Australia’s biggest airport retail and commercial event set for 21-23 July in Sydney

AUSTRALASIA. The Australian Airports Association Retail & Commercial Forum will take place in Sydney for the first time in 2025. It will run on Tuesday 22 and Wednesday 23 July, with the popular Ground Transport Forum preceding the Retail & Commercial Forum on Monday 21 July.

Hosted and co-organised by a partnership between the Australian Airports Association (AAA), The Mercurius Group and The Moodie Davitt Report, the fast-growing Forum, now in its fourth year, will be held at Sofitel Wentworth in the heart of Sydney’s CBD, with support from this year’s Host Airport, Sydney Airport.

Australian airports are seeing record passenger volumes, including on the trans-Tasman route, burgeoning international and domestic connections and fresh connectivity to the South Pacific.

The 2025 Forum will again bring together industry experts from across the non-aeronautical activities sector and airports from Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific Islands and Southeast Asia.

In addition, duty-free operators, speciality retailers, food & beverage, foreign exchange, advertising concessionaires, ground transport providers and many more will join a diverse and impressive audience of industry influencers.

Following record attendance for the 2024 Forum in Melbourne, the 2025 Australian Airports Association Retail & Commercial Forum promises to be even bigger, held in the nation’s largest aviation gateway of Sydney.

The Forum’s theme for 2025 is ‘Lessons from Within & Beyond the Airport Environment’.

AAA Chief Executive Simon Westaway said: “The AAA Retail & Commercial Forum has fast-emerged as the must-attend annual event for our greater region’s airport commercial sector and we are thrilled Sydney Airport, and the city of Sydney will host in 2025.

“There will be a diverse, compelling programme including the latest insights and trends from Australian and our near region airports.

“Australian airports are on the move with many rapidly passing pre-COVID travel peaks and setting new passenger volume records and accommodating strong growth,” Westaway added.

The Mercurius Group Managing Director Ivo Favotto said: “The Forum is the perfect place for networking and business development – for airports seeking to improve commercial revenue streams, for concessionaires hoping to win business at airports, and for brands and suppliers seeking to build relationships with either airports or concessionaires.

“An exciting array of speakers will address retail technology, the future of payments, consumer insights, the evolution of commercial partnerships, the outlook for duty free, speciality retail, food & beverage and more.”

The Moodie Davitt Report President Dermot Davitt said: “We are delighted to play our part once again in co-organising this Forum, which has established itself as the key event in the Australasian airport commercial sector’s events calendar.

“We expect strong participation from across the industry Trinity of airports, concessionaires and brand owners, alongside other service providers, as we take the Retail & Commercial Forum to new heights in Sydney.”

Host Airport and major Forum sponsor, Sydney Airport, expressed excitement about bringing the dynamic airports and aviation event to Australia’s largest air travel gateway.

Sydney Airport Group Executive – Commercial Mark Zaouk said: “Sydney Airport is proud to host the Australian Airports Association Retail & Commercial Forum in 2025, marking its first time in our vibrant city.

“Commercial services are vital to the success of airports, and the pace of change in this space continues to accelerate.”

“This event is a cornerstone for industry collaboration, providing a platform to share insights, foster innovation and explore new opportunities. We look forward to welcoming leaders and partners from across the region to Australia’s leading aviation gateway.”

2025 will see the return of the anticipated Small Airports Benchmarking study masterclass, with an expanded remit to encompass airports managing up to two million annual passenger movements. It will also offer detailed benchmarking of essential commercial revenue streams for regional airports, encompassing retail, food & beverage, advertising, car parking, car rental, ground transport and property.

The study serves as a vital tool for regional airports throughout Australia, NZ and the Pacific, enabling them to assess their commercial performance and identify strategies for improvement.

The Ground Transport Forum on 21 July will complement the array of topics at the AAA Retail and Commercial Forum, while also providing an essential platform for attendees to discuss important ground transport developments.

The AAA Retail & Commercial Forum website can be accessed here.

Further details and registration information will be available soon.

For speaking opportunities, please contact Ivo Favotto at ifavotto@themercuriusgroup.com or Dermot Davitt at dermot@moodiedavittreport.com

For sponsorship opportunities, please contact ifavotto@themercuriusgroup.com or irene@moodiedavittreport.com