• Amitabh Taneja, Chairman & Managing Director, Images Group
• Tom Urquhart, Presenter, Dubai One

A fascinating journey of evolution from the pearl diving days to a retail hub, and SMCCU’s efforts in building a culturally sensitive and inclusive society.  

• Abdallah bin Eisa Al Serkal, Founder, Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding (SMCCU)

What lies beyond 2020 is up for imagination, but it is established that retail will become more engaging and immersive. Human touch will play a pivotal role, while robotics and automation will have its own importance. Transparency will be valued. Data will be used in smarter ways to tailor personalised experiences. Silos will break down between channels and departments within businesses. There will be more collaboration. Retail has been disrupted and will see more disruptive innovation. Our opening Keynote Address will set the pace for the two-day conference with a discussion on the culture of change to remain prepared for the unseen at the turn of the decade.

Confirmed speakers

• 10:15-10:30am Mohammed Shael Al Saadi, CEO – Business Development & Strategy Sector, Department of Economic Development (DED)
• 10:30-10:45am Marwan Jassim Al Sarkal, Executive Chairman, Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq)

  Arun Bruce, Partner and Managing Director, Boston Consulting Group

The current time in retail is very exciting and challenging. It’s time for great transformation for businesses that have been around for decades. The rise of e-commerce, particularly, has rendered the business of retail more challenging for traditional retailers. Attracting and retaining customers have become more challenging than ever before. Sales strategies have changed drastically; time-to-market has become faster. Inventory management has become challenging. Consumers are looking for more engagement, necessitating retailers to ramp up their digital efforts and create immersive in-store experience. This session will bring together companies and people that have been part of retail for decades. They will share what it takes to survive and thrive in a highly competitive retail environment like the Middle East.  

Confirmed speakers

• Ahmed Ragab, CEO/Partner, Baraka Group
• Bart Denolf, CEO – Franchising, Sacoor Brothers
• Bernhard Schweitzer, Owner, Schweitzer Group
• Emma Banks, Managing Director, Jumeirah Restaurant Group
• Frank-Matthias Kuntermann, CEO, ABC Group
• James Le Gassick, CEO, MoRE Café / Intelligent Foods
• Raju Shroff, CEO, Regal Group
• Ramesh Cidambi, COO, Dubai Duty Free
• Raza Beig, CEO – Splash & ICONIC & Landmark international, and Director – Landmark Group
• Walid Hajj, Executive Chairman, Cravia
• Zaid Alqufaidi, Managing Director, ENOC Retail

The presentation will focus on the crucial role of architecture/design in retail – enlivening store environment, designing retail spaces aesthetically and sustainably, developing high engagement spaces to convert footfall into sales and making spaces digitally engaging.  

• Bernhard Heiden, Chief Strategy Officer, Schweitzer Group & Creative Director, Interstore

Retail will become stronger, channel agnostic and more agile to adapt to rapid, disruptive, changes. Stores will become inspirational spaces, morphed into lively, immersive environments. Retailers will engage with consumers differently, interacting with them at their preferred touchpoints. While businesses are being digitally-enabled, the key role of people will be at the heart of every organisation. This year we will chat with CEOs who have positively disrupted the regional retail landscape and how they are future proofing their businesses.

Confirmed speakers

• Debbie Stanford-Kristiansen, CEO, NOVO Cinemas
• Kanchan Kulkarni, Founder, KARA
• Mashal Waqar, COO & Co-founder, The Tempest (Moderator)
• Kanwal Sarfraz, Co-founder, Wadi.com
• Kunal Kapoor, CEO, The Luxury Closet
• Matthieu Guinard, CEO, Glambox Middle East
• Mona Ataya, CEO and Founder, Mumzworld
• Nada Alawi, Founder, Annada
• Saad Umerani, Co-Founder & CEO, Protein Bakeshop
• Shafeena Yusuffali, CEO, Tablez Food Company

  Join the founders of home-grown brand Wild Peeta to know about their adventure, so far, and get inspired.

