TRBusiness and event partner m1nd-set are delighted to announce that Vienna International Airport has confirmed high level support for the TR Consumer Forum 2023 as the event’s official Host Sponsor.

The third edition of the highly acclaimed event will take place from 21-23 June at Vienna International Airport’s own AirportCity Space business park.

The modern event destination houses a striking conference and event space, meeting rooms and co-working areas and is conveniently located just a few minutes’ walk from the airport’s international departures terminal.

Philipp Ahrens, Senior Vice President for Center Management at Vienna International Airport commented: “Since its inception in London in 2021, the TR Consumer Forum has emerged as a key annual event to attend on the travel retail industry’s calendar.

“Insights, networking opportunities and social events are the backbone of our business and the TR Consumer Forum sets the scene perfectly for this.

“We are delighted to be sponsoring this event and happy to welcome delegates this summer to lovely Vienna at our great airport to continue this insightful format.”

TRBusiness Managing Director Ben Webb added: “We are delighted to welcome Flughafen Wien [Vienna International Airport] as our Host Sponsor. Philipp has been a strong supporter of the TR Consumer Forum and the company has attended both previous editions in London and Cyprus.

“The airport’s strong endorsement is a powerful testimony of the huge value of the consumer centric approach to the business we are promoting and encouraging through the event.

“The highly valuable shopper insights shared by our partners at m1nd-set, together with the extremely open and transparent discussions from panellists across all sectors, and the interactive format, means that delegates benefit from concrete, actionable knowledge on how they can better adapt to the travelling consumer.”

Duty free and travel retail stakeholders can now book their tickets to the TR Consumer Forum and take advantage of the early bird rate of £595, which is only available until 30 April 2023. The standard delegate rate of £795 will apply thereafter.

Helping to future-proof the travel retail industry

Under the forward-looking theme ‘Facing the Future; Preparing for Tomorrow’s Consumer Today’, the three-day conference will address a number of top priority topics to help stakeholders strategise and stay relevant to the travelling consumer from all regions.

TRBusiness Head of Events and CSR, Michael Barrett, explained: “The conference programme will focus on how the industry will need to evolve over the next few years, as new technology becomes more commonplace for consumers as younger travellers – Gen Zs in particular – increase in dominance among the travelling population.

“Add to this that changing consumer values means that brands, retailers and their partners need to ensure the product mix reflects the more health conscious and discerning shopper.

“This is particularly important with regards to the socially and environmentally responsible business practices of the brands consumers buy and the locations they purchase from.”

More topics set to be discussed during the TR Consumer Forum include the Chinese traveller, incorporating m1nd-set shopper insights focusing on behaviours in Hainan.

Panellists will also discuss how the industry needs to prepare for the return of the Chinese traveller.

Furthermore, there will be a session dedicated to new product categories and sub-categories, discussing how consumer behaviour is changing the shape of the product mix in travel retail.

The ‘Future Growth Channels’ session will look at how other revenue streams are evolving and innovating to capture consumer spend, including convenience, F&B and airport lounges.

Another vital topic for stakeholders, ‘Why They Buy’, will discuss the main purchase drivers inciting consumers to enter the duty free shops and purchase once inside.

More detailed information on the TR Consumer Forum agenda can be found on the event website at www.travelretailconsumerforum.com.

The TR Consumer Forum begins on the afternoon of Wednesday 21 June with an innovative informal educational session which will focus on new environmental and socially responsible opportunities for the industry.

Titled Green Shoots Exchange, the session will take place in the networking and exhibition area of the conference venue from 1.30pm-4.30pm before guests make their way to the Opening Cocktail.

The session will provide a platform for new ideas, products and services that bear a strong social and/or environmental DNA, especially for new and recent entrants to the industry.

Delegates wishing to book their flights and reserve hotel rooms are advised to book as soon as possible at one of the two nearby airport hotels – the NH Vienna Airport Hotel or the Moxy Vienna Airport Hotel – as availability is limited.

Excellent networking opportunities

There are numerous, excellent networking opportunities to take advantage of as part of this year’s TR Consumer Forum. These are curated especially to provide attending airports, retailers, cruise and ferry companies, airlines, distributors, F&B operators and suppliers with ample time to meet with fellow stakeholders and make new contacts.

Setting the scene for a fantastic event and welcoming delegates to the stunning setting of Vienna is the opening cocktail, sponsored by Beam Suntory, which is taking place on Wednesday 21 June from 19:30.

The main conference will be punctuated by networking coffee breaks, sponsored by Loacker, giving delegates the chance to refuel with drinks and snacks while meeting contacts old and new. There are seven networking coffee breaks to enjoy in total, spread across days two and three.

In addition, day two will see delegates treated to a networking lunch. Once the day’s conference has closed, there will be pre-dinner cocktails prior to the grand networking dinner, which will be a celebration of Austrian hospitality.

On day three, there will be a networking lunch followed closing cocktails to round off what is set to be a fruitful conference.

TRBusiness would like to thank the event’s impressive line-up of sponsors, without whom this event would not be possible.

To find out more about the programme and speaking opportunities, please contact Michael Barrett ([email protected]).

For more information on Green Shoots Exchange and other brand-building opportunities, please email Helen Chater: [email protected].

For other sponsorship enquiries, please write to Nigel Hardy: [email protected] or Ben Webb: [email protected].