2024 Programme
CET
Golf
Laguna National Golf and Country Club
Staged at one of Singapore's premier courses, the 2019 tournament featured a rich array of prizes for nearest the water, the longest drive and more. Conviviality counted just as much as skills on the greens and fairways, however.
More details about the social events
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Welcome Cocktail
Fort Canning
Guests soaked up some colonial splendour while renewing old acquaintances and meeting new friends. The venue for 2019's Welcome Cocktail was the historic Fort Canning set in 18 hectares of lush greenery, where you could stroll on the garden terrace or relax in an air-conditioned marquee while you added to your contacts.
Dress code: Smart casual
Entrance by invitation only (part of the Full Delegate Status)
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Welcome coffee & refreshments
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Conference: Plenary session 1
Main Ballroom, Level 5, Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre
The first plenary session of the Conference updated delegates on the current state of the duty free & travel retail industry, explored the context for companies doing business in the Asia Pacific region, and looked at how new developments in retail will influence the duty free market in the years ahead.
Alain Maingreaud, President, Tax Free World Association
In his first address to the TFWA Asia Pacific Conference, Alain Maingreaud shared the latest available regional and global sales data, and also gave his personal perspective on the role TFWA can play in providing a platform for the duty free & travel retail industry to grow.
Andrew Ford, President, Asia Pacific Travel Retail Association
The Asia Pacific Travel Retail Association (APTRA) defends the interests of the region’s thriving duty free industry. In a Q&A session, President Andrew Ford updated delegates on how APTRA is helping the region build on its leadership status.
Our keynote speakers this year offered insights on the context against which our industry operates, both with regard to the current instability in regional and global economies, and to the future of retail.
Robert Guest, Foreign Editor, The Economist
The Economist is renowned worldwide as the journal of choice for anyone with an interest in international business, politics and economics. Robert Guest is the magazine’s Foreign Editor, and has a rare insight into the dynamics underpinning business in Asia Pacific and worldwide. He addressed how the geopolitical climate is affecting trading relations between the major powers, offering his view on what delegates can expect during the uncertain years ahead.
Kate Ancketill, CEO, GDR Creative Intelligence
At a time when the pressures on the High Street have never been greater, Kate Ancketill examined what makes a successful retailer in today’s consumer market. Drawing from examples of “digital native” brands, she explored the new techniques that will influence how and what future shoppers buy, looking at the role of artificial intelligence and other developments in technology.
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Business networking with coffee
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Conference: Plenary session 2
Main Ballroom, Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre, Level 5
The second plenary session focused on new developments in travel retail, with contributions from two prominent retailers and the world’s leading airport by retail sales.
A travel retail revolution?
3Sixty Duty Free, previously the DFASS Group, claims to be “redefining travel retail” through its embrace of a new omni-channel approach, typified by its KrisShop joint venture with Singapore Airlines and SATS. The retailer’s Executive Vice Chairman, Roberto Graziani, explained how 3Sixty plans to achieve its aim to lead a “generational change” in the duty free & travel retail industry.
Pacific perspective
Australasia has long been a vital part of the regional duty free & travel retail market, and in recent years has benefited from a significant increase in the number of visiting Chinese tourists. In this session, Przemyslaw Lesniak, CEO of Lagardère Travel Retail Pacific, provided a perspective on the steps needed to ensure the market’s recent growth is sustainable.
Airports of the future
With duty free sales of US2.4 billion last year, South Korea’s Incheon International is the world’s biggest airport by retail revenue. As a wave of tenders at Incheon approaches, the airport’s Director of Concessions Planning Team Dong-ik Shin discussed the role of retail in the airport of the future.
The morning plenary sessions were moderated by John Rimmer, Managing Director, Tax Free World Association, and Dermot Davitt, President, The Moodie Davitt Report.
