“ASUTIL really offers a unique combination of industry-leading speakers, networking time and social activities.”
José Luis Donagaray, Secretary General, ASUTIL

ASUTIL prepares for record-setting 2010 conference

José Luis Donagaray, Secretary General of Asociación Sudamericana de Tiendas Libres (ASUTIL), noted in an interview with Americas Duty Free that the number of attendees registered for this year’s conference breaks the organization’s all-time record set in 2008 in Panama. While the burgeoning Latin American economy likely plays a part in the expected success of this year’s event, Donagaray noted that the lineup of speakers and the unique combination of offerings at the conference, to be held at the Caribe Hilton in Puerto Rico from September 1 to 4, is certainly of supreme importance to delegates.

“At this point we have about 280 attendees confirmed,” says Donagaray. “We had around 260 attendees in 2008, so we’re already well above that number. We’ve got a lot of different speakers from a number of disciplines and I think the quality of the discussions that take place at ASUTIL is one of the conference’s strong suits.”

Speakers

Indeed, the lineup of speakers at the conference is set to shed light on the theme of ASUTIL 2010, Setting New Goals, from a number of different angles. On Thursday, September 2, President of ASUTIL Francisco Heredia will speak during the Welcome and Official Opening Ceremony. The first conference portion of the day will feature José Donagaray, IAADFS Executive Director Michael Payne and recently appointed TFWA CEO Alain Maingreaud speaking on the theme “Current Situation of the Industry: Evolution, Trends and Main Challenges.”

Later in the day, Regional Marketing Director for Diageo Sandra Vaucher will touch on the theme of “Category Evolution, Learnings and Challenges.” General Director of ACI Angela Gittens will then take the stage to discuss “Growth Prospects in a Divergent Economy.”

Friday morning’s first speaker will be Director of M&S Consultores Carlos Melconian. He will touch on “The Impact of the European Crisis and its Effect on Latin America.” Santiago Llairo, Corporate Affairs and Communications Director for Worldwide Duty Free at JTI, and Alvaro López from BAT will then discuss the current state of affairs in the tobacco industry.

Later Friday morning General Manager of Duty Free Uruguay Diego Arrosa will touch on the new developments at Carrasco Airport. Lewis Allen, Director of Environments at Portland Design, will then offer his thoughts on creating the ideal airport customer experience.

Finally, Michael J. Reardon of Disney Institute will discuss “Merchantainment, Disney’s Approach to Quality Service.” The day will end with a word from Jose Carlos Rosa, Vice President of ASUTIL.

Networking time, sponsors and other events

In addition to the robust conference schedule, the popular networking sessions from years past will again be a major feature of ASUTIL 2010, with ample networking time sponsored by Diageo and Bacardi scheduled for both Wednesday and Thursday. Coffee breaks throughout the conference will be sponsored by Americas Duty Free magazine and Godiva.

Wednesday’s picnic will be sponsored by ASUTIL, while the Reception and Opening Cocktail sponsors are Dufry and Coca-Cola Puerto Rico. Thursday’s Luncheon will be sponsored by Interbaires and Bacardi will sponsor the Gala Dinner on Thursday night. The event will take place at Puerto Rico’s own Casa Bacardi distillery. Friday’s Luncheon will be sponsored by Dufry Brazil. Finally, attendees will have a choice of touring San Juan or taking a trip on a catamaran.

“ASUTIL really offers a unique combination of industry-leading speakers, networking time and social activities,” concluded Donagaray. “All three are extremely important in order for attendees to get industry feedback from all angles concerning the state of the industry as we move into the second half of the year.”

When contacted for comment, President of ASUTIL Francisco Heredia echoed Donagaray’s sentiments, noting that delegates have any number of reasons to attend the conference: “I think the main reason for ASUTIL’s success has to do with the general path it has developed. Some examples include the dedication the organization has shown over the years toward fostering sustained growth; the care with which ASUTIL chooses its speakers; the possibility that attendees can form relations that go beyond commercial ties through events such as the Saturday social activity; and the guarantee of networking time.

“I think respecting the opinions that our attendees offer is another important point,” Heredia continues. “We also very carefully choose cities and hotels and make sure that delegates’ registration fees include meals, events and activities. When you combine the numerous benefits that the conference offers with the positive signs in the economy, it makes sense to me that 2010 will be a successful year for ASUTIL.”