Attendees to next month’s DF&TR Summit of the Americas (8-11 March) will enjoy four panel sessions as part of a finalised educational programme, the International Association of Airport and Duty Free Stores (IAADFS) has announced.

As reported, TRBusiness and m1nd-set will host a regional-focused warm-up session to June’s hotly anticipated TR Consumer Forum in Amsterdam with a 60-minute session taking place on Monday 10 March entitled ‘Unlocking Footfall and Conversion: The Power of Experiential Retail in Duty Free and Travel Retail’ moderated by TRBusiness Managing Editor Faye Bartle.

On Sunday 9 March, a one-hour session (13:00 – 14:00) entitled ‘Next Generation Growth: Charting the Future of the Cruise Sector’ will assess the fast-growing channel linked to the forecast rise in global cruise capacity, which Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) puts in the order of +10% by 2028.

Moderated by DFNI’s Chris Madden, the session will feature contributions from Anna Marchesini, Head of Business Development, m1nd-set; Nicolas Hoeborn, Managing Director, Heinemann Americas; Benito Mendez, SVP of Merchandising and Planning, Starboard; and Catherine Restrepo, Founder & CEO, SYZYGY Strategies.

Meanwhile, on Monday 10 March the airport concessions marketplace is in the frame in the one-hour ‘Creating a Vibrant Future’ session (13:30 – 14:30) that will take a frank look at the state of the business model in view of lagging sales and unprofitable contracts being masked by flattering passenger traffic increases.

Moderated by The Moodie Davitt Report’s Dermot Davitt and co-organised by the Airport Restaurant & Retail Association (ARRA) and The Moodie Davitt Report, the session will question whether change is needed and if so, in which direction considering the evolution of the concessions framework.

Panellists include Andy Weddig, Executive Director, ARRA; David Bisset, Chief Development Officer, Paradies Lagardère Travel Retail; and Judy Byrd, President & CEO, Byrd Retail Group.

The above panels will complement a morning keynote address courtesy of John Price, Managing Director of Americas Market Intelligence (AMI) and an airports session under the auspices of ACI North America and ACI Latin America Caribbean titled, ‘Major Challenges and Unlimited Opportunities’ on Sunday afternoon.

The Summit of the Americas takes place on 8-11 March at the InterContinental Miami Hotel, Florida.

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