ReFuelForum Europe 2021 - Event Review

PetrolPlaza was present at this year’s ReFuelForum Europe in Marbella, where leading retailers and suppliers from all parts of Europe met for two days.

The European fuel retail market got together in sunny Marbella at the beginning of November. ReFuelForum Europe, formerly known as PetroForum Europe, gathered leading retailers and suppliers from the petrol station and convenience store industry during two days to reconnect and engage.

The event, famous for its one-on-one meetings, tasteful networking events and lively debates, was branded a success by both organizers and participants.

On the first day of the event, attendees saw presentations on the future of mobility and service stations by Autonomy and the Boston Consulting Group, how POS systems can be ready for tomorrow’s retail hub with BiCA and A2i Systems, and EV charging predictions by has·to·be.

Retailers present at the event came from all over Europe including Spain, Portugal Italy, France, Iceland, Norway, Hungary and Turkey.

“The event exceeded my expectations. I’m glad to be here for the first time!” said Kalle Kasekamp, representing Estonian retailer Alexela AS.

The second day of the event kicked off with a panel discussion around battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs), which use hydrogen as fuel. With representation from all sectors of the fueling industry (liquid fuels, hydrogen and charging companies), the session brought some interesting points about the challenges of mass electrification and the costs of hydrogen infrastructure. The panel agreed that, no matter the fuel used to power vehicles, service stations will continue to play a key role.

After another round of one-to-one meetings, the day ended with interesting presentations by Eni’s Mirela Jianu on the new customer journey, and another by Jan Harmen Akkerman, CEO of TanQyou, on how they are becoming complete mobility hubs with the use of technology.

“We did everything we could with podcasts, webinars and virtual events but ultimately nothing beats face to face interactions. It’s been terrific,” said Fiona Horan, Managing Director at OpenRoom Events.

The spirit was shared among retailers and suppliers – it’s good to be back. The next events by OpenRoom will be RefuelForum MENA in February 22 and ReFuelForum Europe in June 2022.