Kevin Alderweireldt is an all-around entrepreneur with a penchant for immersive experiences. As co-founder of Bureau Béatrice, Kevin spearheads creative technology in both Europe and the Middle East. Bureau Béatrice produces creative technology experiences across the globe, nurturing a growing community of creators worldwide.

Kevin is a true believer in immersive technologies and a pioneer in the field. He has been at the helm of metaverse entrepreneurship since 2014, successfully venturing beyond the gimmick by pushing boundaries and forging strategic partnerships.

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.

Gordon Clark is the Vice President Business Development at ForwardKeys, the travel analyst that helps tourism organisations, hotels, brands, and retailers understand who is travelling where, when, and for how long. Last year, ForwardKeys launched its data targeted digital marketing services, which allows its clients to create and run marketing campaigns globally, tracking the devices that have opened or seen ad campaigns, enables to measure them when they enter your store or location, helping to prove the ROI.  In this position Gordon is responsible for creating and delivering the global business development strategy across the brands, retailers and tourist attractions sector.

Before joining ForwardKeys, Gordon worked in the Chinese mobile payment and social media market, working across Europe to enable more retailers, hotels, and tourist attractions to be able to accept this type of mobile payment as well as helping these clients market their businesses to these lucrative customers in China using various Chinese social media platforms.

Gordon also worked Global Blue before this as their Managing Director, heavily involved in the international traveller market, trends, and working closely with the Government and partners to help provide a better experience to visiting international travellers.  He was also an executive member of the UK China Visitor Alliance, the entity that successfully lobbied the UK government to make it easier for Chinese travellers to gain a visa to travel to the UK.

John Hume is a senior advisor at Penta. John founded Hume Brophy in 2005, along with Eoin Brophy which they successfully built into one of the fastest growing and most successful global communications agencies that joined Penta in early 2023. As co-founder of the firm, John has built an international team of public affairs and communications specialists that are relied upon by many of the world’s largest and most prestigious companies.

He specialises in developing and executing international government and societal engagement campaigns, primarily in the aviation and food and drink sectors. During his time at Hume Brophy, he was responsible for many successful pan-European political engagement campaigns. He also worked extensively in the Middle East and South-East Asia on behalf of client companies.

John has over 30 years’ experience of political campaigning and lobbying. Prior to founding Hume Brophy, he was deputy director general of Airports Council International Europe. He also held a number of senior positions within the global duty-free industry. He began his career as a management consultant with Deloitte.

Born in 1979 in Northern Germany, Dr. Jennifer Cords has lived, studied and worked in Germany, the Netherlands, the US and Canada.

In her early career Jennifer worked to promote Northern Germany’s economic landscape (especially car, meat and retail industry) in Hannover, Berlin and Brussels. She officially toured Canada and the US seeking matching investors for Germany in 2010, working with embassies, Ministries of Economy, the Goethe Institute and Rotary International.

That year she joined Imperial Brands, the fourth-largest tobacco company in the world, promoting the concept of tax-free shopping internationally. She is an expert for all designated duty free areas such as airports, border stores, military, airlines, diplomatic stores, ferries and cruises. In 2012 her scope widened to include Corporate Affairs, overseeing business compliance and Imperial’s global export business.

In September 2018 Jennifer joined Gebr. Heinemann as Director Corporate Affairs & Compliance. In this role, Jennifer reports directly to CEO Max Heinemann and heads up internal and external communications as well as compliance, regulatory risk management and all corporate responsibility issues, including the global UN-reporting of the company.

Jennifer also represents the interests of travel retail in various associations, and serves as Vice President Regulatory Affairs of the European Travel Retail Confederation (ETRC). In this role she creates dialogue about the value travel retail brings to the travel industry, such as passenger rights, a secure supply chain, non-aeronautical revenue, freedom of choice and the free movement of goods and people.

Sandra Uwera is a regional expert in private sector development, with 20 years’ experience in senior management positions in Eastern and Southern Africa.  She currently leads the COMESA Business Council, a leading regional business member services organization and a recognized private sector institution of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa. Her current roles include governance, strategic, administrative, programmes, operations and stakeholder management of the institution. Passionate about female empowerment, she has driven projects on gender inclusion within the digital financial services space, with a keen focus on women economic empowerment in trade across the COMESA region.

She has successfully developed and implemented programs and projects that have increased profitability and sustainability and increased regional ownership and recognition of the CBC, as one of the leading Regional Business Services Organizations in Africa.

Sandra sits on the board for ECOMARK Africa, Minerals Africa Development Institute (MADI), and the Women’s Economic Empowerment – Financial Inclusion Advisory Council. She is also an Eisenhower and Thomas McGabe Fellow. Sandra has also founded the MWELL Project, advocating for mental health.

Sandra holds an MSc in Strategic Planning, advanced training in International Trade Policy and Law, and a BA in Corporate Communications.

Richard joined Aer Rianta International (ARI) in August 2019 as the CEO for ARI Middle East (ARIME). Prior to joining ARIME, Richard spent many years with Morrisons Supermarkets in the UK, where he held a variety of management roles, including Regional Managing Director and Central Retail Operations Director. Based throughout the UK, Richard established a reputation for consistently delivering strong results and successfully leading large and complex cross-functional projects. Richard also led a number of business improvement initiatives to improve productivity, resulting in significant multi-million-pound savings for the company.

Latterly, Richard enjoyed a successful tenure as Group Operations and Marketing Director for Ridgeon’s, a regional timber and builders’ merchants in the UK, where he developed new brands, new marketing initiatives and identity programmes to drive sales as well as improving systems, operations and efficiency.

Richard is now based in Bahrain and sits on numerous Boards within the region as well as within Europe. He is Chairman of a F&B business in addition to his role as CEO of the ARIME, while also serving on the executive team of ARI in Dublin.

Bassam Al Wardi became CEO of Bahrain Duty Free in January 2021. Prior to taking up this important role, he held various senior management positions within the company, including Deputy General Manager, followed by General Manager, and onto his current position.

Bassam has extensive experience in leading a large team and spearheading reputed businesses. With an MBA in Business Administration from Hull University in the UK, Bassam has previously been on the Member of Board of Directors at Baytik Industrial Oasis as well as the General Manager at Bahrain International Retail Development. In both roles, he played a key part in helping to successfully reposition and grow the business services that these companies offered.

In the late 1990’s, Bassam embarked on a nine and a half year-journey with Bahrain Duty Free Shops as the Head of HR & Marketing. He has now been a valued member of the Bahrain Duty Free team for over 18 years.