During two days, two summarizing retail events of the year took place at Parkovy Congress and Exhibition Center – XI RAU Summit 2024 and RAU Awards. On the first day, December 4th, the XI RAU Summit 2024 was held – a culminating event of the year for owners and top managers of companies in the retail trade, commercial real estate, and B2B sectors. The discussions covered the latest trends, innovative technologies, and the most successful cases already operating in retail, prospects for industry development, and much more.
The event took place in the
Big Exhibition Hall, covering an area of 2000 square meters on the first floor of the complex.
The key theme of the summit was “Investments in Efficiency and Development.” Speakers shared practical solutions for optimizing business processes, improving customer experience, and implementing digitalization strategies. Participants were also introduced to forecasts for the future, particularly regarding market conditions, consumer trends, and potential challenges.
In total, over 40 speakers representing various segments of the trade, development, and B2B sectors took part in the event. In particular:
- CEO of Dragon Capital, Tomáš Fiala,
- Chairman of the Board of Oschadbank, Serhiy Naumov,
- CEO of the OKKO Group of Companies, Vasyl Danylyak,
- Member of the Board of Directors of BGV Group Management, Serhiy Voytsekhovskyi,
- Co-founder of WR Group, Petro Punyak,
- General Director of LLC “Novus Ukraine”, Mark Petkevych,
- CEO of Comfy, Ihor Khyzhniak,
- Development Director for McDonald’s in Ukraine, Vitaliy Stefurak,
- General Director of BFK Gulliver, Iryna Kruppa,
- Co-owner of Nova Poshta, Volodymyr Poperechnyuk,
- Co-founder Galya Baluvana and Wesoła Pani, Alla Teliga, among many others.
At RAU Summit 2024, top executives from key players in the retail and commercial real estate sectors gathered, including representatives of investors and financial organizations, consultants, and manufacturers – employees from companies such as Epicenter, Eva, Aurora, Allo, Rozetka, Silpo, Ukrzoloto, Comfy, WOG, Lviv Croissants, Respublika Park Shopping Center, Podolyany Shopping Center, Port City Group, Alef Estate, Dragon Capital, Oschadbank, Kyivstar, Num8erz, Uklon Delivery, and others.
The summit program featured seven thematic blocks. Given the scale of the event, the organizers divided the venue in such a way that participants could freely interact, network, and attend the sessions. Thus, the venue was divided into:
- An area with theater-style seating, where the large stage and speakers were located;
- An expo zone for prominent partner booths;
- A hall for catering and networking, where attendees could grab a bite and socialize.
After seven intensive sessions, RAU Summit 2024 concluded with a small evening cocktail reception, where guests were able to continue networking in a relaxed atmosphere.
The 7th RAU Awards 2024 ceremony took place the following day, on December 5, 2024. In just one day, the organizers transformed the
Big Exhibition Hall, changing the summit format into a space for awarding the winners. The theater-style seating was rearranged into a zone with tables for participants and guests, creating a festive atmosphere.
RAU Awards is an annual project by the Ukrainian Retailers Association, designed to identify the most successful companies in the retail and development sectors of the country. The project consists of two parts: research and the awarding of the best companies in retail – “Retailer of the Year” – and the awarding of the best shopping and entertainment centers – “Best Shopping Centre Awards.”
Nominees competed in 27 categories, including the recognition of leading retailers, developers, and key industry players who have contributed to the development of Ukrainian retail and commercial real estate.
This year, special attention was given to project nominations: “Best Concept of the Year: new, innovative formats that are changing perceptions of retail,” “Innovative Retailer of the Year: for the boldest technological solutions shaping the future,” and “Best Shopping Centre Marketing.” There was also a special nomination, “Most Dynamic Retailer of the Year” (the Yevhen Kulynych Award). Individual awards were presented in categories such as “Retail Personality of the Year” and “Development Personality of the Year,” among others.
Winners were determined by a vote from the Expert Council, which included owners and top managers of leading companies in the retail and development sectors, heads of consulting firms, as well as respected retail market experts, along with an open vote by market participants.
Guests were also treated to stunning live music performances throughout the event.
Parkovy Team thanks the organizers for hosting this large-scale two-day event. We look forward to seeing you in 2025!
