Hamad International Airport, Qatar Airways and Qatar Duty Free to host the Trinity Forum 2019

The Trinity Forum is the world’s most influential airport commercial revenues conference

Qatar to host The Trinity Forum for the very first time

Doha, 3 December, 2018 – The world’s most influential airport commercial revenues conference, The Trinity Forum, will be held in Doha in 2019, the first time ever the event has been hosted in Qatar.

The event, organized by The Moodie Davitt Report, ACI World and ACI Asia-Pacific, will be hosted by Hamad International Airport (HIA), Qatar Airways and Qatar Duty Free (QDF) and take place in Doha from 30-31 October 2019.

At a meeting in Doha, Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker and The Moodie Davitt Report Founder and Chairman, Mr. Martin Moodie signed the partnership agreement for the event, in the presence of Hamad International Airport Chief Operating Officer, Engr. Badr Mohammed Al Meer and Qatar Duty Free Vice President Operations, Mr. Thabet Musleh.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “We are delighted to be bringing The Trinity Forum to Qatar for the very first time. This important event will bring the industry’s key leaders, retailers and brands from around the world to Doha, to not only improve and build on the dialogue between airports, concessionaires and brands to benefit passengers, but also to showcase our world-class  airline, airport and duty free offering to conference delegates. We look forward to extending Qatar’s warm hospitality and culture to all guests at next year’s event.”

Hamad International Airport Chief Operating Officer, Engr. Badr Mohammed Al Meer, said: “The Trinity Forum provides a unique opportunity for industry leaders and shapers to exchange insights, share knowledge and discuss innovative ideas to enhance the experience of travellers globally.

“At HIA, we are proud to work with The Moodie Davitt Report, ACI World and ACI Asia-Pacific, and our host partners Qatar Airways and Qatar Duty Free, to host this exceptional event in Qatar for the first time. As we gear up for what is set to be an exciting future for the industry in the region, we look forward to sharing our expertise and working with all those involved to usher in a new era of opportunities that redefine the airport and travel experience.”

Qatar Duty Free Vice President Operations, Mr. Thabet Musleh said: “Hosting The Trinity Forum in Qatar for the first time reflects our ongoing commitment to retail innovation and excellence. At Qatar Duty Free, we work hard to enhance the passenger experience in everything that we do, and work closely with all our brands and partners to continuously innovate to create lasting and memorable experiences.

“Hosting an event of this caliber in Doha is perfectly in line with our vision at Qatar Duty Free, and we are delighted to be partnering with The Moodie Davitt Report, ACI World and ACI Asia-Pacific to bring the industry’s leaders to Doha for this world-class Forum.”

Martin Moodie added: “We are delighted to bring The Trinity Forum, the world’s most influential airport commercial revenues conference, to the Middle East region and in particular to Qatar, a shining example of the pursuit of airport retail and commercial excellence. Hamad International is one of the world’s great airports and Qatar Airways an extraordinary success story of modern aviation. We are proud to partner with such outstanding organizations and with Qatar Duty Free, which so epitomizes our industry’s drive for retail and consumer service excellence.

“Since its launch in 2003, The Trinity Forum has grown from strength to strength with each edition. The most recent event held in Shanghai, which saw record attendance, was testimony to the importance all sectors of the industry place on the need for a Forum which champions collaboration, innovation and excellence, debates key issues and questions industry shortcomings. We have exciting plans to grow the event in 2019, including an extended focus on food & beverage, as well as the changing face of airport retail and other consumer services.

“Our hosts for next year’s Trinity Forum, Hamad International Airport, Qatar Airways and Qatar Duty Free, have constantly pushed the boundaries of retail excellence, innovation and customer service. We look forward to working closely with our hosts and co-organizers, ACI World and ACI Asia-Pacific, on The Trinity Forum 2019, which will once again bring together industry leaders, positive disruptors and thought leaders from across the globe.”

ACI World Director General, Ms. Angela Gittens said: “On behalf of ACI World, I am pleased to announce that the 2019 edition of The Trinity Forum, the world’s foremost gathering of airports, brands and retailers, will be held on 30-31 October in Doha, Qatar.

“The consistent growth of this Forum is testament to the appetite from our members, retailers and suppliers for more collaboration and innovation in the commercial space. We are grateful to the Moodie Davitt Report team and world business partners for all their collaboration and support over the years we have worked together on this event.”

ACI Asia-Pacific Regional Director, Ms. Patti Chau, said the unique blend of ancient culture and progressive modernity will make Doha the perfect place for the annual meeting.

