The Asia Pacific fuel retail industry meets in Thailand for two days at ReFuelForum APAC & ANZ

The top global forecourt and convenience suppliers and fuel retailers from around Australia, New Zealand, India and South-East Asia arrived in Bangkok in the last week of March for the 2023 ReFuelForum APAC & ANZ, an opportunity for collaboration and education as the industry looks to its future.

Retailers, including TotalEnergies APAC, Shell, Petronas, Chevron and Petron, attended the two-day meeting organised by OpenRoom Events, which opened up with a keynote session from Klaas Mantel (McKinsey & Co.) on the future of mobility retail in Asia.

First-time attendee Triquestra International, a POS & omnichannel specialist based out of Auckland, New Zealand, praised the event, with their Chief Executive Kelly Brown describing it as “an unparalleled networking opportunity that was also thought-provoking and educational with excellent speakers.”

Chaired by Elisha Radwanowski from Australian association ACAPMA, the ReFuelForum conference subsequently included a session on leveraging data from Headline Sponsor at ReFuelForum, PDI Technologies, some ‘next-generation technology’ showcases, an investigation on hydrogen’s place in road transportation by Neil DSouza at Jacobs and a panel discussion led by Radwanowski on the balance between fuel security and investing in clean technology to drive business forward.

The panellists included Jason Tran from 7-Eleven Australia and Dave Mommen from Virta, the global EV charging business. This led smoothly into the one-to-one meeting program, ReFuelForum’s signature networking platform bringing together suppliers and retailers in a concrete way to work together to find the solutions to tomorrow’s challenges.

Petron Malaysia’s Procurement Specialist David Low explained the one-stop-shop nature of the format: “Under one roof, you can find excellent vendors, socialise with industry peers and establish enduring business connections.”

Alongside the conference and meetings, attendees were treated to drinks receptions overlooking Bangkok’s skyline, dinners accompanied by traditional Thai dance performances and a final dinner aboard a ship on the Chao Phraya river.

ReFuelForum APAC will be heading to Kuala Lumpur in 2024, with a big focus on the industry’s increasing number of non-fuel offerings. For information on how to attend as a retailer or a supplier, email Christopher Steele.

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