At a press conference held during last week’s IAADFS show in Orlando, President of Asociación Sudamericana de Tiendas Libres (ASUTIL) Francisco Heredia and Secretary-General of ASUTIL José Donagaray announced details of the upcoming ASUTIL conference in Puerto Rico. Donagaray began by explaining why the association chose Puerto Rico as the location for the next show.

“Many people in Aruba last year voted to return to the Mercosur,” said Donagaray. “You may also remember that José Carlos Rosa of Dufry suggested Rio de Janeiro during his speech last year. In November and December, we visited Cataratas [also known as Puerto Iguazú, Argentina], where you probably know that London Supply has a new store. We looked for hotels there and the government has told us that they believe everything in the area would be ready for August. However, we can’t take the risk that in July the government contacts us and says, ‘Unfortunately we had a lot of rain over the winter and the roads and such are not finished.’

“As a result, we had to exclude Cataratas as a possibility,” continued Donagaray. “We also looked at Manaus, Brazil as an option. However, the rooms for the conference were very expensive. Other people voted for Bariloche, Argentina, but the cost of the hotel was also a problem. Furthermore, it’s very expensive for non-Argentineans to travel to the area.

“As you know, we always want to have a good conference while at the same time considering the pocketbooks of the people that attend. As a result, we visited Puerto Rico and we reached a great agreement with the Caribe Hilton whereby attendees will pay US$169 per room per night, with breakfast and free Internet included. The hotel is great, with a private beach, swimming pool, three or four restaurants, and a convention center,” noted Donagaray.

“There are a number of direct flights from the US and Latin America to the country,” concluded Donagaray. “In addition to the logistics, the location is also secure. To sum up, Puerto Rico has everything we need. We are officially announcing Puerto Rico as the location for the next conference, which will start on September 1.”

Francisco Heredia then took the podium to explain the meaning of this year’s theme, Setting New Goals: “If you remember, the theme of last year’s conference was Business as Usual. Now, a year later, we have determined that the bulk of operators and suppliers are looking to set new objectives,” said Heredia. “Given the… nature of the economy in South America, we have to be very flexible. Last year we were in a very difficult environment, and now we’re searching for new goals. Puerto Rico is a fantastic venue and we are confident that the conference will be yet another success.”

In a question and answer session, Donagaray confirmed that the structure of the conference will remain relatively unchanged, with the following tentative schedule already established:

Wednesday, September 1: All-day networking sessions
Thursday, September 2: Conference in the morning, networking in the afternoon
Friday, September 3: Conference in the morning, afternoon free
Saturday, September 4: Social activity

Donagaray also noted that on Friday there will be a barbeque on the beach with sports activities planned. He also alluded to a trip to Bacardi’s distillery in Puerto Rico. While speakers have not yet been confirmed for the conference, Donagaray asserted that the association has been in contact with some very big names in the industry and that ASUTIL is also looking into a presentation on strategies for incorporating added value.

With regard to sponsors, Donagaray mentioned that Dufry will be sponsoring some events, and as always, Americas Duty Free will be sponsoring the coffee breaks. He concluded by noting that ASUTIL will not be raising the price of the conference this year; indeed, 2010 marks the tenth year that the price for delegates has remained the same.

“The decision to hold the conference in Puerto Rico wasn’t just about the price,” he concluded. “The board is very committed to getting the best price for the attendees. It’s a global decision, taking into consideration the price, the product, and the venue.”