t forget to turn your volume up.

Every year anna.aero awards “annies” for exhibitors at Routes that make a special effort to advance enterprise. This year’s event was, in the words of one airport commercial director, “incredible.” It was also marked by the impressive number of Chinese airports with equally impressive just-built or being-built international-class facilities, matched only by the quality of business development executives. Our choices were hard, but ultimately fair.

Best Star Signing – Haikou/Jetstar Asia

Mrs Chong struggles to field another deep, incisive question from anna.aero.

Jetstar Asia’s CEO, Chong Phit Lian, was the ‘star’ signing for, well, another signing – putting her public signature to an agreement to begin four times weekly Singapore-Haikou services on idyllic Hainan Island. Gunnar Moller, commercial director, Haikou Meilan International (who can be spied on the far left of the audience), told anna.aero: “It’s as good if not better than Phuket…there’s no crisis there – it just keeps going up.” Tourist infrastructure also continues to be built on Hainan at a furious pace – the largest cruise terminal in Asia is currently under construction at Sanya plus 32 new golf courses – “there are only 18 at present…” reflects Moller who identifies Russia (Siberia), Korea and Hong Kong as the present key international markets.

Best Chocolate – Budapest

Budapest again!!!! The traditional chocolate nations came nowhere in the field again this year. Unusually for us we accepted a milk chocolate entry from the Hungarians which was irresistibly creamy and satisfying. We also liked Warsaw Chopin’s chocolate pianos and similarly Abu Dhabi Airport Co’s chocolate is Highly Commended.

Best Liquid Refreshment – GMR

The Kingfisher served by GMR along with Indian traditional method sparkling wines takes this annie. Unsurprisingly, there were lots of other national drinks most of which we didn’t try (for some divine reason almost all the anna.aero staff writers are almost universally non-drinkers – although this was not always previously the case). Copenhagen also imported Carlsberg and bottled water in order to convince airlines “we want you” and that it offered “the best gateway to the Scandinavian market.” At least one airline took up the offer – Germanwings announced it would begin Cologne services

Best Coffee – Tanzania

Fittingly this was the “best” Robusta and Arabica coffee offered by the Tanzanians, modelled here by Pascal Kirenga, head of commercial services Kilimanjaro International Airport, and Serena Shao, tourism services manager, Tanzania Tourist Board.

Best Costume Dance – Yunnan Airport Group

Yunnan Airport Group manages 12 airports including the New Kunming Airport which is scheduled to open in 2011. Overall, the province’s 11th Five Year Plan is based on annual growth of 15% – seen as conservative in some circles. The list of airports undergoing construction and development is too lengthy to detail here but can be read at your leisure in Tuesday’s anna.aero Routes Beijing Daily.

Most Promising Upstart – Diosdado Macapagal International Airport

OK it’s 10 years old now, but that’s still young for an airport and the Philippines’ former USAF Clark air base – now Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) was also a first-time exhibitor this year. DMIA sees itself as a promising alterative to Manila and told anna.aero it has been in discussions with Jetstar Asia during the event. “By October, Spirit of Manila Airlines will start flights to Taipei, Taiwan, and the Middle East, while Zest Air will begin flying to Hong Kong later this month. We are also hoping to introduce Korean Airlines/Seoul Incheon by the end of this year,” explained Darwin Lacson Cunanan, corporate planning manager. The airport has seen a 22% year-on-year increase in passenger traffic for the period of January-June 2009 and expects passengers to reach 600,000 by year-end.

Best looking Routes Daily girls – anna.aero

The publications were pretty good too, appearing each day at 8am, fully inclusive of all the previous day’s news – including the Routes Marketing Awards.

Best Overall Exhibit

Well there has to be credit where credit is due – while Routes awarded Beijing Capital with The Routes Outstanding Achievement Award, we’re happy to give full and prominent acknowledgement to the fact that the hosts threw an incredible party complete with a breathtaking gala dinner at The Great Hall of the People. How does anyone follow this act? Buckingham Palace? The White House? It’s hard to say, but anyone with a sense of history could not fail to be moved by the truly unique privilege of banqueting in such a location, the scene of so many corners turned since the revolution, on the very eve of another turning point – the 60th anniversary of the founding of the PRC this weekend.