Travel Retail FORUM 2025
(archive)
29–30 | October | 2025
Budapest
Meet the leaders of travel retail in the heart of Central and Eastern Europe.
Partners:
It’s where you will:
- Gain the latest market insights and trend updates.
- Take part in high-level debates with industry leaders.
- Build valuable relationships in an intimate networking setting — from a Danube river cruise to a gala dinner at the historic Gundel Restaurant.
CEETRA Travel Retail Forum 2025 is the key duty free and travel retail event in the CEE region in 2025.
Who Should Attend?
The Forum is designed for:
- Airport executives and commercial managers — particularly from Central & Eastern Europe and the Balkans.
- Travel retail operators — in airports, seaports, and railway hubs.
- Brands active in duty free channels, or planning to expand into this sector.
If your goal is to grow sales among travelers and increase brand visibility across the CEE region — this event is for you.
The number of places is limited.
Don’t wait until the last minute.
Participation Fee
Standard Participant: 490 EUR
CEETRA Member (up to two participants): Free of charge
The fee includes: forum participation, conference materials, Danube cruise, opening dinner, coffee breaks, and lunch.
Budapest | 29–30 | October | 2025
Agenda
Agenda
Day 1 – 29 October 2025
- Arrival and registration
- 16:30 – Danube River Cruise
- 19:00 – Opening Dinner & Networking at TwentySix Restaurant
Day 2 – 30 October 2025
09:00–16:00 – Travel Retail Forum 2025
- Keynote presentations
- Expert panel discussions
- Showcases of innovative solutions
Venue
Marriott Hotel, Budapest
Budapest, Apáczai Csere János u. 4, 1052 Hungary
A luxury location overlooking the Danube, featuring modern conference facilities and ideal spaces for business networking.
Accomodation
If you would like to book a room for the Conference, please contact us by e-mail: Krisztina.Vargha@marriott.com
Conference Programme
During the Travel Retail Forum in Budapest (29–30 October 2025), invited experts, industry leaders, and brand representatives will discuss the key challenges and opportunities shaping the travel retail market across Central and Eastern Europe.
09:30 - 09:35 | Welcome speeches
Andrzej Miłaszewicz – CEETRA
09:35 - 10:00 | The state of the industry in Europe, with a special focus on Central & Eastern Europe (Opening presentation)
Peter Mohn – m1nd set
10:00 - 10:45 | Changing Consumer Behaviour & Spending Patterns (Panel Discussion)
The session will open with the latest market data and trends from 2022–2025, presented by Peter Mohn (m1nd-set), providing a solid analytical foundation for further debate. Building on these insights, Peter will moderate a panel of industry experts exploring how rapidly evolving consumer behaviour is reshaping duty free and travel retail. Travellers are spending differently, shifting product preferences, and rethinking purchasing priorities. The discussion will highlight which segments are losing ground, which are gaining momentum, and what these shifts mean for operators, suppliers, and airport managers.
Peter Mohn – m1en set – MODERATOR
Wojciech Czernek – Baltona CEO
Razvan Horga – CEO – Oradea Airport | Romania
Pivarcsi Bianka – Head of Marketing | Budapest Airport
10:45 - 11:00 | Travel and Payment Intentions in CEE, Visa Study 2025
Katarzyna Zubrzycka – VISA
11:30 - 12:00 | Sense of Place 2.0 – Local Identity and Innovative Design as a Passenger Magnet (Presentation)
How can airports successfully combine developing consumer trends and authentic local identity with modern retail store design to attract passengers and increase conversion? This session will present an airport case studiy showcasing how culture aesthetics and consumer trends can be integrated into airport store design and commercial spaces. The focus will be on new formats, smarter store layouts, and innovative UX solutions – from digital signage to interactive zones – that elevate both the shopping experience and commercial results.
Nick Taylor – The Design Solution
12:00 - 12:45 | Opportunities for Brands in Travel Retail (Panel Discussion)
This session is dedicated to brand owners and managers – both those already present in airport retail and those seeking to enter this unique channel. Participants will learn how to expand brand presence, build effective cooperation with operators, and identify the key success factors in driving sales and recognition. The Forum will place a strong emphasis on brands, their role, and their potential in shaping the passenger experience.
Csaba Simonidesz – Simillair – MODERATOR
Maciej Adamaszek – True
Bence Biró – Heinemann Budapest
Keresztessy Zoltán – CEO of Klikkmania.
13:30 - 14:00 | Digital Innovation in Retail & Passenger Flow Optimization (Presentation)
Digital transformation is redefining the way airports, operators, and brands engage with travellers. This session will explore innovative tools such as pre-order platforms, self-service kiosks, digital signage, and data analytics that help optimise passenger flow, increase conversion, and enhance the customer experience. Case studies will demonstrate how these solutions deliver tangible benefits across the entire travel retail ecosystem.
