AMERICAS. Regional travel retail associations ASUTIL and IAADFS have revealed the full speaker list for next month’s Executive Conference Sessions at the Duty Free & Travel Retail Summit of the Americas. The event will be held in Orlando on 18-21 March.
Joining keynote speakers previously announced such as Dufry Group CEO Julían Díaz will be Carnival Cruise Lines Chief Operating Officer Gustavo Gustavo Antorcha. He will reflect on the issues facing the critical cruise retail channel.
Kian Gould, Founder and CEO of AOE, a pioneer of airport omnichannel retail activities, will address the theme, ‘Travel Retail 2020: Digitally Disrupted or Digitally Evolved’. (As reported, Gould was named one of The Moodie Davitt Report’s Positive Disruptors of 2017).
In addition, Lewis Allen, Director of Environments at Portland Design, will address the topic: ‘When Different isn’t Good Enough: Better Shopping for Tomorrow’s Airports’.
The evolution of airline traffic in the region from 2018 to 2023 will be addressed by m1nd-set Owner and CEO Peter Mohn and by IATA Director Travel Intelligence Charles de Gheldere.
The Executive Conference Sessions take place on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday mornings at the event.
IAADFS and ASUTIL have also confirmed the participation of several key suppliers that are returning after an absence.
In fragrances & cosmetics, returning brands include Bvlgari, Christian Dior, L’Occitane, Puig Panama, and Rituals Cosmetics, joining long-time supporters in the category such as Essence Corp, Estée Lauder, Euroitalia and L’Oréal, among others. Other historical exhibitors returning after an absence are Furla, Haribo, Misaki and Philip Morris Duty Free, among others.
“We are excited to welcome back some of these major brands that are so important to the duty free and travel retail industry in the Americas and the Caribbean,” commented ASUTIL Secretary General José Luis Donagaray.
IAADFS president and CEO Michael Payne added: “We are also grateful for the continued support of our many long-time exhibitors, and we are pleased that this year’s supplier participation will be an even better reflection of the diversity offered by our many supplier partners.”
The exhibitor list for the 2018 Summit of the Americas includes nearly 140 companies. The 2018 floorplan can be found at www.2018summitoftheamericas.org/Exhibitors
More details about the 2018 Summit of the Americas, including the schedule of events and information about registration and housing, can be found at www.2018summitoftheamericas.org
