CANADA. The Frontier Duty Free Association (FDFA) will continue to run a stand-alone Canadian convention for the next three years, but has pledged to update the format to offer better value to members and exhibitors.
As reported, South American duty free association Asociacion Sudamericana de Tiendas Libres (ASUTIL) and the International Association of Airport and Duty Free Stores (IAADFS) will integrate their existing annual events from March 2018 in a new Summit of the Americas. The FDFA had been invited to explore synergies and take part in a single Americas event.
But following a Strategic Review, the FDFA revealed its plans for the 2018 to 2020 period at the recent Operator Semi-Annual Meeting in Mississauga, Ontario. There, Committee Chair Tania Lee presented plans for a new format from next year.
Further details will emerge soon but the format, said FDFA, will feature “more cost savings, better quality convention meetings, increased time efficiencies, better operator/owner unity and increased quality networking opportunities”. The move was approved by the operator membership by unanimous agreement.
FDFA Executive Director Laurie Karson said the association had struck a three-year contract for the convention at the King Edward Hotel in Toronto from 2018. This will end the practice of moving the event from city to city. This year’s convention takes place at the Westin Hotel in Montreal from 12-15 November.
The FDFA said it will “continue to support at every level our duty free partners of the Americas and look forward to identifying more common synergies with our global and North American duty free family.”
