Nestlé International Travel Retail (ITR) will sponsor the Coffee Break at the 2026 TR Consumer Forum, an event focused on traveler behavior in the duty-free and travel retail channel. The forum runs from July 1–3 at the IATA Geneva Conference Center, with IATA acting as host partner.
The Coffee & Networking Lounge, sponsored by Nestlé ITR and led by its KitKat brand, is scheduled for 10:45–11:30 on Friday, July 3. The full agenda is available on the event website.
Fred Porchet, Nestlé ITR’s general manager, said the forum “has become an important annual event in the travel retail calendar because it puts the traveller at the heart of every discussion.” He described that focus as important in a channel that is evolving quickly.
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Porchet linked Nestlé’s support to the company’s A.C.T. framework — Attract, Convert and Thrive. The framework is meant to center experience, engagement and innovation in the traveler journey. “The Forum provides a valuable platform to explore exactly how we can better attract travellers through more visible and engaging retail environments, convert them through meaningful and emotionally resonant experiences, and ultimately thrive by building long-term category value,” he said.
He added that the event’s strength comes from “the diversity of perspectives it brings together — from retailers and brand owners to data specialists and innovators.” Those conversations help shape more relevant and differentiated retail strategies.
Porchet described the KitKat coffee break as a way to “create a simple moment of enjoyment, while showcasing how we innovate with travel retail exclusives and partnerships.” KitKat has a global collaboration with Formula 1, which includes travel-retail-exclusive products.
Nestlé ITR views consumer and shopper behavior as “critical given the diversity and constant flow of international travellers.” According to Porchet, insights drive the A.C.T. approach — used to attract attention in busy environments, convert through emotional triggers such as gifting and self-treat, and thrive through innovation and brand relevance.
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Today’s travelers demand immediacy, personal relevance and memorable experiences, Porchet said. He pointed to product tailoring — from exclusives to the Formula 1 partnership — as a way to stay culturally connected and commercially effective.
This year’s conference agenda runs under the banner “From Air Traffic to Consumer Action: Putting Travellers at the Heart of Retail.” A common thread among speakers will be sharing observations on how travelers prefer to shop in the channel.
Nestlé ITR identified one significant shift: growing demand for “immediacy, simplicity and emotional connection” in the shopping experience, partly linked to the rising influence of Gen Z travelers. Purchasing decisions in travel retail are becoming more purposeful, with greater emphasis on value, exclusivity and shareable experiences.
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The company’s response, guided by its A.C.T. framework, includes strengthening visibility to attract, simplifying choice to convert, and investing in innovation to thrive. Examples include clearer in-store segmentation, a pipeline of travel retail exclusives, and experiences tied to KitKat’s Formula 1 activation.
Tickets to the TR Consumer Forum are available until Friday, June 19. Delegates can book rooms at the preferred hotel, the Crowne Plaza Hotel Geneva by IHG. More information is posted at TRConsumerForum.com.
The forum assembles a mix of retailers, brand owners, data specialists and innovators. Organizers say these groups together aim to shape retail strategies that are more relevant and insight-driven. Whether such gatherings translate into measurable changes in traveler spending remains an open question, but the event’s continued growth suggests the channel sees value in the conversation.