Our regular feature, brought to you in association with Strange Nature Gin from New Zealand, celebrates memorable scenes, moments, launches and campaigns related to the global aviation and travel retail sphere.
AUSTRALIA. The third annual Australian Airports Association (AAA) Retail & Commercial Forum concluded in Melbourne on Wednesday, with the event reaching new heights for visitor attendance, sponsorship support and content quality. We feature pictorial highlights in our regular Images of the Day feature.
Organised by a partnership between the AAA, The Mercurius Group and The Moodie Davitt Report, the Forum on 22-24 July brought together all the key players in the non-aeronautical industry, including airports from Australia and New Zealand, retailers, food & beverage (F&B) concessionaires, foreign exchange operators, advertising concessionaires, ground transport providers and various advisers and suppliers.
Around 320 delegates attended the event at the Pullman on the Park Hotel in central Melbourne, with Melbourne Airport as host this year.
Led by a core theme of ‘Growth through Understanding, Benchmarking & Analysis,’ the Forum delivered strong insights into the latest trends in commercial activity and consumer attitudes and behaviour about retail, dining and services at Australian and New Zealand airports.
Highlights included a specially commissioned consumer research report by THINK Global Research, a bespoke retailer sentiment study on relationships with airport partners in association with Monash University, a study of retail fit-out costs at airports by quantity surveyors at Turner & Townsend plus special reports on beauty and food & beverage.
Melbourne and Perth airports outlined in detail the next stages of their non-aeronautical development plans, delegates heard strategic insights into the SSP Group view of the travel dining market from CEO Patrick Coveney – and into its acquisition of Airport Retail Enterprises earlier this year – and of the opportunity for the VAT refund business and duty free from utu Global C-Founder Ameer Jumabhoy.
The event also included a Ground Transport Forum for the first time, on 22 July.
More detailed stories will follow across our platforms soon; on this page we present a pictorial snapshot of the event, which was co-moderated by The Moodie Davitt Report President Dermot Davitt, The Mercurius Group Managing Director Ivo Favotto and The Mercurius Group Senior Consultant Diane Owens.
Click here for our story on the AAA Awards, another highlight of the programme. More images and stories to follow. ✈