• Mohammed & Peyman Parham Al Awadhi, Co-founders, Wild Peeta
• Peggy Li, Managing Partner, sps: affinity (Moderator)

Store closures, overcapacity and non-engaging retail mix are among big challenges faced by retail. However, it’s not all gloom and doom, as retailers and real estate developers are endeavouring to breathe fresh energy into retail to stimulate growth. It could be leveraging in-store technology to spice up bricks-and-mortar – enabling online browsing, purchase and checkout from the store. Another vital area is to have the right tenant mix – retail, F&B and entertainment – within the retail space. Events and iconic buildings add up to the mix. This session will focus on ways to create an enchanting shopping ambience by building a strong tenant-landlord relationship.

Confirmed speakers:

• Alex Andarakis, Founder & Managing Director, Andarakis Advisory Services (Moderator)
• Furqan Athar, Partner & Director of Strategic Planning & Finance, McArthur+Company
• Ian Alexander Hunter, COO, BinSina & Holland Barrett
• Manish Das, CEO – Corporate Affairs & Franchise Retail, Jashanmal Group
• Mohamed Galal, President & CEO, TSM CRENOVATIONS Egypt
• Sajan Alex, Vice President, Tablez Food Company
• Saoud Khoory, Director – Shopping Malls, Aldar
• Shane Eldstrom, CEO, Al Farwaniya
• STP Pratap, Co-founder & Director, QwikCilver
• Vishal Mahajan, Director, Dubai Outlet Mall

Converting 'selling' to 'buying' environment

• Michael Yacobian, CEO, Top-Line Solutions
• Dhwani Swaminarayan, Founder & Director, Kiwings

Adel Belcaid, Principal, AT Kearney Middle East

The recent taxation regime, opening of cinemas after 35 years and women’s right to drive are among the far-reaching changes that Saudi Arabia saw. The Kingdom is already making big strides to reduce dependence on oil revenues. Retail and leisure and entertainment sectors are witnessing significant changes, including increased job opportunities for the local Saudi population and widening of amusement portfolio. Our Saudi Arabia-focused session will bring together experts from the Kingdom for an engaging discussion on on-going and upcoming legislative changes that will have far-reaching impact on retail, leisure and entertainment, real estate and consumer behaviour.

Confirmed speakers

• Ahmad Bin Dawood, CEO, DanubeCo. Ltd & BinDawood Stores
• Amr Banaja, CEO, General Entertainment Authority
• Cameron Mitchell, CEO, Majid Al Futtaim Cinemas & Majid Al Futtaim Leisure & Entertainment
• Mazen Qandeel, Executive Director, Granada Center
• Mohammad IB Alawi, Chairman of the Board, Saudi Sand Souvenir Co.
• Nisha Jagtiani, Group Director, Landmark Group

Food is a true connector. If done well, food businesses thrive. And to do well, food businesses must offer great food and create memorable experiences. No wonder, in the retail real estate business, two words – dining and entertainment – are used incessantly. Smart utilisation of space, better guest interaction and a comfortable, entertaining ambience are areas that food businesses look at keenly. In addition, food businesses are also using technology to their advantage to increase efficiency and better interact with customers. In the current retail landscape underpinned by high rentals, stiff competition and everyday disruption, what are food businesses doing to remain ahead of the curve? Our F&B Conclave will focus on all these areas and beyond. What’s more, for the first time ever at MRF, we will have a select group of industry insiders at the conclave that will vote for the most interesting food business based on the presentations and panel discussion. The ‘smartest’ F&B concept will be felicitated with the coveted RetailME Award.

Confirmed speakers:

• Darami Coulter, Chief Marketing Officer, Sumo Sushi & Bento
• Faisal Yabroudi, Co-founder & Head of Operations, PINZA
• Ian Ohan, Founder, Freedom Pizza
• Nadine Benchaffai, Co-founder & Managing Partner, Taqado Mexican Kitchen
• Raki Phillips, Co-founder & CEO, SugarMoo
• Ramzi Nakad, Co-founder, BRAG
• Sajan Alex, Vice President, Tablez Food Company
• Samer Choucair, Vice President, CE-Creates
• George Kunnappally, Managing Director, Nando’s UAE (Moderator)

Jury for F&B Conclave

• Alexis Marcoux-Varvatsoulis, Foodservice Consulting MENA, JLL
• Naveed Dowlatshahi, CEO & Founder, Kash Global Group
• Nizar Darwish, Executive Director – Private Equity, Regulus Capital

