The opening conference at next month's TFWA Asia Pacific 2007 will take on an innovative and interactive format, focusing on the potential of the Indian subcontinent as a developing market for duty free and travel

retail sales.

TFWA said in a statement today that with outbound travel from India growing at an impressive rate, the whole world, but most especially the Asia Pacific region, is likely to reap the benefits in terms of tourism income and retail spending.

The TFWA Asia Pacific Conference on Tuesday May 15 (09.00-10.30) in the Singapore Suntec Centre will be entitled ?The Indian Retail Revolution and its Effect on Asia Pacific?. Erik Juul-Mortensen, TFWA President will open with his address on ??The State of the Travel Retail Industry?, an update on performance and the issues affecting the global industry.

In contrast to previous conferences in the region, the plenary session of TFWA Asia Pacific 2007 will feature a panel of high-ranking industry experts who will each give their insider views on the Indian market and the prospects for the travel retail industry.

The session will commence with an interview with Colvyn Harris, Ceo JWT India and Parvez Dewan, Chairman of ITDC who will discuss ?Opportunities in India?, looking at how India is developing economically and bringing this progress into perspective for the retail industry.
The live debate which will follow will take a more in-depth look at the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead for brands seeking to invest in the Indian market. The session will be moderated by professional broadcaster Kavita Maharaj.

The Opportunities in India panellists will include: Colvyn Harris, Ceo JWT; Ravi Thakran, Ceo/President LVMH India; Parvez Dewan, Chairman ITDC; Paul Topping, Managing Director, Alpha Asia; Stuart Bull, International Travel Retail Consultant, Masterfoods; Sanjeev Chowdry, Senior Director, AC Nielsen India; Kapil Kaul, Managing Director India, Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation; and Rajiv Kapoor, Head Commercial Centre, Bangalore International Airport.

At the same time, TFWA says that security issues relating to the carriage of liquids, pastes and gels onboard aircraft and the widespread repercussions on the duty free and travel retail industry have prompted it to place much greater emphasis on security at this year's event than had originally been planned.

TFWA Asia Pacific will also provide the first opportunity for the industry in the Asia Pacific region to convene since the security regulations were proposed in November by the European Commission. Since then the President of the European Commission has expressed his firm support for the campaign to obtain a global protocol and ICAO has laid down guidelines for its 189 member airports regarding the security of the retail supply chain.

A security panel session entitled ?The Effects of Security Threats on the Travel Retail Trade in Asia' will provide an update on an issue which is crucial to the future of the industry. This second live debate will be co-moderated by Miss Kavita Maharaj and Doug Newhouse, Managing Editor of the Travel Retail Business. It will bring together representatives from the European Commission and, if available, the US TSA, as well as key people who are leading the campaign on behalf of the industry.

The Security Panel will include: Robert Missen, Deputy Head of Unit, Aviation Security, Directorate-General for Energy and Transport, European Commission; Frank O?Connell, President, European Travel Research Council & Director Asia, Aer Rianta International; Sunil Tuli, Managing Director, King Power (Hong Kong); Tom Thomas, Australian Duty Free Association and Director, Gateway Duty Free; Richard Ferne, Asia Pacific Director, Camus; and Ms Ariel Gentzbourger, Travel Retail Director Worldwide, Shiseido.

In addition there will be three early morning or lunchtime workshops in the Singapore Suntec Centre once the TFWA Asia Pacific exhibition is underway which are free to pre-registered delegates and subject to availability on-site.

On Wednesday May 16 at 08.30-10.00 there will be an E-tailing Breakfast Workshop – ?Placing the Consumer at the Heart of your e-Business Strategy?. This will be moderated by Anouska Forte, Deputy Editor of the Travel Retail Business and feature Jerry Ng Kok Loon, Ceo iCo-op.net and Ms Valerie Dagand, Commercial Communications Manager of A?roports de Paris.

On the same day at 12.00-14.00 there will be an Airline Working Lunch session entitled – ?In-flight Asia – Key Strategies to Incentivise Passengers and Boost In-flight Sales?. This will be moderated by Peter Harbison, Executive Chairman, CAPA and feature Ms Cindy Lam, Inflight Duty Free Manager of Cathay; David Young, General Manager Inflight, Qantas; Pat Osbourne, Sales Director, Alpha Inflight; John Garner, Director Purchasing & Vendor Relations, DFASS (SQ); and Yoichiro Nakao, Inflight Service Planning Manager, ANA.

Then on Thursday May 17 at 08.30-10.00 there will be a Research Breakfast Workshop – ?India and China Product Category Research? – featuring headline results of independent research conducted amongst suppliers, retailers and consumers by ACNielsen on behalf of TFWA. This will be moderated by TFWA and panel participants will be Ms Grace Wen Pan, Senior Manager Leisure and Travel Research, ACNielsen China; Sanjeev Chowdury, Associate Director, ACNielsen India; and Ms Geeta Tulpule, Associate Director, Client Service Qualitative Division, ACNielsen India.

Further information about TFWA Asia Pacific and also the Gate One 2007 commercial revenues conference (Monday May 14 in the Singapore Suntec Centre) plus registration information can be found at www.tfwa.com. Pre-registration closes on April 20.