The Middle East & Africa Duty Free Association (MEADFA) and TFWA have confirmed that the 2014 MEADFA Conference will be staged at the Jumeirah Creekside Hotel, Dubai on 24th and 25th November.

 

Work has already begun on the programme for the annual duty free and travel retail conference, which is managed by TFWA on behalf of MEADFA.

 

It was in December last year that TRBusiness.com reported that the conference would continue to be managed by TFWA on behalf of the regional association.

 

The agreement covers the 2014 MEADFA Conference and also the 2015 event, the venue of which will be communicated at a later stage. TFWA was chosen after a selection process launched by MEADFA as the existing contract neared its conclusion.

 

Last year’s MEADFA conference in Doha.

 

STRONG RELATIONSHIP

Erik Juul-Mortensen, President TFWA, said: “On behalf of TFWA may I say that we are proud to be associated with MEADFA and we are very pleased that our strong relationship with the association will continue.”

 

Over 500 industry delegates attended the 12th MEADFA Conference in Doha last November and the reaction to the content, the quality of speakers and the venue was enthusiastic.

 

Staunton added: “It is an exciting time for the Middle East & Africa region with a number of new developments under way. In Dubai, for example, preparations are being made for the hosting of Expo 2020 including the development of Dubai World Central, an economic zone around Al Maktoum International Airport, which will have, ultimately, an annual capacity of over 160 million passengers.

 

“The new Midfield Terminal is under construction at Abu Dhabi International Airport, and major retail tenders have been announced in various locations including Egypt, Oman and Kenya. On top of all that, there is the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on 23rd November and the Dubai Duty Free World Cup golf tournament on 26th and 27th November.

 

“The Middle East is a dynamic region where travel retail sales grew 11.1% in 2013 according to Generation Research, with sales in Africa also growing strongly at +10.9% against a global increase of +7.5%. We firmly believe that the potential of the region, particularly Africa, is still to be fully tapped and we see exciting opportunities ahead.”

 

Juul-Mortensen, added: “The programme for the MEADFA Conference will reflect the energy which has always been a hallmark of this dynamic region. It will include a strong African component in recognition of the development in duty free and travel retail in the key markets of this vast continent. We urge all those with an interest in the region to mark the date in their diaries and sign up as soon as registration opens in September.”