The numbers are promising - over 300 exhibiting companies, more than 10,000 square metres of floorspace and a likely visitor total above 3,000. As the countdown begins to the regional summit at Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands Convention Centre, the stage is set for a productive few days. As well as expanding its footprint with more room for brands, the Exhibition will stand taller as the number of two-storey stands rises. Examples will include Kering Eyewear, Moët Hennessy and P&G Global Travel Retail. Among the new names appearing at the show are Japanese skincare company Kanebo, American makeup brand Stila, The East India Company (Confectionery & Fine Foods) and India-based Wild Tiger Rum (Wines & Spirits). As always, TFWA’s ONE2ONE meeting service will be there to organise introductory encounters for exhibitors and retailers with airports and airlines plus cruise and ferry companies.
The week’s formal business begins on Monday morning with the Conference, entitled #TRevolution. Two thought-provoking plenary sessions will assess the industry’s current performance, explore how new technology is transforming travel and compare the industry’s much-debated concession model with examples from outside duty free and travel retail. A customised smartphone app developed with Mondelez will allow delegates to put questions to the distinguished panel of speakers. After a networking lunch (sponsored by Neuhaus), three simultaneous workshops will examine the friction-free shopping experience, the gamification of travel retail, and the regulatory challenges facing the industry. Leonidas and Incheon International Airport Corporation are kindly sponsoring the morning and end-of-afternoon refreshment breaks respectively. Changi Airport Group are diamond sponsors of the overall Conference, with China Duty Free Group as platinum sponsors. Conference hostess outfits are provided by Pourchet, while Skross are providing the charging stations and the delegate notebooks come from Dufry.
The chance to chat with colleagues and make new contacts is a prime attraction of TFWA Asia Pacific Exhibition & Conference, which is where the networking programme comes in. The golf tournament, organised with Interparfums, tees off early on Sunday morning at the Raffles Country Club. A new venue for the Welcome Cocktail (Sunday from 7:30pm), the stunning Gardens by the Bay, features the world’s largest glass greenhouse, while the show-stopping Singapore Swing Party (8pm on Thursday night at the JW Marriott) promises an other-worldly ‘Avatar’ theme combining music, performance and spectacular lighting. Between the two, guests can enjoy some down time at the Chill-Out Party on Tuesday (from 7:30pm on the Mandarin Oriental’s roof) sponsored by Lacoste and Korean Ginseng. Entrance to the social events is by invitation via the full delegate package.
To help delegates enjoy a productive week in Singapore, TFWA offers a range of digital tools. The Exhibition Directory, already online, is a searchable database of exhibitors and brands plus pre-registered visitors. Access codes are issued on completion of the registration process. The Product Showcase, open for business now until four weeks after the show, details brand launches and innovations featuring in Singapore. Again, the data is searchable, with information and visuals available for download. The mobile-friendly Digital Diary puts the event programme, exhibitor index, maps and more on any smartphone. Finally, delegates can see what’s happening before, during and after the show by following TFWA on social media – details below. Pre-registration has been extended to 13 April, so if you haven’t already done so, book your place via tfwa.com now.
See who’s exhibiting
View the Conference and Workshop line-up
Check the networking programme in Singapore
Access TFWA’s digital tools for delegates
Browse the innovations in the TFWA Product Showcase
Follow TFWA on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and WeChat