The MEADFA Conference

Ferrero was delighted to sponsor the first day coffee break at this year’s MEADFA Conference in Abu Dhabi, held from Nov 17-19.

Attracting over 550 delegates from across the globe, this was the perfect way to highlight our iconic Ferrero Rocher brand to key stakeholders from airports, operators, retailers, consultants and brands. 
The MEADFA annual conference offers important insights, updates and news about travel retail developments in the important Middle East and Africa regions.

The event opened with a welcome address from MEADFA President Sherif Toulan and Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of Abu Dhabi Airports, Elena Sorlini. This included a moment of silence to honour the life and work of Colm McLoughlin who spearheaded the development and growth of Dubai Duty Free.

Discussions covered a variety of topics including fuelling growth in the Middle East and Africa region and the importance of safeguarding the region against key challenges. 
Day two opened with a session on how the duty free and travel retail industry can tap into the exciting opportunities offered by Saudi Arabia and East Africa.

MEADFA’s sustainability update was also on the agenda, along withg the value of mystery shopping - increasingly recognised as an essential tool to assess customer experience. The growth of Artificial Intelligence and how it can apply to GTR was highlighted in the final session.

Delegates also enjoyed a varied networking programme, which included a welcome cocktail on Sunday evening at the Fairmont Bab Al Bahr Hotel, hosted by ARI Middle East, a Gala dinner on Monday night at the Yas Marina Circuit, hosted by Avolta, and numerous networking opportunities throughout the conference.

During the Gala Dinner, the MEADFA Awards winners were announced. Ferrero was proud to be shortlisted in the Marketing Campaign award this year; the ultimate winner being Dubai Duty Free.