QATAR. The Trinity Forum 2019 joint hosts Hamad International Airport, Qatar Duty Free and Qatar Airways have vowed that this year’s event will be among the most memorable in the event’s 16-year history.
The 2019 hosts today announced that they will host a spectacular golf event preceding The Trinity Forum.
The Trinity Forum Golf Day will take place on the afternoon of Tuesday 29 October 2019 at the new Education City Golf Club. Described by the hosting partners as a landmark project for Qatar and the world of golf, Education City Golf Club offers a “revolutionary and holistic approach” to one of the world’s most popular sports.
“We are really going to town to make this year’s event one of, if not the best, Trinity Forum ever,” a Qatar Duty Free spokesman told The Moodie Davitt Report.
Participants will play 18 holes of golf using state-of-the-art equipment. Any non-golfers who would like to be involved can take part in a golf clinic that will teach them the basics of the game and welcome them into the sport.
Hamad International Airport, Qatar Duty Free and Qatar Airways will also be hosting city tours on the morning of Wednesday 30 October to showcase Qatar and some of its landmarks, ahead of the start of The Trinity Forum conference.
Charles Chen joins powerful speaking line-up
Meanwhile, China Duty Free Group (CDFG) President Charles Chen – recently promoted to also become President of China International Travel Services (CITS) – joins an already star-studded speakers’ line-up. Chen, the driving force behind CDFG’s remarkable growth of recent years, will be interviewed in a one-to-one session with The Moodie Davitt Report Founder & Chairman Martin Moodie.
In what is arguably the most provocative and challenging programme in the event’s history, Chen will also be joined (in a separate session) by two of the most senior executives from Chinese ecommerce and retail giant Alibaba, Angel Zhao and Roman Zhu.
Zhao is President of Alibaba’s Global Business Group while Zhu is General Manager of Fliggy Buy – Alibaba’s new platform that allows Chinese travellers to make purchases online at duty free and tax free shops before they leave home.
They will join His Excellency Akbar Al Baker, who is CEO of Qatar Airways Group, Secretary General of the Qatar National Tourism Council and CEO of several divisions of Qatar’s national airline, including Qatar Executive, Hamad International Airport, Qatar Aviation Services, Qatar Aircraft Catering Company, Qatar Distribution Company, Qatar Duty Free and Internal Media Services for the event.
KrisShop CEO Chris Pok is another newly-confirmed speaker. As featured in the latest issue of The Moodie Davitt eZine, KrisShop recently unveiled a new look for its omnichannel platform, which joint venture partners Singapore Airlines, 3Sixty and ground services provider SATS said would “help redefine travel retail in years to come”.
Another stand-out session sees an Airports CEO panel featuring Kansai International’s Emmanuel Menanteau, Queen Alia International’s Kjeld Binger and Pittsburgh International’s Christina Cassotis.
Woods Bagot Global|North America Retail Sector Leader Kevin Roche; OurShop (AirAsia) CEO Lalitha Sivanaser; SSP America Executive Vice President Pat Murray; Groupe ADP Chief Retail Officer Aude Ferrand; Hamad International Airport Chief Operating Officer Badr Al-Meer; and Heathrow Airport Retail Director Fraser Brown are other top speakers.
They are joined by Container Hotel Group CEO & Co-founder Ryan Loo; Nestlé International Travel Retail General Manager Stewart Dryburgh; L’Oréal Travel Retail Global Retail & Digital Director Sophie Neyertz-Ehrsam; and Philip Morris International (PMI) Travel Retail Head Edvinas Katilius.
Other pre-eminent industry executives incliude Pernod Ricard Global Travel Retail Chairman and CEO Mohit Lal; Mars Wrigley International Travel Retail Global Category Director Raghav Rekhi; AOE CEO Kian Gould; Zürich Airport Head of Commercial Centres Heidi Köpple; oOh! Media Chief Commercial and Product Officer Robbie Derry; and Wildstone Consulting Managing Director Paula Oliver.
The Trinity Challenge
As reported, Mondelez World Travel Retail has partnered with The Moodie Davitt Report for the Trinity Challenge, in line with the confectionery house’s role as Innovation Partner for The Trinity Forum 2019.
The Trinity Challenge aims to rekindle the pioneering mindset of the original Trinity White Paper by encouraging stakeholders to challenge each other and question prevailing wisdom.
The Trinity Challenge asks contestants to set themselves as a landlord, tenant, brand or consultant at the hypothetical Nirvana Airport. Contestants are asked to break the conventional wisdom of travel retail and pitch an innovative new idea that could be implemented at the airport.
The concept must involve the participation and investment from all three members of the Trinity, to be considered a true Trinity partnership. The objectives are to drive increased penetration, higher average transaction value and greater frequency of purchase.
Submissions can consider the following areas: omnichannel, sustainability, technology, logistics solutions, marketing concepts, new categories and segmentation, new business models, new experiences and media.
Entries close on 21 September.
Packed social programme
A city tour on the morning of 30 October and the Opening Cocktail event, sponsored by Diageo, that evening, are other highlights.
The Forum will conclude on the evening of 31 October with a Gala Dinner hosted by Hamad International Airport, Qatar Airways and Qatar Duty Free, with spirits and wines kindly provided by Pernod Ricard. The full itinerary can be viewed here.
This year’s Trinity Forum, organised by The Moodie Davitt Report, ACI World and ACI Asia-Pacific, is being co-hosted by Qatar Duty Free, Hamad International Airport and Qatar Airways.
The Trinity Forum, which has grown to become the world’s most influential airport commercial revenues conference, will be taking place at the St. Regis Hotel in Doha.
Qatar Airways is offering a 15% discount on fares to and from Doha for delegates (https://www.qatarairways.com/en-qa/offers/cug/TTF19.html – Promotional Code: DOHTTF19).
Platinum partners for the event include Diageo Global Travel; Dufry; L’Oréal Travel Retail; Mars Wrigley International Travel Retail; Pernod Ricard Global Travel Retail; and Mondelēz International, which is also Innovation Partner and champion of the Trinity Challenge.
Silver partners include Rituals and Victorinox and App Partners Smart Alliance.
Additional partners include Cabin Zero, CAPI, Godiva, Happy Socks, Lacoste, Leonidas, Loacker, Long Haul Spa, Mercedes-Benz Parfums, Nestlé International Travel Retail, Tous and Travel Food Services.
For sponsorship opportunities please contact Irene Revilla at Irene@MoodieDavittReport.com or Sarah Genest at Sarah@MoodieDavittReport.com
