Summit of the Americas 2021 reports ‘strong’ attendance

The Summit of the Americas 2021 welcomed more than 2,700 visitors to its first virtual show this month.

The 2021 iteration of Summit of the Americas took place online from 5-9 April as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The event was organised by the International Association of Airport and Duty Free Stores (IAADFS) and the Asociación Sudamericana de Tiendas Libres (Asutil).

“During this difficult Covid-19 period, it was important for us to provide an opportunity for our industry to come together through a cost-effective and user-friendly platform to connect with each other and learn in anticipation of the pandemic recovery that we are all anxiously awaiting,” said IAADFS president and CEO Michael Payne.

The event featured a virtual Exhibition Hub, an Engagement Lounge and a digital happy hour.

The organisers said participation to the event was ‘strong’, with more than 10,000 total stand views – 60% of which looked at other material such as videos and presentations.

Exhibitors saw an average of 338 visitors at their stands during the event.

The five-day education programme in the Knowledge Hub featured speakers from across the travel retail industry, including Jane Ewing, Walmart senior vice president.

The Knowledge Hub hosted 21 sessions, which were viewed a total of 2,300 times as of 10 April. Additional views took place after the event closed.

José Luis Donagaray, Asutil secretary general, added: “The excellent sessions featured in the Knowledge Hub gave a huge amount of very important information to help keep our colleagues updated and better prepared for when traffic levels and sales begin to improve.”

The virtual stands and recordings from the Knowledge Hub are available to registered attendees until the end of the 30-day period from 9 April.