Page 18 - TFWA World Exhibit 2022 Special Edition

INSIDER

IAADFS promises more flexibility and broader audience for

2023 Summit of the Americas

The International Association of rooms have already been renewed by last much more strictly confined to only duty
Airport & Duty Free Stores opened year’s participants.” free.
registration for exhibitors at the 2023 Payne said that the Association “Today, travel retail has morphed into
Summit of the Americas the first week of has a general floor plan laid out, but has something much broader; it is much more
September – much earlier than last year not laid out specific spaces yet so as to of a mixture. We want to accommodate
-- in the expectation that the recovery accommodate requests. that,” he said.
underway and positive momentum from
the 2022 event, will spur interest in Networking Eliminating airport gate deliveries
participating. The Association is also deciding In other IAADFS activities, the
The Summit will take place April where to place a networking area, Association is coordinating more with
16-19, 2023 at the Palm Beach County considering either in a hallway, within other organizations to achieve certain
Convention Center in Palm Beach, Florida. a ballroom or in the room where they changes. Working with Airports Council
Michael Payne, IAADFS President will hold the content sessions. In any International, the IAADFS is trying to
& CEO tells TMI that the organization event, there will be a dedicated area for eliminate gate deliveries of items bought at
is looking to be flexible to accommodate networking, Payne assured. the duty free store, for example.
as many requests as possible, and will be “We want to be a little more flexible “We would like Customs to do some
opening the show to a broader audience. than normal because it will take time for demonstration projects, which will show
“We wanted to start the process people to figure out what they want to do. that we really do not need to still have that
earlier to give people a chance to make But we want to work with them to help requirement in place in the U.S. Customs
their decisions, and allow exhibitors provide as good a return on investment as has expressed some willingness to test this
to get their spot. We wanted to get that possible,” he added. to see that they still get what they need out
momentum going,” said Payne. of [secure gate deliveries] but so do our
Opening registration earlier also gives Fewer content sessions, more industry members,” said Payne.
Payne the opportunity to speak to people in partners “With the staffing and turnover
Cannes during TFWA World Exhibition to In response to the feedback the difficulties going on in the airports these
answer questions they may have. Association got after last year’s event, there days, gate delivery is just another burden
Initial response was good, he said, will also be a more streamlined education that isn’t necessary.
with 14-15 commitments for exhibition program. “The stores and airports have to
space received in the first week. “Most likely we will hold only four provide staff to provide the service, and
Payne says that attendees will be sessions, to allow more exhibitors and some people do not trust the system and
seeing a few changes from last year, when visitors to attend,” noted Payne, who said would rather not shop if they cannot take
the Association tested a hybrid, abbreviated it is partnering with organizations like the item with them. Customs worries that
format as the industry eased back in to live Airports Council International (ACI) and people will buy duty free and then pass
events. the Airport Retail & Restaurant Association it to someone domestically, but in many
(ARRA) to put together the sessions. international terminals there really is no
Trade Floor returns opportunity to do that. ACI has been very
The 2023 Summit returns to a more Capturing more of the travel experience instrumental in helping us get this issue
traditional format featuring an exhibit hall Payne notes that the IAADFS has initiated,” he explained.
in combination with a limited number of also been having conversations with Payne says that the IAADFS is also
private exhibit/meeting rooms. ARRA about doing more projects together, monitoring several issues, including
“The Palm Beach Convention Center including opening the duty free show to making sure that the revenue allocated to
has a substantial exhibit area on the first more ARRA members. airports and operators from the CARES
floor, which we had chosen not to use last “We might incorporate some Food & Act* is getting utilized properly.
year. But we will use it in 2023 based on Beverage exhibiters in the upstairs area. “We are talking to the airport
the feedback we got from exhibitors,” There are now a number of companies authorities to determine that those funds
explained Payne. doing duty free, travel retail and food and get to the operators they were meant for,”
“Some people liked having the beverage. And we think there will be others he said.
spaces spread around but most of the as the industry tries to capture the whole *The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and
exhibitors said they would prefer to be customer experience,” he said. “With Economic Security Act (CARES Act) is a $2.2
in a more central location. So we are ARRA’s engagement, we will probably trillion economic stimulus bill passed by the
working on designing a floor plan that will have more interest among the F&B sector.” 116th U.S. Congress and signed into law by
accommodate those who want stands. But Payne said inviting more categories to President Donald Trump on March 27, 2020.
we are still going to offer the private rooms exhibit could open the show up, especially
that we did last year. A number of these as opposed to 30 years ago when it was

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