Successful ASUTIL Conference welcomes 307 delegates to Bogotá

The 2024 ASUTIL Conference hosted a total of 307 delegates in Bogotá, Colombia this week, the maximum capacity for the TFWA-managed event.

Delegates heard from some of the best informed and most compelling speakers in the region, who covered such topics as digital strategy and consumer loyalty, the future of the beauty sector in travel retail, and consumer trends across the LATAM region.

Across these sessions, attendees heard from a wide variety of industry professionals, including:

• Enrique Urioste, ASUTIL President
• Carlos Loaiza-Keel, ASUTIL Secretary General
• Sarah Branquinho, Duty Free World Council President
• Iñigo Pirfano, renowned author, composer, and orchestra conductor
• Vijay Talwar, Avolta Chief Commercial and Digital Officer
• Valeria Yglesias, Chief Commercial Officer at LifeMiles
• Pablo Cobian, General Manager - Shiseido Travel Retail Americas
• Diego Artola, Vice President - Coty Travel Retail 
• Yennifer Abreu, Area Sales Director - Essence Corp
• Carlos Melconian, world-renowned economist
• Ignacio Lasa, VP Commercial - Motta Internacional 
• Cyril Letocart, CEO - Lagardère Travel Retail Peru
• Gian Botteri, Senior Vice President and Head of Cruise Division – Avolta
• Dr. Peter Mohn, m1nd-set founder and CEO
• Tamara Spada, Global Key Account Manager - Nestlé
• Alejandro Sanabria Amortegui, Sustainability Manager – El Dorado Airport
• Camillo Rossotto, Chief Public Affairs and ESG Officer - Avolta
• Dr. Roberto Canessa, celebrated author, cardiologist and survivor of the Andes plane crash of 1972
• Dermot Davitt, The Moodie Davitt Report President

The Welcome Session and Cocktail, hosted at the Hilton Bogotá Corferias and sponsored by Attenza Duty Free, set an upbeat, positive tone for the event. A lively social programme provided ample networking opportunities, with one of the many highlights being the Closing Cocktail on Thursday, sponsored by Carilux Duty Free. Delegates were also treated to a Gala Dinner, courtesy of Avolta, which took place at the Gaira Café Cumbia House by Carlos Vives, a restaurant famed for its authentically Colombian ambiance and known as the ‘temple of music’ by local aficionados.

Delegates who stayed for an extra day were treated to an expedition to Zipaquirá to explore Colombia’s famous Salt Cathedral, located 180 metres underground and entirely carved in salt.

ASUTIL would like to thank all the sponsors of the event, including Avolta, Attenza, Colonia Express, Carilux Duty Free, Japan Tobacco International, Mondelēz, Lindt, Campari Group, Heineken, República del Cacao, Travel Blue, Essence Corp, Victorinox, B+D, Avianca LifeMiles, King of Reach B&S, Benigna and The Hershey Company.

June 18^th marked a significant milestone in ASUTIL’s history as we kicked off the Conference for the very first time in Bogotá. After months of dedicated planning with TFWA’s support, we extend our sincere gratitude to all our sponsors, delegates, and team members. Your support and participation were crucial in making this conference possible and successful. We hope all attendees experienced the unique and magical ASUTIL atmosphere, reflecting the vibrant spirit of Latin American and Caribbean businesses. We look forward to seeing you all again next year.
Carlos Loaiza-Keel, Secretary General, ASUTIL

“This week’s ASUTIL Conference in the vibrant city of Bogotá has underscored the significant role this event plays in bringing together the Latin American duty free and travel retail industry. We at TFWA are delighted to have supported the organisation of the conference, and the positive feedback we have received throughout the week indicates that our attendees enjoyed both the insightful sessions and the dynamic social events. We look forward to welcoming our Latin American colleagues to the TFWA World Exhibition & Conference in Cannes later this year."
Erik Juul-Mortensen, President, TFWA