The Nordic Travel Retail Group (NTRG) says that with 10 years having passed since the abolition of intra EU duty free 'it is time to think of the new future challenges and new long-term goals

for business within the travel retail industry'. So quite why it has chosen former Danish Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Affairs, Marianne Jelved to open its forthcoming conference is a bit of a puzzle.

It was only back in 1998 that Jelved was solely responsible for strong arming the then Danish Prime Minister Poul Nyrup Rasmussen into withdrawing his support for an intra-EU duty free reprieve. Had Rasmussen given his support, then all other member states would have done the some.

But Rasmussen was 'brought back into line' by Jelved, who threatened to resign if there was any Danish backsliding on abolition.

So quite what she is going to say to the Nordic Group that is going to contribute to new future challenges, remains to be seen – (unless of course, she just wants to say 'sorry…'). NTRG says that Jelved is there to tell her story about the debate and the media interest which she experienced up to and after July 1 1999.

‘Looking Back – Moving On’ is the theme of this seventh NTRG seminar which takes place on May 28, 2009 at the Nordatlantens Brygge lining the waterfront in Copenhagen Harbour.

Following Jelved, NTRG is offering an impressive list of speakers who will attempt to take the audience into the future some ten years ahead. Chairman of the association Erik Thomsen said: ‘The programme features prominent speakers who each will motivate and prepare the participants to manage the next ten years' of challenges and trends. The seminar will be rounded off with a swift debate between key representatives of the Nordic Travel Retail Industry’.

As Thomsen added, the event is also good for networking for those who want to meet customers and make business contacts. Registration forms and a full programme are now available on the website of the Nordic Travel Retail Group at www.nordictravelretail.org.

The subjects, speakers and agenda for the rest of the event include:

11.00: Key Note Presentation: Navigating towards 2019 and developing the future Travel Retail Industry by Mr. Bill Webb, Senior Lecturer – Retail Management at The University of the Arts in London.

11.45: Demography in the future Nordic Region – Society and Citizens, by Mr. Rasmus Ole Rasmussen, Senior Research Fellow, Nordregio.

13.30: 2019 – Consumers and Consumer Tendencies in The Nordic Region: Challenges and possibilities for Nordic Travel Retail. By Mrs. Marianne Levinsen, Futurist and Head of Research, Fremforsk.

14.40 Travellers by air and sea – developments and forecasts of 2019. By Journalist and Editor Mr. Dermot Davitt, The Moodie Report.

15.30: Future regulations and the authorities' expectations to the travel retail industry. By Mr. Rasmus Kjeldahl. Rasmus Kjeldahl is Former president and current executive member of BEUC.

16.00 Moving on: Panel debate with key representatives of the Nordic Travel Retail Industry. Moderated by Mr. Dermot Davitt.

16.50 Summing up and conclusions by Mr. Dermot Davitt.

19.15 Dinner at S?ren K. www.soerenk.dk