Tax Free World Association (TFWA) says “a substantial number” of retailers, brands, airports and landlords have confirmed their attendance to this year’s TFWA Asia Pacific Exhibition & Conference.

As reported, industry stakeholders will reconvene in Singapore at the Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre on 12-16 May for high-level meetings, networking and education.

With regional passenger traffic continuing to gather strength – and the market expected to fully recover this year, according to ACI World – a “large cohort” of Chinese retailers and airports in particular are expected to visit, says TFWA, after being absent from the event in 2023.

Last year, the event attracted just shy of 3,000 delegates – down 10% on 2019. Of that, approximately 1,200 were DF&TR operators and landlords – up 1% on pre-Covid, while 200 exhibitors showcased their products and services across 8,469sq m of convention space.

The refreshed programme for 2024 marks the full return of the Singapore gathering following several years of disruption due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

For the first time, TFWA Asia Pacific Exhibition will open on the same day as the conference on Monday 13 May, which will be moderated by former AirAsia X CEO Azran Osman-Rani and TFWA Conference Director Michele Miranda.

Workshops: More details

Accompanying the main conference will be two workshops entitled ‘China Watch’ and ‘Decoding Today’s Dwell Time’, which will run from 08:00 – 09:00 on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively.

China Watch, in partnership with Xiaohongshu, will be moderated by TFWA’s Chief China Representative Hannah Gao and will shine the spotlight on the latest developments and opportunities in the region, current digital trends and the consumption behaviour of Chinese travellers.

It will feature contributions from Ma Yan, General Manager at Sino-Singapore Chongqing Airport Commercial Management Co. Ltd.; Matt Liao, Senior Vice President of Brand and Marketing at China Duty Free Group; and Keith Chen, General Manager of Global Travel Retail, Luxury Jewelry, and Fashion Accessories Business Group at Little Red Book.

Meanwhile, in Decoding Today’s Dwell Time, moderated by TFWA Conference Director Michele Miranda, the audience will hear from Stephen Hillam, Managing Director of Pi Insight, who will present the latest data on Asian shoppers from the company’s Global Shopper Series.

Siddharth Pathak, Senior Partner at Kearney, will divulge the latest findings on customer engagement factors.

The workshop will be moderated by TFWA Conference Director Michele Miranda.

TFWA i.lab Asia will return to Marina Bay Sands on level 1, introducing visitors to novel concepts shaping the future of customer service and travel retail.

Meanwhile, the popular TFWA ONE2ONE service will offer a platform to connect exhibitors, retailers, landlords, agents and distributors.

Erik Juul-Mortensen, President, TFWA said: “The strong roster of prominent brands, retailers, airports, and landlords committed to TFWA Asia Pacific Exhibition & Conference is highly encouraging, with the list continuing to grow. This diverse mix, which includes both long-standing attendees and newcomers, underscores the event’s significance in duty free and travel retail. We eagerly anticipate yet another successful gathering in Singapore and look forward to extending a warm welcome to all delegates.”

TFWA is hosting a Singapore Preview webinar on 10 April, which will help delegates prepare for the TFWA Asia Pacific Exhibition & Conference.

For more details on the programme, click the links below.

READ MORE: TFWA Asia Pacific exhibitors gain an extra half day as ‘full format’ restores

READ MORE: TFWA Asia Pacific 2023 buyers up 1% on 2019