India and Security to be in Spotlight at TFWA Asia Pacific Conference in Singapore

The opening Conference at TFWA Asia Pacific 2007 will take on an innovative and interactive format, focusing on the immense potential of the Indian subcontinent as a developing market for duty free and travel retail sales.

With outbound travel from India growing at an impressive rate, the whole world, but most especially the Asia Pacific region, is likely to reap the benefits in terms of tourism income and retail spending.

The TFWA Asia Pacific Conference on Tuesday 15th May (09.00-10.30) in the Singapore Suntec Centre will be entitled ‘The Indian Retail Revolution and its Effect on Asia Pacific’. Erik Juul-Mortensen, TFWA President will open with his address on ‘The State of the Travel Retail Industry’, an update on performance and the issues affecting the global industry.

The plenary session of TFWA Asia Pacific 2007 will feature a panel of high-ranking industry experts who will each give their insider views on the Indian market and the prospects for the travel retail industry.

The session will commence with an interview with Mr Colvyn Harris, CEO JWT India and Mr Parvez Dewan, Chairman ITDC who will discuss ‘Opportunities in India’, looking at how India is developing economically and bringing this progress into perspective for the retail industry.

The live debate which will follow will take a more in-depth look at the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead for brands seeking to invest in the Indian market. The session will be moderated by professional broadcaster Ms Kavita Maharaj.

The Opportunities in India panelists will include:

- Mr Colvyn Harris, CEO JWT 
- Mr Ravi Thakran, CEO/President LVMH India
- Mr Parvez Dewan, Chairman ITDC
- Mr Paul Topping, Managing Director, Alpha Asia
- Mr Stuart Bull, International Travel Retail Consultant, Masterfoods
- Mr Sanjeev Chowdry, Senior Director, AC Nielsen India
- Mr Kapil Kaul, Managing Director India, Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation
- Mr Rajiv Kapoor, Head Commercial Centre, Bangalore Intl Airport

Security issues relating to the carriage of liquids, pastes and gels onboard aircraft and the widespread repercussions on the duty free and travel retail industry have prompted TFWA to place greater emphasis on Security at the Conference than originally planned.

TFWA Asia Pacific will be one of the first opportunities the industry in the Asia Pacific region has had to convene since the security regulations were proposed in November by the European Commission.

Since then the President of the European Commission has expressed his firm support for the campaign to obtain a global protocol and ICAO has laid down guidelines for its 189 member airports regarding the security of the retail supply chain.

A security panel session entitled ‘The Effects of Security Threats on the Travel Retail Trade in Asia – update on an issue which is crucial to the future of the industry’ will feature within the plenary session.

This second live debate, which will be co-moderated by Miss Kavita Maharaj and Doug Newhouse, Managing Editor of the Travel Retail Business, will bring together representatives from the European Commission and, if available, the US TSA, as well as key people who are leading the campaign on behalf of the industry.

The Security Panel will include:

- Mr Robert Missen, Deputy Head of Unit, Aviation Security, Directorate-General for Energy and Transport, European Commission
- Mr Frank O’Connell, President, European Travel Research Council & Director Asia, Aer Rianta International
- Mr Sunil Tuli, Managing Director, King Power Hong Kong
- Mr Tom Thomas, Australian DFA & Director, Gateway Duty Free
- Mr Richard Ferne, Asia Pacific Director, Camus
- Ms Ariel Gentzbourger, Travel Retail Director Worldwide, Shiseido

There will be three early morning or lunchtime workshops in the Singapore Suntec Centre once the TFWA Asia Pacific exhibition is underway which are free to pre-registered delegates and subject to availability on-site:

- Wednesday 16th 0830-1000 - E-tailing Breakfast Workshop – ‘Placing the Consumer at the Heart of your e-Business Strategy’
- Moderator: Anouska Forte, Deputy Editor, Travel Retail Business
- Mr Jerry Ng Kok Loon, CEO iCo-op.net
- Ms Valerie Dagand, Commercial Communications Manager, Aeroports de Paris

- Wednesday 16th 1200-1400 - Airline Working Lunch – ‘In-flight Asia – Key Strategies to Incentivise Passengers and Boost In-flight Sales’ 
- Moderator: Peter Harbison, Executive Chairman, CAPA
- Ms Cindy Lam, Inflight DF Manager, Cathay
- Mr David Young, General Manager Inflight, Qantas
- Mr Pat Osbourne, Sales Director, Alpha Inflight
- Mr John Garner, Director Purchasing & Vendor Relations, DFASS (SQ)
- Mr Yoichiro Nakao, Inflight Service Planning Manager, ANA

- Thursday 17th 0830-1000 - Research Breakfast Workshop – ‘India and China Product Category Research’ – headline results of independent research conducted amongst suppliers, retailers and consumers by ACNielsen on behalf of TFWA
- Moderator: TFWA
- Ms Grace Wen Pan, Senior Manager Leisure and Travel Research, ACNielsen China
- Mr Sanjeev Chowdury, Associate Director, ACNielsen India
- Ms. Geeta Tulpule, Associate Director, Client Service Qualitative Division, ACNielsen India

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