The National Retail Federation (NRF) is taking its Big Show to Singapore.
NRF is working with Paris-based event organizer Compexposium to bring a tailored version of Retail’s Big Show to Asia Pacific beginning in 2024 with a new annual conference and exhibition expected to draw thousands of regional retailers and technology providers. The inaugural NRF 2024: Retail’s Big Show Asia Pacific will be held June 11-13, 2024, at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre in Singapore, six months after NRF 2024: Retail’s Big Show in New York City.
“NRF is proud to expand the footprint of Retail’s Big Show by bringing all the power and reach of our New York show to Asia Pacific, one of the world’s fastest growing markets with limitless opportunities in retail,” NRF president and CEO Matthew Shay said.
“With offices in more than 20 countries around the world and ownership by the Paris Region Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Comexposium has extensive experience partnering with industry trade groups and an in-depth understanding of their role and convening power,” he continued. “Together with Comexposium’s expertise in global trade shows spanning Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Asia Pacific and the U.S., NRF is prepared to make the Big Show even bigger.”
This Asia Pacific event aims to integrate regional leaders across the retail industry to collaborate at a Pan Asia Pacific level. The event unites Asia Pacific’s retail ecosystem under one roof, providing top industry content and a platform to attract stakeholders across the region.
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“Singapore provides an accessible and vibrant gateway to the Southeast Asia region with a significant presence from international and regional trade sellers and visitors from across the retail industry,” Comexposium Asia Pacific CEO Elaine Chia said. “Echoing NRF’s Big Show in New York, Retail’s Big Show Asia Pacific will provide premier programming with the latest industry innovations and insights.
“Retail’s Big Show Asia Pacific is expected to grow into one of Asia’s leading trade shows with the support of the Singapore Tourism Board and NRF’s recognized expertise in retail, and the strength of Comexposium’s network with the international retail communities,” she added.
Southeast Asia’s 655 million population powers a $3 trillion consumer market while the Association of Southeast Asian Nations member countries’ gross domestic product growth averages around 5 percent. By 2050, the region is expected to be the world’s fourth-largest market, with rapidly disposable income growth and high digital adoption. Retail sales across Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand, projected at $1.54 trillion in 2022, are expected to reach $1.77 trillion by 2025.
Singapore’s central location and long-established status as a business center for the region provide an optimal stage for NRF to launch its inaugural Asia Pacific edition of Retail’s Big Show.
“Strategically located at the crossroads of East-West trade and a gateway to emerging Asian markets, Singapore’s unique location makes us a leading destination for international business events,” Poh Chi Chuan, executive director for exhibitions and conferences, Singapore Tourism Board (STB), said. “Our pro-enterprise environment and focus on innovation also provide an optimal setting for global retail businesses to leverage growth opportunities in the region. STB is proud to support Retail’s Big Show Asia Pacific debut, and we look forward to welcoming international retailer delegates to Singapore in 2024.”
NRF’s launch of a standalone event in Singapore comes as brands and retailers are increasingly expanding into this growing market.
Levi’s recently opened a digital-friendly store it refurbished in Singapore’s ION Orchard shopping mall, its largest in Southeast Asia. Spanish fast-fashion chain Mango also opened a 5,000-plus-square-foot store in Singapore’s Parkway Parade as its 10th location in the island nation and the first in Asia to showcase the chain’s New Med concept.
And in September, sourcing leaders named Singapore one of the most attractive locations to establish their next offices while DHL last year grew its air freight capacity in Singapore to “expand our express service linking the Asia Pacific region with the Americas,” said Travis Cobb, executive vice president (EVP) of global network operations and aviation at DHL Express.