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MACAU (CHINA). Qatar Duty Free today announced its Platinum Sponsorship for this year’s ACI Airport Business & Trinity Forum in Macau, China, due to be held on 23-25 September. And in related news DFS, the world’s leading luxury travel retailer, will sponsor the Forum’s first-day lunch.
The Trinity Forum, as it is popularly known, is the world’s leading airport commercial revenues conference. It is organised jointly by The Moodie Report and Airports Council International (ACI). This year’s Forum is being hosted by CAM – Macau International Airport Company Limited. Qatar Duty Free joins powerful Indian airports group GMR as a Platinum Sponsor.
Qatar Duty Free and Qatar Airways Inflight Duty Free Vice President Keith Hunter said: “Qatar Duty Free is pleased to be associated with ACI and The Moodie Report as Platinum Sponsors of the Trinity Forum, a truly leading airport commercial revenue conference.
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Keith Hunter: “Qatar Duty Free is keen to be actively involved in supporting such a unique programme” |
“Qatar Duty Free is keen to be actively involved in supporting such a unique programme that brings together airports, airlines, retailers and suppliers.
“We feel that the negative impact of the current market scenario is going to be more severe than expected, making a strong reason for all of us in the travel retail industry to get together and plan our way forward.
“Under the leadership of our dynamic CEO, Mr Akbar Al Baker, we are experiencing excellent growth in business and passenger spends, primarily due to the aggressive expansion plans of Qatar Airways. I have no doubt that this year’s Trinity Forum will be another success story put together by ACI and The Moodie Report and very eagerly look forward to it.”
Qatar Duty Free’s parent group Qatar Airways is one of the most ambitious and progressive players in the aviation, airport and travel retail sectors. The airline has grown its fleet and route network exponentially in recent years (with an average 35% growth year-on-year for the past decade) while simultaneously becoming a byword for quality service (it is rated one of just six 5-Star airlines in the world).
Qatar Duty Free runs the travel retail operations at Doha International Airport and onboard Qatar Airways – and is charged with developing the spectacular New Doha International Airport, due to open in 2012.
Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker will appear at The Trinity Forum in an exclusive filmed interview commissioned for the event. This will be followed by an on-stage interview with Keith Hunter, who will talk about commercial plans for the New Doha International Airport – one of the world’s most exciting airport development projects.
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DFS has also pledged its support for the 2009 Trinity Forum at which Senior Vice President of Business Development Christian Strang is delivering a major address on the first morning. DFS will sponsor and host the day one lunch to be held at the Macau Tower Convention & Entertainment Center.
Macau is a commercial heartland for DFS, which opened its acclaimed DFS Galleria Macao in 2008 and followed that up recently with the first phase of its ambitious City of Dreams luxury retail complex nearby.
The Moodie Report Founder & Publisher Martin Moodie said: “We’re delighted to receive such heavyweight support from two of the travel retail industry’s leading – and most innovative – players.
“We’re also encouraged in this most difficult of years by the steady growth in registration numbers – and more particularly by the quality of attendants. This year’s Forum, postponed from its original March dates, comes at what we feel is precisely the right time as the channel eyes a definite yet difficult recovery. Never, as Keith Hunter points out, has the need for collaboration between industry stakeholders been greater.”
Companies already registered or committed to attending include Abu Dhabi Airports Company, Aldeasa, ANA – Aeroportos de Portugal, Auckland International Airport Limited, Beijing Airport Commercial & Trading Company, Beijing Capital International Airport Co, CAM – Macau International Airport Company Limited, Caviar House, China Duty Free Group, The David King Partnership, Delhi International Airport Ltd, The Design Solution, DFS Group and Diageo Global Travel & Middle East.
They will be joined by representatives from Gebr Heinemann, Israel Airports Authority, Jonathan Holland & Associates, Japan Tobacco International, Lagardère Services, King Power Group (HK), King Power International (Thailand), MCM, Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, Nigel Dolby Consulting, The Nuance Group, Nuance-Watson (HK) and The Patron Spirits Company.
Also present will be delegates from Philip Morris World Trade, Qatar Airways, Qatar Duty Free Company, Regstaer, Rémy Cointreau, The S-A-P Group, Scental, Sydney Airport, Travel Food Services, Villiger Sons, WDF, Zürich Airport and many others.
With Trinity Forum registrations growing steadily, Gold Sponsor Dubai Duty Free has offered two strong incentives to those who register early. The travel retailer is contributing two prize draw tickets – one in the Millennium Millionaire (win US$1 million) and the other in the Finest Surprise luxury car raffle – to be drawn from all those delegates who have registered by 31 August.
For registration and programme details click here.
Sponsorship opportunities are still available – please contact Martin Moodie at Martin@TheMoodieReport.com
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