Speakers and the programme for next month’s Bangkok 2014 Trinity Forum Conference themed ‘Towards Cutting-Edge Retail’ are now being finalised.

 

This year’s event is being jointly hosted by the King Power International Group of Companies and Airports of Thailand PLC in Bangkok on 26-28 February 2014. For the first time it will also be ‘a three-way alliance’ comprising Airports Council International (ACI), ACI Asia-Pacific and The Moodie Report.

 

It is scheduled to be held at the King Power Complex and Aksra Theatre which is next to the Pullman Bangkok King Power Hotel – the event’s official hotel offering special conference delegate rates. (This is the second time the event has been held in Bangkok).

 

Wednesday February 26 will see registration open ahead of the opening cocktail evening, before the event begins in earnest on the Thursday, with an opening address by The Moodie Report Founder and Chairman Martin Moodie. This will then be followed by a welcome from ACI World Chair Frederick Piccolo, who is also President & Ceo of Sarasota Manateee Airport Authority.

 

Aiyawatt Raksriaksorn, Vice-Chairman, Group Chairman, King Power International Group of Companies and a spokesperson from Airports Authority of Thailand (to be announced) will then follow.

 

 

King Power International Group in downtown Bangkok.

 

RAISING RETAIL AMBITIONS…

At 09.40 the first Trinity Panel will convene to discuss ‘Raising retail ambitions to a complete new level’. This will comprise contributions from Andrew Gardiner, General Manager Retail, Sydney Airport, Barbara Lavernos, Managing Director, L’Oréal Group Travel Retail Division Worldwide and Michael Schriver, Chief Operating Officer at DFS Group.

 

‘The investment sector perspective on travel retail’ will be next, examining why airport retail is attracting ‘such intense interest’ from the investment community and how investors regard the channel – now and into the future? This will feature Bernard Creed, Vice President Finance, Dubai Duty Free and a leading investment bank (to be announced).

 

An external perspective on travel retail is then billed to follow, featuring Monocle magazine. This is described as ‘one of the world’s most influential and progressive consumer publishing titles’, represented by Editor-in-Chief Tyler Brûlé who will examines travel retail in a wider context.

 

Airport Service Quality (ASQ) findings will feature next, where Dr. Rafael Echevarne, Director, Economics and Program Development, ACI World will take his traditional and informative look at the role and performance of retail.

 

This will be followed by lunch – courtesy of Furla – and networking. This period will also include a special Corporate Social Responsibility address from Lorenzo ‘Enchong’ Formoso, the Chief Operating Officer of Duty Free Philippines.

 

 

King Power International Group P&C at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport.

 

 

POWER OF INVESTMENT

After lunch, Trinity Panel 2 will then examine ‘The Power of Investment in delivering a world-class retail and food and beverage proposition’. This will comprise Con Constandis, Travel Retail Managing Director, Pernod Ricard Asia; Andrew Day, Group CEO, Maritime Mercantile International and Emirates Leisure Retail; Eraldo Poletto, CEO, Furla; and Spencer Sheen, Head of Retail, London Gatwick Airport.

 

Design perspectives is the next subject at 1500 and this will address ‘Where is airport retail and food & beverage design headed?’ It will also ask the challenging question: What will ‘Nirvana Airport’ the ultimate consumer-focused, commercially successful airport of the future look like?

 

This will feature Robbie Gill, Director, The Design Solution, plus special guests from the airport sector (speakers to be named).

 

The next session is entitled ‘Big technology – Delivering Best Practice’ and the organisers say this will feature some of the world’s ‘biggest and most influential companies’ who will drive this ‘exciting, futuristic session’.

 

It will also aim to focus on key ‘big technology’ disciplines from customer relationship management to digital marketing and mobile commerce. Speakers from Changi Airport Group Corporate IT & Technology and Prism Skylabs were being confirmed at presstime and they are expected to support Paul Prendergast, Managing Director, Products Management Consulting, Accenture Pte, Singapore, plus another session speaker to be named.

 

 

Barbara Lavernos, Managing Director, L’Oréal Group Travel Retail Division Worldwide is on the first Trinity Forum panel entitled, ‘Raising retail ambitions to a complete new level’.

 

 

SOCIAL AND DIGITAL MEDIA

Last, but not least, this first day is due to end with a presentation entitled ‘Where next for social and digital media?’ This is designed to be an interactive session concentrating on the use and potential of social and digital media by airports, travel retailers and brands.

 

This will be presented by the entertaining Shashank Nigam, Founder & CEO of SimpliFyling, who readers may remember was a popular speaker at the 2012 TFWA Asia Pacific Exhibition & Conference.

 

The first day will then conclude with a Gala Dinner sponsored by Pernod Ricard Asia Travel Retail.

 

The second day is scheduled to start with a session called ‘Improving the tender process for the sake of all parties’. This is aimed at moving towards a more consistent, clear and cost-efficient approach to airport commercial tenders.

 

This will be led by Bill Matz, Director, The S-A-P Group and Alex Cook, CEO, Lightfoot Marketing Asia, who will be ably supported by a panel comprising John Ackerman, Chief Commercial Officer, Denver International Airport (to be confirmed), 
Jack MacGowan, CEO, Aer Rianta International and Gavin McKechnie, Vice President Commercial, Abu Dhabi Airports.

 

 

Susan Whelan, Senior Executive Vice President, King Power International Group (Thailand) will be ‘Looking through the crystal ball’ into the future, as one of the Trinity stakeholders in the very last second day Trinity Forum conference session.

 

 

FRESH GROWTH PERSPECTIVES

‘Fresh perspectives to deliver growth’ is the next session just before the coffee break and this will feature Mike Birch, Managing Director, Bacardi Global Travel Retail and Anna Szentivanyi, Manager Customer Marketing, Mondelez World Travel Retail.

 

Following the break, ‘Small and medium airports – big commercial opportunities’ is the session title. This will feature Richard Gill, Commercial Director, Birmingham Airport (to be confirmed), Fredrick Piccolo, President & CEO, Sarasota Manatee Airport Authority (and ACI World Chair) and Paul Topping, Board Director, Flemingo International.

 

The 12,30 spot will then present Trinity Panel 3 with their subject matter entitled ‘Looking through the crystal ball’. This panel is designed to represent each Trinity stakeholder, with each individual presenting their view on how airport retail will look in the future.

 

Confirmed participants in this session will include Susan Whelan, Senior Executive Vice President, King Power International Group (Thailand) and Peter Zottl, Vice President Travel Retail, Daniel Swarovski Corp – plus one other yet to be confirmed participant.

 

 

Bill Matz, Director, The S-A-P Group (above) and Alex Cook, CEO, Lightfoot Marketing Asia, will be heading up the session entitled ‘Improving the tender process for the sake of all parties’.

 

 

THE TRINITY PRIZE

Last, but not least will be the award of the first Trinity Prize. This is described as ‘a major award’ created to champion true Trinity collaboration and the recipient will be chosen by judges Brian Collie (ex-BAA); Mark Riches (ex-World Duty Free Group); and Vince Horne (ex-Diageo).

 

Lunch and presentation of The Moodies 2014 will then follow with the conference formally due to close at 15.00.

 

Event partners for this year’s Trinity Forum include King Power International Group (Thailand); Airports Authority of Thailand; L’Oréal Travel Retail; Mondelez International; Pernod Ricard Asia Travel Retail; Swarovski; Mars ITR; Lacoste; Furla; Ferrero; Flemingo International; and Qatar Duty Free.

 

Any readers wishing to contact the organisers or register for The Trinity Forum and book accommodation should click the following link: http://www.trinity2014.com/