Conference & Workshop

The conference commenced with a state-of-the-industry address by TFWA President Erik Juul-Mortensen, who provided his perspective on the industry's immediate and long-term future during a time of considerable change. 

Heightened geopolitical tensions are challenging global organizations to rethink their growth strategies worldwide. Today’s uncertainty in the international arena requires considering fundamental shifts in strategies and structures. What impact will geopolitical changes have on the future of international trade? What does this mean for the duty-free and travel retail industry, which depends on interconnectedness and the free movement of people and goods? How can businesses adapt to the ongoing geopolitical transformation? The conference opening session, featuring a conversation with former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, explored ways to navigate the evolving global order. 

The duty free and travel retail industry stands at a critical juncture, requiring continuous evolution in today’s market. It is essential for industry players to swiftly adapt and stay agile to cater to the new generation of travelling consumers. To thrive, brands must tackle these challenges head-on, while building and maintaining strong customer loyalty, exploring new growth opportunities, and connecting with tech-savvy customers. To explore emerging trends and changes in consumption behaviour, delegates heard from anthropologist, futurist, best-selling author and CEO of meta-media studio Radical Next, Sam Rad. 

The recent years have witnessed remarkable advancements in the business world, driven by new technologies, ambitious goals, and a new generation's quest for unique experiences. What does the future of travel hold in this new era of conducting business? What can the duty-free and travel retail industry anticipate and how can we tackle the challenges ahead? To provide insight into the future of business and travel, the closing session featured Anousheh Ansari, NASA astronaut, the first female private space explorer and CEO of XPrize Foundation.  Anousheh also delved into strategies for companies to embrace a mindset of exploration and bold innovation, essential for thriving in a constantly changing arena.  

In a 90-minute session, delegates heard the latest developments and challenges in the travel retail ecosystem. The session featured insight from Marie Isquenderian , Senior Consultant for Innovation at Euromonitor International on the impact of digital trends in daily consumption. Alex Liu, Partner and Chairman Emeritus at leading consulting firm Kearney shared their studies and analysis of innovative strategies that every stakeholder can adopt to thrive in this dynamic environment. The second part of the workshop heard an update from the Airport Council International (ACI)’s specialist committee on Airport Non-Aeronautical Revenues and Activities (ANARA), which was led by Andrew Ford, founder of Paccaya Resources and chair of ANARA, Isabel Zarza, CEO Southern Europe for AVOLTA, and Ian Cesa of Horizon Consumer Science.

The workshop was moderated by Michele Miranda, Conference Director, TFWA.