“The Trinity Forum brings together the crucial triumvirate of airports, concessionaires and brands,” Chau said. “It has also been a couple years since ACI Asia-Pacific’s regional assembly was held there and we have missed the Qatari hospitality. Our host, Hamad International Airport, together with Qatar Duty Free and Qatar Airways are stalwart innovators in our industry, and we look forward to working with them to bring the Trinity Forum to Doha next October.”

The second-largest duty free operator in the Middle East, QDF boasts more than 90 elegant boutiques and luxury, high-end stores, as well as more than 30 restaurants and cafés covering an area of 40,000 square metres at HIA, providing travellers with a world-class shopping experience under one roof. Luxury brands also available at the five-star airport include Tiffany & Co., Gucci, Bulgari, Hermès, Burberry, Moncler, Rolex and Harrods. In addition, the award-winning duty-free retailer regularly showcases podiums and pop-up stores including the most recent DIOR LES PARFUMS podium, a TUMI Pop-up store, the L’Oréal Grand Hotel Podium and the Prada Voyage Podium.

Qatar Duty Free was awarded ‘Airport Retailer of the Year’ at the 2018 DFNI Global Awards. In April, the leading airport retailer was recognised at the PAX International Readership Awards, when Qatar Airways won ‘Best In-Flight Duty-Free Program’ for the Middle East and Africa and was acknowledged as an industry leader for its outstanding in-flight duty-free service, which is operated by Qatar Duty Free.

HIA, the home of QDF, has already met several significant milestones in 2018, including being ranked fifth ‘Best Airport in the World’, fourth ‘Best Airport for Shopping’ and fifth ‘Best Airport for Dining’ at the Skytrax World Airport Awards 2018. HIA is the only airport in the Middle East to be ranked in the world’s top 10 airports of 2018. At the annual awards ceremony, HIA also took home the title of ‘Best Airport in the Middle East’ for the fourth year in a row, and ‘Best Staff Service in the Middle East’ for the third consecutive year.

Notes for editors

Qatar Airways, the national carrier of the State of Qatar, is celebrating more than 20 years of Going Places Together with travellers across its more than 160 business and leisure destinations. The world’s fastest-growing airline will add a number of exciting new destinations to its growing network in 2018, including Gothenburg, Sweden; Da Nang, Vietnam; Mombasa, Kenya and many more, flying passengers on board its modern fleet of more than 200 aircraft.

A multiple award-winning airline, Qatar Airways was named ‘World’s Best Business Class’ by the 2018 World Airline Awards, managed by international air transport rating organization Skytrax. It was also named ‘Best Business Class Seat,’ ‘Best Airline in the Middle East,’ and ‘World’s Best First Class Airline Lounge.’

Qatar Airways is a member of the oneworld global alliance. The award-winning alliance was named the World’s Best Airline Alliance 2015 by Skytrax for the third year running. Qatar Airways was the first Gulf carrier to join global airline alliance, oneworld, enabling its passengers to benefit from more than 1,000 airports in more than 150 countries, with 14,250 daily departures.

Oryx One, Qatar Airways’ in-flight entertainment system offers passengers up to 4,000 entertainment options from the latest blockbuster movies, TV box sets, music, games and much more. Passengers flying on Qatar Airways flights served by its B787, A350, A380, A319 and select A320 and A330 aircraft can also stay in touch with their friends and family around the world by using the award-winning airline’s on-board Wi-Fi and GSM service.

Qatar Airways proudly supports a range of exciting international and local initiatives dedicated to enriching the global community that it serves. Qatar Airways, the official FIFA partner, is the official sponsor of many top-level sporting events, including the FIFA 2018 and 2022 World Cups, reflecting the values of sports as a means of bringing people together, something at the core of the airline’s own brand message – Going Places Together.

Qatar Airways Cargo, one of the world’s leading international air cargo carriers, serves more than 60 freighter destinations worldwide via its world-class Doha hub and also delivers freight to more than 150 key business and leisure destinations globally on more than 200 aircraft. The Qatar Airways Cargo fleet includes two Boeing 747-8 freighters, 13 Boeing 777 freighters and eight Airbus A330 freighters.

Airports Council International (ACI), the trade association of the world’s airports, was founded in 1991 with the objective of fostering cooperation among its member airports and other partners in world aviation, including the International Civil Aviation Organization, the International Air Transport Association and the Civil Air Navigation Services Organization. In representing the best interests of airports during key phases of policy development, ACI makes a significant contribution toward ensuring a global air transport system that is safe, secure, efficient and environmentally sustainable. As of January 2018, ACI serves 641 members operating 1953 airports in 176 countries.