Thought-leaders from major airports, retailers and more leading duty free and travel retail industry stakeholders are taking to the stage to deliver a masterclass in consumer insights for the 2023 TR Consumer Forum, which is taking place in Vienna from 21-23 June.

The global conference agenda, which has been curated under the forward-thinking theme of ‘Facing the Future; Preparing for Tomorrow’s Consumer Today’, features a total of 10 sessions spread over two days (22-23 June).

The conference will commence with a welcome address and opening keynote on Thursday 22 June featuring Ramesh Cidambi, Chief Operating Officer, Dubai Duty Free and Julian Jäger, Chief Executive Officer, Vienna Airport.

The industry thought leaders will share their respective approaches on how they are preparing for future consumer behaviour to ensure the industry remains relevant, as technology, consumer profiles and their values and priorities evolve over time.

Following the keynote, Peter Mohn, CEO & Owner of m1nd-set will provide a global overview of both current and forecast air traffic, as well as detailed shopper behavioural trends across all regions, with a focus on the top nationalities, airports, airlines and cruise and ferry channels.

Drawing on data from m1nd-set’s comprehensive data tool, Business 1ntelligence Service (B1S), he will touch on a variety of the topics that will be discussed during the two-day conference, setting the scene for the more detailed insights to be shared during the interactive panel sessions to follow.

Next up is the ‘TR in Ten’ session, which will feature Vienna Airport’s Senior Vice President Center Management, Philipp Ahrens, who, alongside fellow panellists from retailers, brands and technology providers, will discuss influencing factors that will change the face of the industry over the next decade.

Ahrens will be joined by Gebr. Heinemann’s Director Sales Experience & Excellence Sören Borch, who will share the retailer’s vision on how the customer experience will need to evolve to remain relevant to tomorrow’s consumer, as well as Julie Lassaigne, Secretary General of the European Travel Retail Confederation (ETRC).

More expert panellists imparting their wisdom in the session include Sylvain Delteil, VP Business Development, Perfect Corp; Thomas Kaneko Henningsen, Managing Partner, Blueprint; and Anna Marchesini, Head of Business Development, m1nd-set.

Following the networking lunch, the ‘Dissecting the Segments’ session will focus on how shopper segments vary significantly from one travel hub to another, with insights into key behaviours by segment.

The session features Hazel Catterall, Director, Newmark Retail – UK & EMEA, Lilly Choi-Lee, Executive General Manager of TravConsult, Haakon Dagestad, Deputy CEO of Travel Retail Norway and Chairman of the Nordic Travel Retail Group (NTRG), and Clara Susset, Chief Operating Officer of m1nd-set.

In the final session of the day, titled ‘Future Growth Channels’, Budapest Airport Chief Commercial Officer Kam Jandu and Nina Kristin Gür, Vice President Retail Key Account Management at Fraport, will address how the retail sector at the airport and beyond is evolving.

They will be joined by Errol McGlothan, Managing Director EMEA & APAC, Airport Dimensions, the airport lounge concession management company, Johan Schölvinck, Founder and Managing Director, Market Square Consult, Martijn Steur, Founder and Managing Director, Kinetic Consultancy, and m1nd-set’s Peter Mohn.

The second day of the conference (Friday 23 June),will commence with a keynote session featuring Heathrow Airport’s Retail Director Fraser Brown, Aude Ferrand, Retail Director, Groupe Aéroports de Paris and Vijay Talwar, Chief Digital and Customer Officer, Dufry. Together they will share their perspectives on the overriding conference theme.

The following session is dedicated to China and the Chinese consumer. Titled ‘When China Wakes’, it will look at shopper behaviour in Hainan, as well as how the industry is and has been preparing for the return of the much-missed Chinese traveller segment.

Larissa Elfes, Marketing, Communications and Retail Sales Manager at Frankfurt Airport, will share the airport’s approach to marketing to the Chinese consumer and the impact on sales among its concession partners. She will be joined by Trevor Lee, Managing Director of TravConsult; m1nd-set’s Anna Marchesini; and Sienna Parulis-Cook, Director of Marketing and Communications at Dragon Trail.

Following the networking coffee break, the ‘What’s New?’ session will take a deep dive into evolving consumer behaviours, including how brands are adapting to the evolving consumer mindset and the ways in which retailers are keeping up with trends.

The session will feature Lewis Allen, Senior Director, Portland; Rocco Pacchioni, Executive Director, Laboratoire Puressentiel; Bruno Gouisset, Executive Vice President Merchant Core Business, Lagardère Travel Retail; Nicola Wells, Head of Category Development at Nestlé International Travel Retail; and m1nd-set’s Clara Susset.

Sustainability will be top of mind and top of the agenda throughout the 2023 TR Consumer Forum with the Green Shoots Exchange on Wednesday afternoon (21 June), when an industry-wide sustainability initiative will be discussed with airports and retailers (click here to find out more), as well as in the dedicated conference session ‘The Regeneration Generation’, which will examine how the global travel retail industry is tailoring its offer to the increasingly conscientious and discerning consumer.

Andreas Reichert, Managing Director of Munich Airport’s own F&B operation ‘Allresto Flughafen München Hotel und Gaststätten’ will share how the airport-managed concession is responding to the increasingly discerning consumer behaviour around sustainable consumption across the airport’s restaurants. He will be joined by Budapest Airport’s CCO Kam Jandu who will provide further input from an airport’s perspective on the importance of environmental and social responsibility as a business and how the travelling consumer is responding to the CSR strategies within the industry.

Tracy Ross, Projects & Design Manager, Sustainability Champion & LEED Green Associate, AerRianta International Middle East (ARIME) will bring the audience up to date on how the global retailer is moving forward to align with the growing discernment among consumers and demand for more socially and environmentally responsible business practices, products and services.

They will be joined by Beatriz de Otto Méndez, Head of Customer Marketing World Travel Retail, Mondelēz International; Karl Walter, Board member, NTRG and Partner, Blueprint; Rasmus Andersen, Global Retail Director & Partner, Joe & The Juice; and m1nd-set’s Anna Marchesini.

The final session of the day, ‘Why Consumers Buy’ will be led by m1nd-set’s Peter Mohn in discussion with Morten Pankoke, Managing Director, Intelligent Track Systems; Simon Black, Executive Managing Director, Newmark Retail – UK & EMEA; and Sacha Zackariya, CEO, The Change Group International in discussion on the ways in which the industry keeping in line with the multiple influencing elements driving consumers to buy.

Closing remarks will draw the conference to an end.

The conference will take place at Vienna Airport’s own business convention centre, the hi-tech, energy efficient AirportCity Space and is supported by Vienna Airport as Host Sponsor.

Priority tickets to the 2023 TR Consumer Forum are available until 30 April 2023 at the early bird rate of £595, offering a £200 discount on the standard delegate rate of £795, which will apply thereafter.

Delegates are advised to book accommodation as soon as possible. There are two hotels in close proximity to the AirportCity Space conference venue: the NH Vienna Airport Hotel and the Moxy Vienna Airport Hotel. There’s also the Hein Hotel, in nearby Schwechat (around 10 mins in a cab or train from the airport).

[This is an update to the original article published 4 April 2023.]

For more information about the conference programme and speaking opportunities, please contact [email protected] ; for information about sponsorship packages, please contact either [email protected], [email protected] or [email protected].