Inaugural event in Dubai draws biggest names in commerce to tackle convergence of retail with technology, experience and hospitality
Beauty powerhouse Huda Kattan will join Sir Richard Branson in headlining The Retail Summit, a new business event for C-level retailers featuring an unrivalled stellar line up of speakers taking place at Atlantis, The Palm in Dubai.
The founder and CEO of Huda Beauty, one of the most successful and fastest growing new brands to be launched this decade, will be accompanied by her sister Mona Kattan, co-founder and global president of the cosmetics line, who will take to the stage of The Retail Summit to discuss how their early adoption of social media platforms such as YouTube and Instagram helped support their stratospheric success.
With billionaire entrepreneur and Virgin Group Founder Sir Richard Branson already confirmed to headline the inaugural event in Dubai, delegates will hear from more than 80 speakers to learn about how digital disruption and shifting consumer expectations are driving a profound transformation in retail.
Held in partnership with the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Meydan One from 13-14 February 2019, The Retail Summit will bring together a new generation of retailers who are delivering a winning combination of outstanding service and ground-breaking use of technology to deliver memorable shopping experiences.
With a background as a professionally trained make-up artist to high profile celebrity and VIP clients, Huda Kattan launched her Huda Beauty blog in 2010, followed by her YouTube channel, Facebook and Instagram accounts. Today she is one of the world’s most followed on Instagram with 28.3 million fans.
In 2013, the Huda Beauty cosmetics line was launched with an initial collection of false eyelashes sold exclusively at Sephora Dubai Mall, and has since expanded into a full range of make-up products which have become instant best-sellers across the globe.
Sir Richard Branson and the Kattan sisters will all speak on the first day of The Retail Summit (13 February). With more than 800 attendees anticipated, the event has been designed for global CEOs and senior teams, bringing together the retail community’s brightest minds to examine the latest thinking of how to win in today’s hyper-volatile landscape.
Other industry heavyweights who have confirmed their participation in the event include:
• H.E. Hamad Buamim, President and CEO of Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry;
• Fahad Kazim, Vice President of Meydan Malls, Meydan Group;
• Jo Malone, Founder, Jo Loves;
• Julie Hamilton, SVP, Chief Customer & Commercial Leadership Officer, Coca-Cola;
• Massimo Piombini, CEO, Balmain;
• Lyndon Cormack, Co-Founder, Herschel Supply Company;
• Patrick Chalhoub, Co-CEO, Chalhoub Group;
• Ken Meyer, EVP, Whole Foods; and
• Chris Davis, VP Global Marketing, New Balance.
The Retail Summit is supported by event partners Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Meydan One; other partners include Xpandretail, KPMG, BJSS, Cegid, CBRE and Lava Moments.