Wassim Saadé – Vasco Tax Free
14:00 - 14:45 | Smart Commercial Strategies for Small & Medium Airports
- management models for the commercial side of airports (operator vs. in-house operation)
- the impact of decisions on expanding commercial areas, number of outlets, or partner selection on revenue performance,
- the role of passenger data and research in shaping commercial strategies,
- best practices from CEE and other regions that could be applied to small and medium-sized airports.
Krzysztof Domagalski – Szczecin Airport
14:45 - 15:15 | The Inclusive Journey: Designing Accessible Travel and Retail Spaces at Airports
A journey begins with experience and designing accessible airport environments can make travel safer, more intuitive, and more enjoyable for everyone.
This session will explore key elements of an inclusive travel experience, including access to information, intuitive wayfinding, universal design, and empathetic customer service. Drawing on insights and recommendations from the SWITCH to Inclusive Design 2.0 report, the presentation will highlight practical solutions that airport operators and travel retail partners can implement to enhance accessibility based on “Integracja” Foundation experience.
The session will conclude with a roadmap for integrating accessibility into every aspect of the organization, from infrastructure design to everyday service delivery.
Jarosław Bogucki – Fund. Integration
15:15 - 15:45 | CPK commercial strategy (presentation)
The presentation will highlight how a greenfield airport creates a unique opportunity to design retail and F&B spaces strategically from the ground up. It will showcase how the CPK plans to leverage passenger flow, smart zoning, and digital solutions to build a vibrant commercial ecosystem.
Paweł Zagrajek – CPK
The programme will be further expanded with additional exciting topics to be announced in the coming weeks.
The organisers reserve the right to amend the programme.
The Travel Retail Forum offers practical insights, inspiring case studies, and networking with key decision-makers from across the CEE region.
Speakers
Andrzej Miłaszewicz
CEETRA
Bence Biró
Heinemann Budapest
Bianka Pivarcsi
Head of Marketing at Budapest Airport
Jarosław Bogucki
Director of Integracja LAB
Maciej Adamaszek
Founder / CEO / Sales & Marketing Leader
Nick Taylor
Director of The Design Solution
Patrick Bohl
Director of Business Development at EVIA AERO
Paweł Zagrajek
Commercial Deputy Director at CPK
Wojciech Czernek
CEO of Baltona S.A.
Wassim Saadé
Founder & CEO, Vasco Tax Free
Zoltán Keresztessy
CEO of Klikkmánia
Peter Mohn
CEO of M1nd-set
Andrzej Miłaszewicz
Central and East European Travel Retail Association. (CEETRA)
Andrzej Miłaszewicz- Managing Director Operations & Development , Chairman of Central and East European Travel Retail Association. (CEETRA)
30 years’ experience in Retail, 15 years in Lagardere Travel Retail Poland. Managing operations and development of all formats of stores at the Airports, Railways, Metro, Malls and City.
Before for 14 years CEO Lagardere Duty Free in Poland. As a Board Member and now since 2 years as a Chairman of CEETRA, takes an active role in supporting travel retail industry in the Region, by enhancing its share of voice on the relevant forums.
He started his professional career in FMCG in big distribution, being the part of the management team in Carrefour Poland.
Education: master degree of Warsaw School of Economy (SGH)
Zoltán Keresztessy – CEO of Klikkmánia
Zoltán Keresztessy – CEO of Klikkmánia, a digital and performance marketing agency – has over 18 years of experience in marketing, digital communication, and business development.
Throughout his career, he has led and contributed to the marketing activities of numerous international and Hungarian companies, including Unilever, NNG, and PFR Group. He spent more than five years driving the retail marketing success of Budapest Airport, and through Lapker Zrt., managed the Costa Coffee and Relay travel retail operations.
Zoltán has extensive expertise in integrating the latest digital channels – particularly social media, AI-powered tools, and influencer marketing – into brand communication strategies. His professional focus centers on content-driven marketing, the role of artificial intelligence in marketing automation, and its impact on consumer behavior and commercial performance.
Bianka Pivarcsi – Head of Marketing at Budapest Airport
I have nearly 20 years of experience in marketing, and I have already spent more than 10 years in aviation and the travel retail industry. I joined Budapest Airport in 2015 as event and PR manager. From 2021, I was responsible for retail marketing and since 2023, I became head of marketing at BUD.
Together with my team we are responsible for destination, airline, tourism, and cargo marketing, we are supporting the Mobility and Airport Development areas with different marketing tools and we are taking care of the passenger experience as well. In 2022, BUD’s retail marketing team won the Frontier Award in the category of Campaign of the Year, with the “Live consciously. Think Green” campaign and in 2024, we won the Best Marketing Award at Routes Europe and became the overall winner at Routes.
