Talking community and commerce as ASUTIL Conference 2025 set to begin in Lima

Ahead of the sold-out ASUTIL Conference in Lima this week, Secretary-General Carlos Loaiza shares insights on regional economic shifts and how the event continues to deliver business value across Latin America.

Jun 3, 2025 - 20:20

Talking community and commerce as ASUTIL Conference 2025 set to begin in Lima

Ahead of the sold-out ASUTIL Conference in Lima this week (3-6 June), ASUTIL Secretary-General Carlos Loaiza (right) shares insights on regional economic shifts and how the event continues to deliver real business value across Latin America.

Organisers of the 2025 ASUTIL Conference put up the ‘sold out’ notice seven weeks ago. “The sell out does not surprise us,” ASUTIL Secretary-General Carlos Loaiza tells The Moodie Davitt Report Contributor John Gallagher.

“We have a very loyal following from one year to the next – even though we change venues every year we get a great deal of repeat business. This is for a good reason.

“People think they get excellent value for what they pay. The conference speakers are always good, and the panels are relevant to both operators and suppliers. The atmosphere and networking possibilities are excellent.

“Many people have built strong personal and professional friendships through the event, and this is one of the most valuable aspects the conference offers to all who participate. There is a deep sense of community.”

Building on the success of the Bogotá event in 2024, this year’s conference, titled Nexus, delves into evolving trends and challenges within the duty-free and travel retail sectors. The event aims to highlight Lima’s modern airport infrastructure as a key growth driver for the industry.

**The Lima event follows another successful edition of the ASUTIL Conference last June in Bogotá**

Loaiza adds, “Apart from the conference itself, we know that people do genuine business here. We have the right number of buyers who can write up orders, and we have the right suppliers with products that sell in Latin America.

“The worldwide geopolitical situation, with uncertainty about what is happening in commerce and whether we will see more or less tariffs, has augmented interest in Latin America as a safe area to do business with relatively few problems.”

Given the strong ticket sales this year and a long waiting list, we ask Loaiza whether ASUTIL is considering expanding the event.

Loaiza remarks, “We discussed this at our recent board meeting. We all agree that growth for the sake of growing is not our intention. If quality suffers and attendees cannot meet the people they want to see, the conference would be a failure.

“It is always a question of balance – we attract the right operators because they know they will meet the right suppliers; and suppliers know they will meet buyers. The balance is ideal. The objective now and for the future is to maintain our current size.

“The ASUTIL Conference is a unique event, and we want to keep that identity. We host all the leading airport operators and a wide selection of border shop operators from Uruguay and Brazil.”

Beyond the Conference

While the conference is an important event for the ASUTIL board, the organisation constantly monitors the market to identify ways they can support members and enhance their business operations.

“The international political panorama makes us pay greater attention to what is happening around the world,” says Loaiza. “The changing behaviour of each generation is always worth studying, and the way younger generations use travel retail has our operator and supplier members interested.”

Loaiza stresses the role operators play in their local communities, noting that ASUTIL’s operator members contribute significantly to regional economies, with many actively increasing employment in less developed border towns.

**ASUTIL delegates will encounter the eye-catching new Lima Airport terminal and key commercial facilities following the opening in recent days**

He says, “They are not only major contributors to the local economy through job creation but also by attracting shoppers to visit the borders; hotels and restaurants are busier as a result, improving the local economy.”

From its base in Montevideo, Uruguay, ASUTIL strives to defend the duty-free business throughout Latin America.

Loaiza explains, “On a day-to-day basis ASUTIL maintains contact with regional governments to ensure that members’ interests are properly defended. We are constantly talking to governments to defend and, where possible, increase duty-free allowances.

“As consumption habits change, the average ticket tends to increase, and we are looking to increase allowances where possible to make sure shoppers can buy high-ticket items.”

Later this year, ASUTIL will renew contact with the recently elected Uruguayan government to ensure that the list of products eligible to be sold in border duty-free stores aligns with those available in their Brazilian counterparts. “A level playing field is good for everyone on both sides of the border,” says Loaiza.

He also observes that with the first half of the year almost over, ASUTIL operators are enjoying strong momentum, with revenues ahead of last year.

“The Argentine economy seems to be growing ahead of expectations with inflation now under control and the Peso stable against the US Dollar. Brazil has also had a good start to the year with strong GDP growth in the first quarter.

“It should be interesting to see if the government’s measures to hold back inflation will be effective and how they will affect private consumption.”