AUSTRALASIA. The top eight airport F&B concessionaires across Australia and New Zealand have signed on to the F&B Industry Support Panel of sponsors for the 2024 Australian Airports Association (AAA) Retail & Commercial Forum. The event takes place at the Pullman on the Park Hotel in Melbourne, Australia from 22-24 July.
Organised by a partnership between the Australian Airports Association (AAA), The Mercurius Group and The Moodie Davitt Report, the Forum brings together all the key players in the airport non-aeronautical revenue sector.
These include airports from Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands, duty free and speciality retailers, food & beverage operators, foreign exchange operators, advertising concessionaires, ground transport providers and various advisers and suppliers.
Since its inception in 2022, category sponsorship for the Forum has been based on a unique-to-this-event shared model where all the main players contribute equally to the sponsorship and enjoy equal top billing.
In F&B, this brings together the top operators including Airport Retail Enterprises, Avolta, Cater Care, Delaware North, Emirates Leisure Retail Australia and SSP, who have all supported the Forum and the F&B Industry Support Panel from its inception.
This year, they are joined by Airport Retail Group Australia (AGRA), the growing Brisbane-based airport F&B operator, and LagardèreAWPL, which operates both standalone F&B outlets and hybrid F&B/speciality outlets (and is an established retail partner of the AAA event).
AAA Chief Operating Officer Adrian Plumb said: “We are extremely pleased to have the support of all the top F&B operators in this region. These partnerships are fundamental to making this event a success, allowing us to bring together the entire airport commercial community each year.
“We are also delighted to welcome both AGRA and LagardèreAWPL to the F&B panel, who join the big six who have supported this event from the start.”
Airport Retail Enterprises CEO John Chapman commented: “This Forum works for ARE. It is the only event in this region that brings us the opportunity to network, connect with colleagues and develop business in a cost-effective, yet enjoyable way.”
Avolta Managing Director SE Asia and Oceania David Mackay said: “Our partnership with this Forum has helped us strengthen our business in Australia in recent years, evidenced by the successful addition of outlets at Gold Coast Airport over the past 12 months.
“We are eagerly looking forward to the event and the opportunity to explore new projects with new and existing partners. With an expanded scope in F&B and travel retail, we are committed to realising our strategy to make travellers happier here in Australia.”
Cater Care Retail Chief Operating Officer Rob Rutter commented: “As one of the largest Australian-owned and managed airport F&B operators, we see this event as an integral opportunity to cement our growth leadership in the industry and embark on new partnerships as we continue to grow our footprint in the Australasian market.”
Delaware North Chief Operating Officer Kieran Fitzpatrick said: “Airports remain a core part of our business offering at Delaware North and it is our pleasure to again sponsor this year’s Forum. We are especially looking forward to welcoming delegates to this year’s Gala Dinner at the MCG, where Delaware North is also the hospitality and merchandise partner.”
Emirates Leisure Retail Australia Regional Director and General Manager – ANZ Davina Connell said: “This will be my first Forum since taking over from Justin Scotti earlier this year, so the Forum presents an ideal opportunity for me to deepen my connections with airports and the airport commercial sector.”
SSP General Manager Australia Dominic Cain said: “Australia and New Zealand are important markets for SSP and this event, by bringing all of the airports together in the one place at the one time, makes managing our landlord relationships and our business development easier.”
Airport Retail Group Australia Director George Drivas commented: “We are delighted to be joining our esteemed colleagues in the airport F&B industry in supporting this event. It’s a tremendous event and we are delighted to be a part of it.”
LagardèreAWPL Chief Executive Costa Kouros said: “LagardèreAWPL has been a supporter of the AAA Retail & Commercial Forum since its inception in 2022 and we are delighted to be able to continue to support this important event that brings together our whole industry.”
The Mercurius Group Managing Director Ivo Favotto noted that F&B continues to grow in importance in the region’s airport commercial landscape. He added: “The number of outlets is growing, the breadth of their offerings is growing and the quality of their offer is improving dramatically. The growth of F&B PSR is an important revenue driver for airports.”
The Moodie Davitt Report President Dermot Davitt said: “We know from our other events such as The Trinity Forum and the Airport F&B + Hospitality Conference just how supportive the F&B industry is of travel retail, so their overwhelming support of this Forum is no surprise to us.” ✈
For more details about the Forum, visit the AAA website here.
For sponsorship and exhibition opportunities, please contact:
Ivo Favotto
Managing Director
The Mercurius Group
+61 423 564 057
