| “This has been the most informative and interactive MEDFA event to date” MEDFA President Colm McLoughlin
The 2005 Middle East Duty Free Conference at Dubai’s Le Meridien Hotel attracted a record 320 delegates from 170 companies and 40 countries. Now in its fourth year, the conference is managed by TFWA on behalf of the Middle East Duty Free Association (MEDFA), an association of duty free retailers from across the region. The conference addressed key issues fundamental to airport retailing, retailing of luxury goods and customer service. “This has been the most informative and interactive MEDFA event to date,” stated MEDFA President Colm McLoughlin (Dubai Duty Free Managing Director). “MEDFA’s managing partner TFWA has organised an event which we believe has set a benchmark for quality regional conferences."
In just four years, MEDFA’s annual conference has established itself as one of the leading conferences on the duty free industry’s calendar, attracting retailers from across the Middle East and multi-national product suppliers from across Europe. No less than 10 scheduled networking sessions helped to make the MEDFA Conference a critically important venue for Middle East retailers and their suppliers as well as for those who wished to break into this burgeoning market.
The conference programme kicked off with a keynote speech from Mark Riches, Managing Director of World Duty Free and Managing Director of the venerable BAA Global Airport Retail. Riches addressed “The Great Consumer Obsession”, while TFWA President Erik Juul-Mortensen set out some key challenges for global suppliers to stay customer-focused. 2005 Conference programme 2005 Conference speakers | 
