TRBusiness and m1nd-set are delighted to announce that Aer Rianta International (ARI) company CTC-ARI – operating as Cyprus Duty Free – has signed up as Host Sponsor for the TR Consumer Forum 2022.

As reported in November, the second edition of the highly acclaimed conference organised jointly by TRBusiness and m1nd-set was announced to take place during the week commencing Monday 5 September.

We can now reveal the event will be held in Cyprus from Sunday 4 September to Tuesday 6 September. The venue will be confirmed in due course.

Cyprus Duty Free was one of the major sponsors of the inaugural edition of the TR Consumer Forum 2021, which took place in London in September.

‘KEY DECISION MAKERS, DISRUPTORS AND INNOVATORS’

The two-day conference was the first physical event of its scale for global duty free and travel retail since the beginning of the global pandemic in 2020 and was extremely well received across the breadth and depth of the industry.

In-person and virtual delegates were treated to a raft of exclusive, one-off consumer insights shared by m1nd-set, accompanied by engrossing panel discussions and multiple, high-quality networking opportunities over the two-and-a-half-day event held at the Hilton Paddington hotel in London.

Cyprus Duty Free, which runs the landside retail and airside duty free businesses at Larnaca and Paphos International Airports, is the trading fascia of CTI-ARI, fully owned by ARI since 2014.

Cyprus Duty Free generates revenues of more than US$100 million per year and employs in excess of 500 people across both operations.

Richard Gray, CEO at ARI Middle East (ARIME), commented: “We are delighted to be returning to the TR Consumer Forum for the second year, this time as Host Sponsor.

“The Forum features many of the industry’s key decision makers, disruptors and innovators and with the exclusive consumer insights to be provided by m1nd-set it promises to be a very valuable programme as we continue to rebuild our industry.

“It is a wonderful opportunity to welcome all visitors to the beautiful island of Cyprus for what will be a truly informative TR Consumer Forum.”

JOIN US IN SEPTEMBER 2022

Nigel Hardy and Janice Hook, Joint Managing Directors and TRBusiness owners, said: “We are delighted to be working closely with our host sponsor Cyprus Duty Free in bringing the second TR Consumer Forum to the industry. It is fitting that our first host sponsor for this pioneering event is part of ARI who started the duty free industry on its journey at Shannon Airport in 1947.

“At a time when the travelling consumer is beginning to return to duty free shops, it is even more crucial for suppliers and retailers alike to understand the new expectations and demands of the returning traveller.

“The exclusive data supplied at the 2021 event by leading travel retail consumer research company m1nd-set provided delegates with an unrivalled insight into the mind of the post-Covid traveller. The information that delegates receive at the 2022 event will give all those attending a true advantage in creating retail models and product offerings to meet these newly created needs. As per the 2021 event, the m1nd-set data will only be available to delegates.

“We would like to thank the team at Cyprus Duty Free wholeheartedly for agreeing to be our Host Sponsor and for providing the perfect platform for like-minded executives to gather and exchange ideas and views that will assist in the recovery of our industry. We look forward to a successful partnership with Cyprus Duty Free and ARI this year and a productive conference in September.”

Peter Mohn, CEO and owner of m1nd-set which is co-organising the TR Consumer Forum, added: “m1nd-set is extremely pleased to welcome Cyprus Duty Free as the host partner for the second edition of the TR Consumer Forum.

“Hosting the event on this wonderful island will allow everyone to enjoy the excellent weather in beautiful Cyprus in early September, while attending the most insightful event in the travel retail industry.

“The trademark warm hospitality of Cyprus Duty Free will be a great additional benefit for all delegates.

“The feedback received from m1nd-set and TRBusiness from delegates attending the first TR Consumer Forum was overwhelmingly positive,” continued Mohn.

“The strong desire to attend the next edition, expressed both by those who attended in London and those who were unable to join in person due to travel restrictions, was unanimous.

“At m1nd-set the appetite for reliable and actionable shopper insights has been growing significantly among many travel retail stakeholders in recent months. We are confident the second edition the TR Consumer Forum in Cyprus will be a sell-out event.”

Cyprus Duty Free is joined by a premier lineup of fellow sponsors that have to date committed support for the TR Consumer Forum 2022 (see below).

To be notified when registration for the TR Consumer Forum 2022 opens, or to be contacted for sponsorship/speaking opportunities, click here. 

You can read more about Cyprus Duty Free’s latest consumer-facing initiatives, digital developments and ambitions for 2022 in an exclusive interview with Richard Gray to be published soon.

To contact m1nd-set about current shopper insights opportunities – whether bespoke ad-hoc research or syndicated research projects – please write to [email protected].

For more information about Cyprus Duty Free, please visit its website by clicking here.