Wassim Saadé – Founder & CEO, Vasco Tax Free
Wassim Saadé is a tech entrepreneur and specialist in travel retail innovation. As founder and former CEO of Inflyter, he pioneered the digital duty-free model, introducing mobile pre-ordering and seamless product collection for travelers across major international airports. Under his leadership, Inflyter partnered with global operators, brands, and airports to modernize the traveler experience and bridge the gap between digital engagement and physical retail.
Building on this foundation, Wassim now leads Vasco tax Free, a fintech platform redefining the VAT-refund ecosystem through open, API-based infrastructure. By enabling merchants, payment providers, and airports to offer compliant, transparent, and frictionless VAT-free shopping, Vasco is helping reshape how travelers shop across borders.
Wassim holds a Master’s degree in Engineering and Computing from Imperial College London. He combines deep technical expertise with hands-on industry experience to turn regulation into opportunity and promote more connected, data-driven, and traveler-centric commerce worldwide.
Wojciech Czernek – CEO of Baltona S.A.
An accomplished retail leader with over 25 years of experience in managing and growing retail chains. Since 2021 he has served as President of the Management Board of PHZ Baltona S.A., focusing on business transformation and expansion, as well as creating modern shopping experiences for customers.
Throughout his extensive career he has successfully led companies such as TOYS’R’US Poland, served as CEO of BILLA Ukraine, and held roles with Ahold Polska, NOMI S.A., and Makro Cash and Carry Poland.
He holds an Executive MBA from the French Institute of Management in Warsaw. Known for
his strategic mindset, team leadership, and ability to drive change, he combines passion with
precision in developing innovative retail solutions.
Paweł Zagrajek – Commercial Deputy Director at CPK
Paweł Zagrajek is the Commercial Deputy Director at CPK and also teaches as an assistant professor at the Warsaw School of Economics. With over 20 years of experience in the air transport industry, he’s built expertise in both passenger and cargo traffic. Over the years, Paweł has worked with airlines, ground handling companies, the Polish Civil Aviation Authority, and the European Commission. He’s also served as an alternate representative to the ICAO Council and contributed to the Air Transport Regulation Panel, along with several other international aviation bodies.
Paweł has published widely on air transport topics and is passionate about shaping the future of aviation.
At CPK, he’s in charge of airport commercialization, including the passenger terminal.
Dr. Peter Mohn – CEO of M1nd-set
Dr. Peter Mohn is the Founder and CEO of m1nd-set, a leading Swiss-based travel retail and travel market research agency. With a PhD in Business Psychology from the University of Göttingen and more than 25 years of experience in international market research, he has built a distinguished career focused on understanding global consumer behavior. Before founding m1nd-set in 2007, he worked with several international research firms, developing deep expertise in brand and customer insights.
Under his leadership, m1nd-set has become a trusted global consultancy, working with more than 25 airlines, various aircraft manufacturers, 100 international brands, and many of the world’s leading travel retail operators. The company also serves as the official research partner of most major travel retail associations. Dr. Mohn continues to shape the industry through data-driven insights and a deep understanding of the psychology behind traveler behavior.
Dr. Patrick Bohl – Director of Business Development at EVIA AERO
Dr. Patrick Bohl is the Director of Business Development at EVIA AERO, a German company pioneering sustainable regional air transport through electric and hydrogen-powered aircraft.
Dr. Bohl has held positions at British Airways and at Malév Hungarian Airlines where he led operational and commercial departments. Mr. Bohl was the Head of Retail and Property Management at Budapest Airport, where he managed commercial development, retail partnerships, and the airport’s real estate business unit.
He holds a doctorate in business administration and serves as a professor in Marketing Management at Corvinus University of Budapest.
At EVIA AERO, Dr. Bohl focuses on developing partnerships with airports for zero-emission flying, aiming to drive the energy transition and strengthen local economies.
Nick Taylor – Director of The Design Solution
Nick is a Company Director at The Design Solution with over 20 years of experience in the design of major retail projects worldwide. He has led projects for some of the largest global retailers such as Aer Rianta, Avolta, CDFG, EverRich and King Power (Thailand).
From working with some of the leading international brands such as Hennessey, Remy and JTI on airport duty free projects, Nick has developed an in-depth understanding of brand requirements, retail strategies, and the latest merchandising concepts.
His extensive experience in designing for the duty-free sector is key to the success of his projects. He is directly responsible for the retail design of each store and is the primary interface with both the client and contractors.
