Asia Retail Arena is thought to engage the retail community and provide it with the latest trends in order to set directions on the future of retail.

A unique platform will be created to bring together the major players and disruptors in the retail industry to shed light on the changes and transformation that have been forging the contemporary retail landscape.

Panel 1 - Hong Kong & Macao Market Trends and Connections to China

The retail landscape is changing, and shopping malls are differentiating their portfolio. New trends such as streetwear, and athleisure, pervading the collections of heritage brands. New generations have different priorities, and luxury brands have shifted from brand- to customer-centric approach to maintain their profitability. The panel will bring together professionals from the luxury industry and uprising categories to shed light on the new retail ecosystem.

Panelists:

Barrie Chan – Deputy Senior Director Retail, Savills

Edoardo Tocco – President Asia Pacific, Balenciaga

Filippo Gori – General Manager, Geox

Giovanni Di Salvo – Managing Director Asia Pacific, Versace

Samy Redjeb – Managing Director HK, Macau, Taiwan, Bluebell

Panel 2 - What "affluential" men want?

In the luxury industry, men consumers have always been big spenders, loyal customers, very attentive to the in-store experience, but also very clear on what they want. Today, while new generations seem to tend towards experiences more than goods, studies confirm that men prefer trading up tangible goods over their female counterparts. Gathering a panel of experts in men's products, spanning from fashion and accessories to cosmetics, and lifestyle experiences, the discussion will provide insights on men's consumption and upcoming trends to address the new demand.

Moderated by:

Anne Peirson-Smith – Assistant Professor, City University of Hong Kong

Panelists:

Alan See – Director, The Armoury Group Ltd.

Andrea Casavecchia – Regional Director, Santoni Asia Ltd

Sabrina Sakhrani – Senior Key Client Consultant, EUROMONITOR

Jean CJ Lee – Founder / CEO, Vacant Label

Rex Cheuk – Business Development Director, HK, Macau & SEA, Tmall Global, Alibaba Group

Panel 3 - Passions & Experiences

Millennials and GEN Z are big spenders, however, they are more willing to invest in "intangible" goods, bringing to the table of discussion words such as "passions" and "experiences". From hospitality to gourmet brands, consumers are now looking for brands matching their lifestyle. The panel will gather professionals from hospitality and brands' representative to discuss how they are addressing the new customers' needs.

Moderated by:

Markus Schuckert – Associate Professor, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University – School of Tourism & Management

Panelists:

Laurent de Rougemont – Managing Director, Davidoff of Geneva Asia Ltd.

Marco Galimberti – Managing Director, Venchi Greater China LTD

Marino Braccu – General Manager & Chief Sommelier, 8 ½ Otto & Mezzo BOMBANA Hong Kong

Olivier D. Stocker – Chairman & CEO, Spink.

Pierre Perusset – General Manager, Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong

Panel 4 - Retail & Digital World

In 2016, Jack Ma from Alibaba envisioned what today we call "new retail". A seamless experience, which brings together online and offline to meet the needs of the new generation of digital natives. Besides the digital transforming the physical store, new retail also reflects a more informed decision-making process based on big data analytics, CRM, AI, but also the understanding of how each market is different and how communication needs to be localized. The panel will gather professional in retail with expertise in the retail & digital world to discuss the evolution of the "new retail", and able to define the state-of-the-art in this field.

Moderated by:

Gianluca Cinquepalmi – Associate Chair for the School of Communication Arts & UX, SCAD

Panelists:

AJ Mak – Founder & CEO, Chain of Demand

Stefano Daelli – Partner, FUTUREBERRY

Maarten Wessels – Growth & Strategy APAC, Adyen

Jacopo Pesavento – Founder & CEO, Branding Records

Stefano Sorrentino – Partner, Value Partners Management Consulting Hong Kong

Get your chance to learn more about the retail world and to meet the speakers by joining these amazing panels.

Make sure you RSVP by April 30th to secure your spot!

*Please, note that the programme is subject to change, and will be updated continuously up to the conference.