ASIA PACIFIC. The Tax Free World Association (TFWA) has underlined the strong support for its TFWA Asia Pacific Live networking event at the Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre in Singapore, 9-11 May.
Full details of the programme of events are available here.
With Changi Airport as the official host, TFWA Asia Pacific Live aims to provide an opportunity for the duty free and travel retail industry across the region to network in-person once again. The event is also being supported by the Asia Pacific Travel Retail Association (APTRA) and the Singapore Tourism Board.
Dufry, Mondelēz and Bacardi-Martini have been named as platinum sponsors, while Duty Free Global and Brown-Forman will be supporting the TFWA Asia Pacific Lounge, and Lindt will sponsor the coffee break. Les Chocolats de Pauline, Leonidas, iClick Interactive and Imperial Tobacco will be supporting the One2One meeting service.
“It’s very pleasing to see such strong support for TFWA Asia Pacific Live in Singapore. Our events have long demonstrated the value of being able to meet and discuss business face-to-face and we are certain that this meeting will prove to be of value to all attending.” – TFWA President Erik Juul-Mortensen
According to TFWA, pre-registered buyers, landlords and retailers include Dufry, Heinemann Asia Pacific, Lotte Duty Free Oceania and Malaysia Airports.
TFWA President Erik Juul-Mortensen said: “It’s very pleasing to see such strong support for TFWA Asia Pacific Live in Singapore.
“Our events have long demonstrated the value of being able to meet and discuss business face-to-face and we are certain that this meeting will prove to be of value to all attending. The eclectic range of speakers from a broad spectrum of areas within and beyond our industry will provide something for everyone.”
The event will include a number of workshops, starting with the Opening Plenary Session featuring addresses from TFWA President Erik Juul-Mortensen and APTRA President Sunil Tuli on 10 May.
The session – from 9am to 10.30am – will feature a talk by big data and AI expert Dr Ayesha Khanna on how new technologies and modes of consumption are changing the way brands are bought and sold.
Later in the day, a Focus on India workshop will spotlight the country’s role in the recovery of the Asian market. Speakers will include Delhi Duty Free CEO Ashish Chopra and Bangalore International Airport Ltd Assistant VP Commercial Development Pravat Kumar Paikray.
The APTRA Exchange will focus on travel trends and regulatory issues, with speakers to be announced shortly.
Sessions on 11 May include a State of the travel market in Asia Pacific workshop, with speakers including Dufry Group Asia Pacific COO Pedro Castro; Tripadvisor Group Head of Destination Marketing APEC Sarah Matthews; Airport Economics and Senior Expert Ilia Lioutov; and Duty Free Expert Founder and Amberich International HK Founder and General Manager Jason Cao.
A discussion on Sustainable Futures, which will consider what sustainability means for shoppers across the Asian region, and a Digital Transformation in Southeast Asia workshop are also part of the programme. The Digital Transformation session will be headed by Meta Southeast Asia Regional Director Dhruv Vohra and Bain & Company Partner Praneeth Yendamuri.
In between workshops, delegates are encouraged to conduct face-to-face formal conversations by using the TFWA One2One meeting facilities. Online registration for TFWA Asia Pacific Live is now open by email: visitors@tfwa.com. Further information on the event is available here.