The role of bricks-and-mortar is rapidly evolving in the current retail landscape. Online plays a pivotal role in retail sales. But one isn’t replacing the other. While the Digital Native and Millennial customers seek a physical point of contact, the Gen X and even Baby Boomers are open to shopping online. The discussion has slowly shifted to evolving and adapting the physical environment, and products, with digital touchpoints to meet the current retailing – and consumer – needs. It is no longer about physical points of sale closing, but more about how ‘smart’, ‘experiential’ and ‘differentiated’ they are becoming to address the connected consumer. It is more about evolving and perfecting the business models, sometimes even disrupting them. This session will discuss how rules of retailing are changing, becoming more nimble and flexible to ensure preparedness for the next big change.

Confirmed speakers

• Abhijeet Paudwal, Chief Marketing Officer, Amrut Software
• Ashish Panjabi, COO, Jacky's Retail LLC
• Nagham Akileh, E-commerce Director, OMD (Moderator)
• Dharmin Ved, CEO – E-commerce, 6th Street
• Majed M Al Tahan, CEO, Danube Online
• Stephen Graham Holbrook, Deputy CEO, Kamal Osman Jamjoom Group
• Vic Bageria, Chief Visionary Officer, Xpandretail
• Vijay Talreja, Co-founder & Director, Adapty

The shopping experience discussion has slowly shifted to evolving and adapting the physical environment – and products – with digital touchpoints to meet the current retailing – and consumer – needs. This session will bring together mavericks who are encouraging retailers to think differently, think omnichannel. The discussion will hover around how rules of retailing are changing, becoming more nimble and flexible to ensure preparedness for the next big change.

Confirmed speakers

• Allan Chapman, Vice President-IT & Logistics, Dubai Duty Free
• David Quaife, Head of Omnichannel, Home Centre
• Jaspreet Singh, Head of Sales, Vinculum
• Mukul Bafana, Co-founder & CEO, Arvind Internet
• Pragati Deep Singh, Head Prepaid Cards, QwikCilver
• Rajesh Jiandani, Director – Customer Success, Wooqer (Moderator)
• Mark Thomson, Director – Retail & Hospitality EMEA, Zebra Technologies

Conventional rules no longer apply and straitjacketed ideas are no good anymore. It’s time to step outside the box for a bit. That’s where the alternate retail spaces come in, and these spaces are supporting home-grown businesses to scale up.

• Vilma Jurkute, Director, Alserkal Avenue
• Patrick Fallmann, Managing Director, umdasch The Store Makers (Moderator)

Idea is the starting point. That idea needs nurturing to germinate into a concrete entity. It takes grit, strategic thinking and honesty to build a business, irrespective of the size. Since the last few years, a lot of agencies – governmental and non-governmental – have come up to support the development of the local ecosystem in the region. But a lot is yet to be done. It is relatively expensive to start a business here. Bankruptcy laws and ownership rights could be challenging. Not to forget, the fear of failure, albeit much reduced now. While some failures might be stumbling blocks to overcome, others might even end up in shutting shop. However, the entrepreneurial spirit mustn’t die. Our start-up conclave will focus on entrepreneurs who have turned their dreams into reality. That’s not all; the best start-up concept will be felicitated with the coveted RetailME Award.

Confirmed speakers

• Anirban Basu, Co-Founder & Designer, Ryokō Bags
• Dana Alsharif, Founder, Urban RetrEAT
• Faraz Khan, Founder & CEO, souKare
• Gaurav Sabharwal, Co-founder, Wok Boyz
• Malin Raman Delin, Co-founder, BonApp
• Mehdi Oudghiri, Co-founder, eyewa
• Mouna Abassy, Founder & Managing Director, Izil Beauty
• Omar Al Jundi, CEO, Badia Farms
• Rachel McArthur, Founder & Managing Editor, Digital Ink Media (Moderator)
• Sian Rowlands, Owner & Chief Storyteller, RETOLD

Jury for Start-up Conclave

• Dina Sidani, Head of Greenhouse Accelerator/ Innovation Lab, Chalhoub Group
• Paul Kenny, Managing Director, AYM
• Tarek Ahmed, Venture Growth Manager, Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center – Sheraa