The third edition of the Retail Summit officially opened today in Dubai with a speech by the CEO and co-founder of the event, Gary Thatcher.
The event runs until March 15 at Atlantis, The Palm.
In the space of two days, attendees will meet executives from major global retailers such as Michael Ward, CEO of Harrods and Kristina Blahnik, CEO of Manolo Blahnik.
Jo Malone, Founder of Jo Loves, David Gandy, Founder of Wellwear, Manju Malhotra, CEO of Harvey Nichols and Tom Athron, CEO of Fortnum and Mason will also speak at panel sessions.
Regional franchise specialists such as Chalhoub Group, 6thStreet, Magrabi, Apparel Group, Souq.com, Amazon, Sultan Center Group, Alsulaiman Group, Papa John’s, Majid Al Futtaim, Al Tayer, Al Shaya, Azadea, Kamal Osman Jamjoon, Landmark Group, LIWA, Noon and Namshi will also take part.
A welcome address by H.E. Mohammad Lootah, president and CEO of Dubai Chambers followed the speech by Mr Thatcher.
Tommy Hilfiger took to the stage on the first day as the headline speaker at the event.
H.E. Mohammad Lootah said: “Backed by a significant growth in the e-commerce market, Dubai continues to be a competitive destination for retailers and industry stakeholders who look to capitalise on the Emirate’s strong and sustainable economic fundamentals, solid digital infrastructure and its thriving business ecosystem. We value the contribution of this industry to Dubai’s economy and its image as an international retail hub.”
“Public and private partnerships provide a critical driver for innovation and development in the retail industry. By joining forces, both sectors can leverage their respective strengths to create a more sustainable, competitive, and inclusive retail ecosystem,” he added.
Gary Thatcher said: “I am very proud of The Retail Summit team for working so diligently as we enter the final moments before the event. We believe that the third-edition is going to be the biggest yet as we draw a big focus on both the regional and international connectivity.”
Founded in 2018 by Gary Thatcher and Marc Howard, The Retail Summit is an event for C-level executives from across the retail industry to come together to connect. The event is the annual global platform where industry icons share expert knowledge and insights.