Maciej Adamaszek – Founder / CEO / Sales & Marketing Leader
Maciej began his professional career at the age of 21 while studying at the University School of Physical Education in Wrocław. He built his expertise in sales from the ground up — progressing from sales representative to sales director at leading FMCG corporations including Mars, Cadbury, and Gerber, operating across Poland and Central Europe.
After more than a decade in the corporate world, he became an entrepreneur and investor in the hospitality and food service industry, co-creating and developing several successful ventures in Poland and abroad.
Following two years of intensive research into the European men’s cosmetics market, he launched TRUE men skin care — one of the first premium men’s skincare brands in Poland, dedicated to quality, performance, and authenticity.
Privately, Maciej is a proud father of two daughters, a sports enthusiast, padlist, triathlete, marathon runner, and full-distance IRONMAN finisher.
Jarosław Bogucki – Director of Integracja LAB
Jarosław Bogucki is an expert in architectural accessibility for people with reduced mobility and the employment of people with disabilities. Director of Business Development at the Integracja Foundation. Graduate of remedial education at Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University in Warsaw. Since 2016, he has actively implemented Building Without Barriers certifications in the Polish commercial real estate market.
He is a volunteer and organizer of events for people with disabilities and young people. He has implemented professional activation projects carried out by PSONI and the Friends of Integration Association.
He has also led a team of job coaches who support the employment of people with intellectual disabilities and conducted training on savoir-vivre towards people with disabilities, employing people with disabilities, human rights, and diversity management. He is also a happy father of two.
Katarzyna Zubrzycka – Sr. Director, Cross Border & Acceptance, Strategic Initiates, CEE, Visa
She has been working for Visa since 2018. Katarzyna leads Cross Border and Acceptance, both in the area of F2F payments and eCommerce in the region of Central Eastern Europe (Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia).
She has more than 20 years of professional experience in banking, acquiring, digital payments, loyalty programmes, marketing and FMCG sectors. She has held director positions at Raiffeisen Polbank, Polbank EFG, POLCARD/First Data Polska, Premium Club and AmRest, among others.
She is a graduate of the University of Wrocław in English Philology, Wrocław University of Economics in Economics and Harvard Leadership Academy in Harvard Business School. She holds an MBA from the School of Business – National Louis University.
In 2021-2024, she was listed as one of the 20 most influential women in the payments industry according
to the cashless.pl portal ranking. She actively supports women in business, also by participating in the TOP Women in e-business program organized by the Women in e-business Foundation.
She is actively involved in national and international initiatives in the area of digital payment development, innovation and digitalisation, among many she was involved in driving solutions to improve merchants’ payment acceptance, e.g. by transforming their smartphone into a payment terminal, supported the launch of Visa Mobile on the Polish market – a new standard for card payments online, supported the development of electromobility and Visa’s efforts to implement a standard of seamless and interoperable payments at electric vehicle charging points.
Bence Biró – Managing director Heinemann
Bence Biró managing director of Heinemann Budapest, is an internationally renowned retail manager with extensive experience in food retail, customer services, fashion, and travel retail. Bence has worked in several European countries (Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, Bulgaria, Poland, and Hungary) as sales & operations director for global brands such as METRO Cash & Carry, Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, Superdry, and MOL Group. Currently, as managing director of Heinemann (duty-free) Budapest, he is happy to share his experiences and provide insight into the world he has experienced during his nearly 20-year career in commerce.
Csaba Simonidesz
Based at Prague Airport, Simillair also operates at Budapest Airport and all key Polish airports, providing brand activations for all major international brands in Global Travel Retail. At the Perfume&Cosmetics category, they manage activities for Chanel, LVMH, Coty, L’Oreal, Shiseido and many more, with all key LTC brands as Brown-Forman, Bacardi, Pernod Ricard, JTI, Mondelez, Mars etc. also are in their extensive portfolio. Simillair is also managing the Visual Merchandising of adidas in seven CEE countries, starting from Hungary all the way up to the Baltics.
Before dedicating his career entirely to the travel retail sector, until 2014, Csaba was co-owner and Managing Director at Rafinanz Orbico Kft, the appointed corporate distributor of Procter&Gamble products in Hungary, also responsible for distributing Braun, Oral B and Duracell brands in Slovakia and the Czech Republic.
Organizer
CEETRA – Central and Eastern European Travel Retail Association. A regional non-profit association bringing together duty free and travel retail leaders from 14 CEE countries.
Become a Partner / Sponsor
Take advantage of this unique opportunity to showcase your business to travel retail professionals.
As an event partner, you will benefit from:
- Maximum brand visibility before, during, and after the Forum.
- Direct access to industry decision-makers.
- Strategic networking in an exclusive group of key market players in the CEE region.
Strengthen your position in one of the world’s most dynamic retail channels.










