James Prescott started his travel retail career in 1990 as a buyer with Allders International. After moving through the ranks at Allders, James joined World Duty Free early in 1999 – just before the abolition of duty free for travellers between EU states – as Head of Category for Duty Free, Tax Free & Luxury. He moved to the Whyte & Mackay Whisky Company as Global Sales Director in 2006 before a move to the Middle East, joining Aer Rianta International as the General Manager of Operations for the retailer’s Middle East business.
A family-prompted move back to the UK in 2014 saw him joining cruise retail specialists Harding Retail as Buying Director. In 2016, he assumed the role as Managing Director. James is currently the CEO of Harding+.
James has since overseen a comprehensive restructure of the business, and since he was appointed CEO, the Harding business has more than doubled its share of the cruise retail market, securing a number of high-profile cruiseline partnerships, including the new entrants Virgin and Ritz Carlton.
The merging of the physical and virtual worlds is set to bring new life to shopping. Retailers and brands are now viewing the metaverse as the future of e-commerce given that its potential to change how consumers interact with their products and stores is exponential.
While some major domestic retailers are taking early advantage of the metaverse, what are its implications for the duty free and travel retail industry? How will our market find its place in the metaverse?
With Kevin Alderweireldt, co-founder and CEO of creative tech company and Metaverse specialist Bureau Béatrice.
Markets such as Ethiopia and Kenya were thriving pre-Covid, and will continue to play an important role in Africa’s emergence from the pandemic. This session will look in detail at current travel to and from the region, and share traveller profiles & retail trends.
Delegates will hear from Surafel Saketa, Country Manager – Qatar, Ethiopian Airlines; and Baptiste Duguit, Vice President Business Development, Lagardère Travel Retail.
The cruise market in the Middle East & Africa is a relatively untapped market with rich potential. Several leading cruiselines have identified the region as a future driver of growth, and are investing in new vessels and routes. This session will explore the potential of the maritime market in the Middle East & Africa, with contributions from market specialist James Prescott, CEO, Harding+.
From container shortages to geopolitical conflicts via Covid, the world is experiencing serious disruption to global supply chains. But even before the current state of global trade, supply chains had been in transition, thanks to a range of factors such as changing consumer preferences, evolving trade conditions and environmental concerns. How are recent supply chain issues impacting travel retail, and how are suppliers and retailers rising to the challenge?
In response to the new context, the delegates will hear from Sharon Beecham, Senior Vice President Purchasing, Dubai Duty Free and Alasdair Dickinson, Director, Asia and MEA, Beam Suntory.
Sustainability is no longer just a buzzword: it has moved to the top of the agenda for retailers and brands alike. How are brands and retailers adapting their businesses to combine operational excellence with social and environmental responsibility?
This session will hear from Lagardère TR CEO Saudi Arabia Munif Mohammed, Mars Wrigley Global Sales Director Marcus Hudson and Bahraini sustainability champion and Founder, New Normal Consultancy Shivani Sathasivam.
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- SHIVANI SATHASIVAM
- MUNIF MOHAMMED
- MARCUS HUDSON
