TFWA hails Asia/Pacific success

Gavin Lipsith

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The Tax Free World Association concluded its TFWA Asia Pacific with a justifiably upbeat tone after the show’s new format proved a success with visitors

The Tax Free World Association (TFWA) declared itself satisfied with the new format it introduced for this year’s edition of the TFWA Asia Pacific exhibition and the preceding Gate One2One conference, held last week in Singapore. Speaking at the closing press conference, TFWA CEO Olivier Charriaud and president Erik Juul-Mortensen said the new format had proved successful, and established a solid base from which to make further enhancements to the event.

Among the changes to this year’s event, the Gate One airport revenues conference and the TFWA Asia Pacific conference were combined into one day-long event featuring a mixture of plenary and elective sessions. And the exhibition was reduced by half a day to conclude on Thursday evening rather than at Friday midday. The association said that feedback suggested that both changes were for the better, with a more interesting and well-attended programme for the conference and a generally busier atmosphere on the exhibition floor.

Juul-Mortensen said: “All in all, the new format was a good move. We’ve never walked away from a conference where we wouldn’t change some things, and I would like to make some changes for next year, but the new format has worked well.”

Charriaud said that a survey of 100 key visitors—duty-free retailers, airports and agents—showed that 96% of respondents thought that the association should stick with the same format next year.

See a forthcoming issue of DFNI for a comprehensive report from the exhibition and the Gate One2One conference.