AUSTRALASIA & PACIFIC. The Australian Airports Association (AAA), in partnership with The Mercurius Group and The Moodie Davitt Report, have announced plans to hold the second Airport Retail & Commercial Forum in Brisbane from 17-19 July.
The Forum will take place at the Sofitel Hotel in Brisbane Central, with Brisbane Airport Corporation (BAC) as host. The Gala Dinner will be held at the Queensland Art Gallery.
BAC CEO Gert-Jan de Graaff said the airport company was eager to host airport colleagues from across the country.
“Commercial services are critical to all airports and the landscape is constantly changing. This forum gives us all a chance to come together to discuss important issues facing the airport commercial industry and to grab hold of new opportunities.” said de Graaff.
This year’s theme is ‘Beyond Recovery – Accelerating Growth’ and follows the success of last year’s inaugural Retail & Commercial Forum.
The 2022 Forum, held in Gold Coast, attracted around 200 delegates from across Australia, New Zealand and The Pacific and included representatives of airport companies, commercial concessionaires and services providers across multiple channels, along with consultants and advisers.
The event covered all sources of airport commercial operations including duty free, specialty retail, F&B, currency change, out-of-home advertising, car parking, car rental, ground transport, hotels and property. It also included an exhibition showcasing brands, retailers and other service providers, which will be repeated and expanded in 2023.
AAA Chief Executive James Goodwin said there was positive feedback from the previous event in 2022.
“It was great to see participation from small, medium and large airports, ranging from capital city airports to regional and remote aerodromes, highlighting the level of interest in improving commercial operations,” Goodwin said.
The Mercurius Group Managing Director Ivo Favotto said that the Forum appeals to all those involved in airport commercial services.
“We plan to continue to give all commercial operations a platform – from retail including duty free, specialty, F&B and forex to ground transport including car parking, car rental and ride share to advertising and property. We will also include architecture, consumer research, planning and customer service.”
The Moodie Davitt Report President Dermot Davitt said the Forum represents an important event for stakeholders from across the industry.
“The Forum is a compelling addition to our international portfolio of events for the airport commercial revenues sector including The Trinity Forum and the Airport Food & Beverage & Hospitality Conference. We look forward to bringing airports, commercial concessionaires and brands together at this AAA event in 2023.”
Event organisers are calling for expressions of interest (EOI) for speakers on topics that may be of interest to the airport commercial revenues sector. Please contact Ivo Favotto at ifavotto@themercuriusgroup.com to submit an EOI. ✈