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Business networking lunch
Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre, Level 5
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Conference: Plenary session 3
Main Ballroom, Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre, Level 5
The third plenary session addressed a range of topics that will influence the path of the duty free & travel retail industry, from training to sustainability, branding to store design.
Investing in people
TFWA was delighted that the TFWA Asia Pacific Exhibition & Conference marked the launch of the DFWC Academy, a new initiative that will provide accredited, specialized training modules to students and employees working in the duty free & travel retail industry. Launching the project, Duty Free World Council President Frank O’Connell explained how the DFWC Academy can benefit all stakeholders active in the industry.
In search of sustainability
Sustainability is no longer just about paying lip service to environmental concerns; it is a vital component of the strategy of any forward-thinking brand or retailer. In this session Pernod Ricard Group Vice President Sustainability & Responsibility Vanessa Wright explored steps that brands and retailers in duty free & travel retail can take to limit their impact on the environment, increase awareness among consumers, and create positive brand stories.
Safeguarding our industry
In today’s hyper-regulated world, new constraints are increasingly encroaching on brands’ ability to market themselves effectively, and nowhere is the issue more acute than in duty free & travel retail. New requirements in consumer information and product labelling are having a negative impact on a range of product categories, from confectionery to beauty, tobacco to liquor. What do brands in our industry need to know, and how can they respond? Gemma Bateson, JTI Worldwide Duty Free Corporate Affairs Director and APTRA Board Member, shared her thoughts.
Towards a consumer-led retail offer
How relevant is the typical travel retail assortment to today’s consumer? And if change is needed, what form should it take? These questions are at the heart of research commissioned recently by Nestlé International Travel Retail, whose General Manager Stewart Dryburgh revealed the findings and discussed the steps all product categories can take to build a retail offer around real consumer needs.
VR and the future of store design
As technologies such as virtual and augmented reality become more accessible and affordable, what might be the benefits for duty free & travel retail, in areas such as store design and brand executions? This session looked at the practical potential of new technology in our industry, courtesy of dcGTR Managing Director Alan Brennan.
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Afternoon networking session with refreshments
Foyer area, Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre, Level 5
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TFWA Asia Pacific Bar
Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre, Level 4
Those looking for somewhere to enjoy an early-evening drink close to the Exhibition floor needed to look no further than the TFWA Asia Pacific Bar. Some even ventured onto the terrace with its stunning view of Marina Bay, but indoors or out, this was the ideal place to decompress.
Dress code: Smart Casual
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Registration
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TFWA Asia Pacific Bar
Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre, Level 4
Those looking for somewhere to enjoy an early-evening drink close to the Exhibition floor needed to look no further than the TFWA Asia Pacific Bar. Some even ventured onto the terrace with its stunning view of Marina Bay, but indoors or out, this was the ideal place to decompress.
Dress code: Smart Casual
CET
Chill-Out Party
Mandarin Oriental Hotel
Where better to unwind mid-show than beside the Mandarin Oriental’s giant rooftop pool surrounded by the Singapore city skyline? A Hawaiian theme provided pineapples, pink flamingos and plenty of colourful, exotic action including a surfing simulator. Guests could eat, drink and take life a little less seriously.
Dress code: Casual
Entrance by invitation only (part of the Full Delegate Status).
Kindly sponsored by :
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Registration
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TFWA Asia Pacific Bar
Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre, Level 4
Those looking for somewhere to enjoy an early-evening drink close to the Exhibition floor needed to look no further than the TFWA Asia Pacific Bar. Some even ventured onto the terrace with its stunning view of Marina Bay, but indoors or out, this was the ideal place to decompress.
Dress code: Smart Casual
CET
Singapore Swing Party
Ola Beach, Sentosa Island
2019’s Singapore Swing Party saw the fair coming to town for an evening of retro fun with fairground games and live music. There were burgers, hot dogs and candyfloss to enjoy plus a vintage hairstyle corner to help guests look the part.
Dress code: Casual
Entrance by invitation only (part of the Full Delegate Status).
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