QATAR. The Trinity Forum 2026 is shaping up to be another landmark edition, strengthened by a growing roster of high-profile speakers for the 5-6 February event in Doha.

The world’s most influential airport commercial revenues conference will be hosted by Qatar Airways, Hamad International Airport and Qatar Duty Free.

The latest confirmed speakers include Zurich Airport Head of Commercial Centres Heidi Köpple.

Zurich Airport Head of Commercial Centres Heidi Köpple (left) and ETRC Secretary General Julie Lassaigne bring additional expertise to the conference line-up

Since joining Zurich Airport in 2010 as Key Account Manager, Köpple progressed to her current leadership role in 2016. She has since been pivotal in delivering record commercial revenues while elevating the airport’s profile as one of the leading lifestyle and travel retail hubs in Europe.

Köpple oversees airside and landside retail, dining and advertising, bringing a strong focus on innovation and premium partnerships.

Drawing on her strong background with Hugo Boss Travel Retail, she continues to shape a commercial strategy that enhances the passenger journey and the wider retail offer.

European Travel Retail Confederation (ETRC) Secretary General Julie Lassaigne is another highly regarded industry figure joining the programme.

Since starting as Secretary General of ETRC in 2019, Lassaigne has represented the association with distinction, earning the 2022 Frontier Award for Outstanding Contribution, and was among The Moodie Davitt Report’s People of the Year in 2024.

She is responsible for ETRC’s external representation and member relations. Joining in 2013, she handled core industry topics such as product information, alcohol policy, passenger rights and transport security.

Her earlier career in Brussels public affairs spans the aviation, food and sport sectors.

Bringing his extensive airport commercial and marketing expertise to the programme is PT&M Managing Director Éric Trichot.

(From left) Steer Director Gonzalo Velasco; PT&M Managing Director Éric Trichot; and Carnach Consulting Founder Kim Gray join The Trinity Forum agenda   

His career includes 12 years as Vice President Commercial Development at Nice Côte d’Azur Airport and prior academic roles at EDHEC and the French Civil Aviation University.

He will take part alongside Lassaigne and Köpple in the session ‘Shared Value, Shared Passenger Experience: Towards a Modernised ACI Europe Tender Code’.

This discussion will focus on the industry business model – often the subject of debate at The Trinity Forum – through a fresh lens, and against the backdrop of a market environment defined by volatility, repeated crises, regulatory evolution and the rise of new commercial models.

The panel will assess how promoting flexibility, data-sharing and partnerships are key to the present and future success of our industry. This is in light of ACI Europe’s lead to update the ACI Tender Code (originally created in 2001) and the September release of a study commissioned by ETRC from Stirling University on prevailing business models in the sector.

Carnach Consulting Founder Kim Gray will also feature in the speaker line-up.

Gray brings over 20 years of experience in airport commercial strategy, specialising in non-aeronautical revenue, commercial masterplans and spatial planning.

He previously served as Senior VP at URW Airports, where he directed commercial planning for key US hubs, including Los Angeles, Chicago O’Hare and New York John F. Kennedy international airports.

Gray was also Retail Strategy Lead at Heathrow Expansion, developing category mixes, layouts and phased plans, which drove higher spend and optimised passenger flow.

As Founder of Carnach Consulting, he currently advises airports and investors across multiple regions on commercial masterplans, space planning and performance assessments.

His notable consultancy projects include Toronto Pearson and Bole Addis Ababa international airports, and a multi-country retail study across Asia and the Middle East commissioned by Airports Council International.

The conference line-up also includes Steer Director Gonzalo Velasco, who brings over 20 years of airport management experience.

Velasco oversees global airport consultancy projects and has a strong track record in driving commercial revenue growth through non-aeronautical channels, including retail, property and passenger services, during senior roles at Ferrovial Airports.

His experience spans executive and board-level responsibilities at London Heathrow and Sydney airports.

He also supports industry best practices through his roles in the ACI World Non-Aeronautical Revenues & Activities Committee and the ACI World Economics Committee.

Gray and Velasco are set to present a study during the session ‘ACI APAC & MID Insights: Travel Retail Trends in the Post-Pandemic Era’.

The Trinity Forum is owned by The Moodie Davitt Report and co-organised in a highly successful long-term partnership with Airports Council International (ACI) Asia Pacific & Middle East and ACI World. From 2026, ACI Europe also joins as a partner, which marks a significant enhancement to the event’s scope and influence.

To be held at The St. Regis Doha, the conference will feature a robust programme addressing critical topics, such as evolving passenger behaviours, digital transformation in retail and sustainable revenue strategies.

The preliminary agenda (subject to change) has been previously announced, with additional high-profile names set to be revealed in the coming weeks. ✈

Click above for highlights from a memorable Trinity Forum in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam in November 2024 

Registration and sponsorship opportunities

Registration for The Trinity Forum 2026 is now open at https://trinityforum.events/

For sponsorship enquiries, please contact The Moodie Davitt Report Publisher Irene Revilla at irene@moodiedavittreport.com