This year’s TR Consumer Forum, which took place in Dubai on 3-5 June, enjoyed near-flawless satisfaction ratings.

The fifth edition of the TR Consumer Forum will make its hugely anticipated return on 2-4 June 2025, TRBusiness is pleased to announce.

TRBusiness is in discussion with a shortlist of influential DF&TR industry stakeholders to host the trade’s only consumer-centric education and networking event – click below to register your interest and stay close to TRBusiness.com for further announcements on the location, venue, partners and agenda.

Delegates to this year’s TR Consumer Forum in Dubai, UAE gave a unanimous vote of approval to the Forum, which made its maiden appearance in the Middle East at the Jumeirah Creekside Hotel under the auspices of Host Sponsor Dubai Duty Free.

Rapturous reviews were provided by the many stakeholders that attended (scroll below for a selection of testimonials), accompanying high levels of satisfaction in the quantitative responses offered by the industry in the Forum’s post-event survey*.

Ninety-seven percent of respondents agreed the Forum delivered in droves, including 38% that stated the event exceeded their expectations.

Ninety-five percent of delegates who responded to the survey were ‘happy’ or ‘very happy’ with the Forum, while 97% rated the event positively overall, of which more than half (52%) described it as ‘excellent’.

Among the other headline statistics, 92% rated the conference element as ‘very good’ or ‘excellent’ and 83% of respondents voted the topics covered as ‘very good’ or ‘excellent’.

Furthermore, ninety-seven percent gave a positive rating to the networking programme, while 94% believed the Forum delivered good value for money.

Nigel Hardy and Janice Hook, Co-owners and CEOs of TRBusiness said: “The 2024 TR Consumer Forum exceeded all expectations, demonstrable by the outstanding feedback received by the many industry stakeholders that attended, some travelling as far as from Australia and Canada to be with us in the Middle East.

“Each year we continue to break ground in executing an event that has made an indelible mark in the industry’s trade event calendar. TRBusiness fully intends to make the 2025 TR Consumer Forum another unmissable fixture – mark your calendars now!”

Organised by TRBusiness and m1nd-set, the TR Consumer Forum is the only trade gathering that puts the consumer at the heart of every conversation.

The Forum attracts a key roster of leading retailers, operators, brands and other partners with its dynamic global conference agenda featuring exclusive consumer insights from esteemed data partner m1nd-set, worth six figures in value (if independently commissioned).

“The m1nd-set team is very pleased to continue the successful path regarding the continuation of the TR Consumer Forum in partnership with TRBusiness,” commented m1nd-set CEO Peter Mohn. “The event has become a highlight in the calendar of countless brands, retailers and airports due to the insightful, relevant and actionable nature of the Forum.

“It is an event, where delegates travel home with a big smile on their faces and their notebooks full of new data, insights and inspiration, which they want to share with their teams once back in the office. The feedback from this year’s TR Consumer Forum in Dubai achieved the highest satisfaction scores I have ever seen in the industry and this encourages us to further grow the event year by year. The m1nd-set team is already very much looking forward to June 2-5, 2025.”

TRBusiness is reproducing here a selection of testimonials published earlier this month. To view more detailed insights from the post-Forum delegate survey and testimonials, click here…

“Well-organised, featuring substantial content and discussions”

“The conference was well-organised, featuring substantial content and discussions. The time management was excellent, and the additional programmes were outstanding.”

Eszter Szeverne Foeldi, Head of Commercial Planning & Analysis, Budapest Airport

“The place to be in the travel retail industry”

“Since its inauguration in London back in 2021, this conference has proved to be a must-do in the conference calendar! The insights, the data analysis and the ample networking possibilities make this conference the place to be in the travel retail industry! Always great to meet old and new friends and being able to once in a while to contribute to the success of it! Thank you for yet again another stunning event.”

Philipp Ahrens, SVP Center Management, Vienna Airport

“Fantastic insights and opportunities to network”

“It was with great pleasure to speak on the panel discussion ‘Progress and People’ at the TRBusiness Forum in Dubai. The event furnished me with fantastic insights and opportunities to network with like-minded professionals in the TR space, allowing for fruitful discussion on what really matters to travellers/consumers in 2024+. Thank you to all of the team involved for facilitating such an important event to our industry.”

Julie Foley, Head of Retail Training – GTR, Pernod Ricard

“Very cool and professionally managed”

“Despite the searing Dubai heat outside this year’s TRBusiness Consumer Forum was very cool and professionally managed on the inside. Great venue, very knowledgeable panellists who together with the m1nd-set team delivered some valuable insights and relevant take aways for current projects I’m personally involved in. It’s always a pleasure to catch up with industry friends old and new and the Forum affords excellent networking opportunities. The evening entertainment this year was fun and vibrant, and all the catering was first class. a big thanks to the TRB team for yet another very relevant and enjoyable consumer-based forum.”

Toni McDonald, Retail & Marketing Manager, CTC-ARI Cyprus Airports Ltd

*The TR Consumer Forum post-event delegate survey was conducted between 27 June – 1 August 2024 and received responses from a cross-section of the more than 230 stakeholders that attended, including suppliers, retailers & concessionaires, airports, agencies, agents & distributors and others.

Click above to view a two-part highlight reel of the best of the action from the 2024 TR Consumer Forum in Dubai..

For a full report on the 2024 TR Consumer Forum, click here

READ MORE: [VIDEO] Best moments of the Forum

READ MORE: TR Consumer Forum 2024 photo gallery now live

Find out more at www.travelretailconsumerforum.com