Registration has officially commenced for this year's MEADFA Conference, which is scheduled to take place in Accra, Ghana. The event is set to run from November 19th to the 21st and will be hosted at the esteemed Kempinski Hotel Gold Coast City. This year marks a significant milestone as it's the first time the annual conference is being held in West Africa.
Ghana was selected as the host country to underscore the strategic significance of the African market for MEADFA and its members. It aims to shine a spotlight on the unique opportunities and challenges within the region. Ghana serves as a pivotal gateway to Africa and boasts some of the world's fastest-growing economies.
Managed by TFWA (Tax Free World Association), this year's MEADFA Conference is being generously hosted by Dufry, a major player with substantial operations across multiple African countries. The event boasts a lineup of distinguished sponsors, including Diamond Sponsors like Aphrodite Sarl, GN Tobacco Sweden AB, Imperial Brands Global Duty Free & Export S.L.U., Inter African Marketing, and International Duty Free Trading & Agencies (IDF). Platinum Sponsors include Dubai Duty Free, Mondelēz World Travel Retail, Pernod Ricard Gulf, and Gold Sponsors such as Al Nassma Chocolate, Beam Suntory, Bahrain Duty Free, Benigna Parfums, Gebr. Heinemann SE & Co. KG, Ghandour Cosmetics – Scent of Africa, Heinemann Egypt, Muscat Duty Free, and Oriental Group. The event also enjoys the support of Coffee Break sponsors Nestle and Lindt, as well as other sponsors like Liviko and Scent of Africa. Recognized media partners include The Moodie Davitt Report, TR Business Limited, Global Travel Retail Magazine, and DFNI-Frontier, while Airline Partners feature Air France - KLM.
The conference spans two half days, taking place on November 20th and 21st. It will feature top-level executives from airports, retailers, and brands active in the Middle East and Africa, alongside experts in aviation, tourism, and brand development. The agenda will cover a diverse range of topics, including the growth of aviation and related industries in Africa, the reimagining of the business model for airport retail, updates on sustainability efforts in the region, strategies for catering to African shoppers, and insights into post-Covid travel trends in the Middle East and Africa.
In addition to the insightful conference sessions, attendees will enjoy a vibrant social program with ample networking opportunities. This includes an Opening Cocktail event on Sunday, a Gala Dinner on Monday, and networking coffee breaks and lunches throughout the conference.
For those interested in attending or seeking additional information, registration details can be found here: MEADFA Conference Registration.
Sherif Toulan, MEADFA President, expressed excitement about the upcoming event: "Anticipation is building as we prepare our journey to Ghana for the MEADFA Conference. We are delighted to witness robust support from the industry, with registrations steadily coming in at an encouraging pace. This underscores the collective interest to explore the promising African market and stay up to date on developments in the Middle East. The conference program includes a number of senior executives from across our industry, with a strong focus on the African continent. We invite you to join us in Accra for an enlightening experience and the opportunity to strengthen our industry connections. We look forward very much to welcoming our friends and business partners to Accra."
Erik Juul-Mortensen, TFWA President, emphasized the significance of the MEADFA Conference: "The MEADFA Conference is one of the highlights of the duty-free and travel retail calendar, and we at TFWA are proud to be supporting the event once again. West Africa represents an important geography for our industry, where there is clearly much untapped potential. The MEADFA Conference connects industry colleagues from the region with those from other international markets and will provide attendees from other parts of the world the opportunity to discover more about doing business in Africa and the Middle East. Accra will doubtlessly serve as an excellent location for this not-to-be-missed event."