Peter Mohn, Founder & CEO of m1nd-set delivers a state-of-the-industry address at the 2023 TR Consumer Forum. Photo: Grant Pritchard.

The consumer-centric TR Consumer Forum in Vienna, which took place from 21-23 June 2023, attracted a total of 241 registered delegates – a rise of +34%, compared with the number of duty free and travel retail (DF&TR) stakeholders who attended last year’s edition in Cyprus.

Approximately a fifth (19%) of attendees hailed from airports, airlines, cruise and ferry companies; 22% were from duty free retailers and F&B concessions; and just over a third (35%) comprised suppliers and distributors. Industry consultants, agencies, associations, marketing and PR companies, and NGOs were also in attendance.

Among those in the room were executives from Budapest Airport, Gatwick Airport, Riyadh Airports Company, Fraport, Düsseldorf Airport, Vinci Airports, Urban-Air Port, Hermes Airports, Heathrow Airport, Fjord Line, Aer Rianta International (Middle East), Lagardère Travel Retail, Gebr. Heinemann, Dubai Duty Free, Dufry, Qatar Duty Free, MEADFA, TFWA, ETRC and many more.

The leading business event, held at the hi-tech, energy efficient AirportCity Space conference venue, was supported by an impressive roster of partners, including Vienna Airport as Host Sponsor.

Julian Jäger, Chief Executive Officer, Vienna Airport delivered an inspiring keynote address. Photo: Grant Pritchard.

As the DF&TR industry’s only conference that places the consumer at the heart of the conversation, the Forum drew a strong crowd who gathered to benefit from the wealth of consumer insights on offer courtesy of event partner m1nd-set, which were shared exclusively with delegates and are worth six figures in value (if independently commissioned).

The global conference programme was brought to life by a powerful lineup of speakers who sparked debate and discussion around important topics impacting on business in the channel, from what travel retail will look like 10 years on, to the return of Chinese travellers.

Delegates were highly engaged throughout the conference, posing their questions to speakers via the app and taking the mic to share their views directly from the conference room floor.

Keynote speakers Julian Jäger, CEO, Vienna Airport; Ramesh Cidambi, COO, Dubai Duty Free; Aude Ferrand, Chief Retail Officer at Groupe ADP; Vijay Talwar, Chief Digital and Customer Officer at Dufry; and Fraser Brown, Retail Director, Heathrow Airport captivated the audience with impactful addresses inspired by the conference theme of ‘Facing the Future; Preparing for Tomorrow’s Consumer Today’.

Ramesh Cidambi, COO, Dubai Duty Free. Photo: Grant Pritchard.

“We have been delighted by the industry’s appetite and enthusiasm for the TR Consumer Forum, and the significant rise in registered delegates for this year’s event goes to show that the content is highly valued,” said Janice Hook and Nigel Hardy, co-Owners and joint CEOs of TRBusiness.

“When we launched the TR Consumer Forum together with data partner m1nd-set in 2021, we had a simple goal: to bring consumer-centric insights to the fore through a dynamic conference format that would foster audience engagement and deliver a wealth of actionable insights to industry stakeholders.

“The atmosphere in the room this year was electric and the feedback we have received both during and after the Vienna edition has been overwhelmingly positive. New attendees to the Forum were greatly impressed by the transparency and candid nature of the speakers. We are already looking forward to further developing the event for 2024.

“Our heartfelt thanks goes to all those who attended the Forum, we are confident that you left the event with many key takeaways and happy memories. We would also like to extend our gratitude to all our sponsor partners, without whose insight and support this unique information exchange platform would not be possible.”

Day two keynote speakers Aude Ferrand, Vijay Talwar, and Fraser Brown were a commanding presence in the room. Photo: Grant Pritchard.

“We at m1nd-set were extremely pleased – not only by the record number of delegates at this year’s TR Consumer Forum, but especially by the positive and enthusiastic atmosphere during the two-and-a-half days,” said Peter Mohn, Founder & CEO of m1nd-set.

“Everyone was very excited about the insights and panel discussions, and they felt truly inspired by the presentations and great networking ambience. I have the feeling every single person travelled home with a smile on their face.”

Anna Marchesini, Head of Business Development, m1nd-set. Photo: Grant Pritchard.

TRBusiness has thoroughly enjoyed seeing the stream of social media posts circulating in the days following the event that speak to its quality and dynamism.

Here’s a selection of sentiments shared on LinkedIn – you can join in the conversation yourself by tagging us @TRBusiness and using the hashtag #TRConsumerForum…

TRBusiness would like to extend our thanks once more to all those who attended and supported the 2023 TR Consumer Forum in Vienna.

Please stay close to TRBusiness.com for more on-location coverage, for our photo album, and to be among the first to hear about next year’s edition.

The TRBusiness team. Photo: Grant Pritchard.