IAADFS and ASUTIL have expressed their satisfaction with the results from the 2021 virtual Summit of the Americas (5-9 April), which was organised in association with the Moodie Davitt Report.

The two associations also thanked exhibitors, sponsors, attendees, designated media partners and FILTR Qingwa the official virtual stand contractor for their support.

IAADFS President and CEO Michael Payne commented: “During this difficult Covid-19 period, it was important for us to provide an opportunity for our industry to come together through a cost-effective and user-friendly platform to connect with each other and learn in anticipation of the pandemic recovery that we are all anxiously awaiting.”

José Luis Donagaray, Secretary General, ASUTIL added: “The excellent sessions featured in the Knowledge Hub gave a huge amount of very important information to help keep our colleagues updated and better prepared for when traffic levels and sales begin to improve.”

The virtual event, a first for IAADFS and ASUTIL, featured a virtual Exhibition Hub populated with exhibitors representing nearly all industry categories.

STRONG SUMMIT PARTICIPATION

Attendees enjoyed presentations in the Engagement Lounge and a virtual happy hour. The five-day education program in the Knowledge Hub featured various speakers from within and outside DF&TR, along with the second instalment of the Travel Retail Sustainability Forum which took place on day four.

Overall participation in the 2021 Virtual Summit was strong. There were more than 2,700 total expo visits and in excess of 10,000 total stand views, of which 60% converted to deeper views of stand content material such as videos, presentations, downloads and direct connections with staff representing the stands in the virtual platform.

Stand exhibitors welcomed an average of 338 visitors during the event. The 21 sessions in the Knowledge Hub were viewed a cumulative total of 2,300 times as of April 10, 2021, with additional session views taking place during the 30-day encore period that commenced after the Summit officially closed on 9 April.

[Click the below video to watch the second instalment of the Travel Retail Sustainability Forum]

The virtual stands and recordings from the Knowledge Hub sessions remain available to registered attendees through the end of the 30-day encore period.

Click the below links to our coverage of the various educational sessions during the 2021 virtual Summit of the Americas.

Travel Retail Sustainability Forum

The CEO Chair interview series — Sean Donahue

‘Road to Recovery: The Retailer Perspective’

Blending Humanisation and Digitalisation

Rebuilding the Border Store Business from North to South

The CEO Chair interview series — Roel Huinink