SINGAPORE. The speakers’ line-up at The Trinity Forum 2022 – making a welcome return after a three-year absence due to the pandemic – continues to strengthen with a host of prominent travel retail executives joining the programme. And in a big boost to the event, the Asia Pacific Travel Retail Association (APTRA) is holding its acclaimed annual APTRA Exchange at The Trinity Forum.

The Trinity Forum is co-organised by The Moodie Davitt Report, ACI World and ACI Asia Pacific and hosted by Changi Airport Group, which is providing a dazzling Gala Dinner at Jewel Changi Airport on 2 November.

Click on the image to register for The Trinity Forum 2022

Newly named presenters include IPP Travel Retail Chief Executive Officer and IPP Group Vice President Project Development Phillip Nguyen, who is driving the impressive reemergence and transformation of Vietnam’s travel retail sector (look out for our exclusive series of reports coming soon).

Transformation is also at the heart of what Qatar Duty Free is delivering at Hamad International Airport and company Vice President  Thabet Musleh will be presenting an exclusive overview of the Doha gateway’s extraordinary new expansion which is set to open in time for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 which begins on 20 November.

Dubai Duty Free Chief Operating Officer Ramesh Cidambi, one of travel retail’s most articulate, engaging and insightful speakers, is another star turn. The Middle East travel retailer has bounced back tremendously this year after a tumultous 2020 and 2021 and is set to return to pre-pandemic levels in the relative near-term.

We will reveal more names in coming days.

 

Star presenters (left to right): Thabet Musleh, Phillip Nguyen and Ramesh Cidambi

 

APTRA President Sunil Tuli, who is also King Power Group (Hong Kong) Group Chief Executive Officer, said, “APTRA is delighted to be participating in November’s Trinity Forum, hosted in our home city of Singapore. The whole industry needs to share information, perspectives and strategies to help us all drive the pace of recovery.

“A key part of our contribution will be the APTRA Exchange session, ‘Navigating the headwinds’, focusing on the multitude of challenging dynamics the industry is grappling with as we get back to business.

“Right across our industry we’re faced with challenges in supply chain issues, overpriced logistics, a shortage of manpower, regional conflicts and escalating fuel costs that are provoking inflation, increasingly impacting on consumers’ willingness and financial ability to travel.

“Ironically, as COVID finally recedes, we now face a perfect storm – but our industry has a strong history of resilience and recovery. We need to respond and rise again with new thinking and new levels of co-operation to get through this together.

“APTRA’s priority mission for The Trinity Forum is to galvanise support amongst the industry and make sure this session delivers valuable commercial outcomes to help us understand and overcome the key challenges we all face.”

Groupe ADP Chief Retail Officer Aude Ferrand will bring her insight to this year’s Trinity Forum

The Moodie Davitt Report Founder & Chairman Martin Moodie said: “The APTRA Exchange has been a standout element of recent Trinity Forums and we’re delighted that the association is bringing its weight, support and focus on the issues that matter to our event.”

Another presentation sure to be of interest is that from China Duty Free Group (CDFG) President Charles Chen.

As reported, CDFG parent company China Tourism Group Duty Free Corp has just kicked off its secondary listing programme on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong, and is set to raise over US$2.17 billion, a war chest that is sure to spell some interesting developments in the months ahead.

Charles Chen has always provided compelling insights during his attendance at previous Trinity Forums. He is shown above in conversation with The Moodie Davitt Report Chairman Martin Moodie at The Trinity Forum in Doha in 2019.

Kiran Jain (left), Chief Operating Officer at Noida International Airport, will unveil details of the hugely exciting greenfield airport currently being constructed in Uttar Pradesh, India, which will rank as the country’s largest once completed; (Right) Séverine Lanthier, Lagardère Travel Retail Chief Strategy and Development Officer, Chief Operating Officer for Asia and member of the Global Executive Committee, is one of the sector’s most progressive thinkers.