IAADFS and ASUTIL aim for “intimate and connected” Summit of the Americas with new 2019 venue

AMERICAS. IAADFS President & CEO Michael Payne and ASUTIL Secretary General José Luis Donagaray concluded the first Summit of the Americas by addressing media questions and concerns about the show’s content, buyer numbers and trade floor traffic.

Despite numerous challenges faced by this year’s inaugural event, the joint organisers expressed their optimistic expectations for the 2019 Summit. This will take place in a new location for the first time in a decade, at the Hyatt Regency in Orlando.

This week’s show at the Marriott World Centre in Orlando combined the efforts of both trade organisations. IAADFS retained the location of the previous Duty Free Show of the Americas and its exhibition floor format, while ASUTIL brought its conference and networking elements to the event.

IAADFS President & CEO Michael Payne (left) and ASUTIL Secretary General José Luis Donagaray said the event is “on the right path”

“On behalf of ASUTIL we are satisfied with the result. We can always improve and have work to do to improve for the future but it was a very good experience nevertheless. We are on the right path,” said Donagaray.

IAADFS’s Payne concurred, adding the team would have preferred to launch the Summit at a new location earlier but said that contractual hurdles with the Marriott made this impossible. He added: “We are satisfied with the executive learning sessions and speakers but we will adjust timings depending on feedback.” Shorter morning sessions or a half-day conference are among the options that will be considered.

Delegate numbers decline

Despite the combined IAADFS and ASUTIL shows, registrations were down year-on-year. Preliminary figures suggest there were 1,860 registrations, 180-200 down on 2017.

“Clearly the low traffic has been one of the challenges for us this year,” said Payne. Three main factors hit registrations – a decline in on-site registrations from Caribbean/South American delegates due to several factors, including the continuing impact of last year’s hurricanes on operations. A clash of dates with the 2018 ProWein wine show in Düsseldorf (and proximity of Baselworld on March 22-27) and consolidation of suppliers and retailers have also affected numbers.

“In terms of exhibition space, we actually have around 1,000sq ft more than last year and eight more exhibitors, and are ahead in terms of buyer numbers in the pre-registration count,” noted Payne. “We hope next year will be better as we’re not conflicting with any other shows.”

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Over and out from Orlando
There is much food for thought and for now the Duty Free & Travel Retail Summit of the Americas remains very much a work in progress.
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Low trade market penetration 

One criticism of the show from exhibitors was the low footfall on the trade market floor with buyers being swept away to meetings in private suites or the hotel lobby bar. The latter is a particularly frustrating challenge, noted the organisers, with many unregistered companies using the show to conduct business.

The associations introduced a Networking Time scheme based on the ASUTIL event model to combat this issue. The service allowed non-exhibiting suppliers to connect with buyers. However, some exhibitors voiced complaints about the restrictions of the scheme.

“We tried to give more added value to [the show on] Wednesday and try to avoid the fact that people are coming here and not registering but having meetings in the hotel. They can buy a daily pass [with this service],” said Donagaray.

IAADFS and ASUTIL hope to combat these challenges with the change of venue next year. The Hyatt Regency in Orlando presents a tighter set-up with more suites closer to the exhibition space and an “intimate and connected” environment, said Payne.

The Summit of the Americas in 2019 will have 110,000sq ft of exhibition space at the Hyatt, where the event is contracted to take place for the next few years.

In closing, Donagaray and Payne said the associations have discussed several alternative locations to Orlando such as Cancún, Las Vegas and Panama in response to calls for a change of scene from some delegates. But they argued that must consider factors such as flight times and availability for all participants along with various logistical costs. “We could go to Las Vegas and it will be new for the first year, but after that, it’s the same Las Vegas,” said Donagaray. “This show must run independently of the venue,” he concluded.

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