What Price Luxury? Financial Times Focus For 2011 Summit

Beau-Rivage Palace in Lausanne, Switzerland will be the host location for Financial Times “FT Business of Luxury Summit” which will take place from June 5th – 7th 2011 running in its seventh year. The focus for this year is titled What Price Luxury? Likely many luxury brands want to better understand how to really define luxury in the new luxury market.

As always the summit brings out heavyweights in the luxury industry. The event will be chaired by Financial Times Editor Lionel Barber, speakers will include Jean-Claude Biver, CEO, Hublot SA; Gavyn Davies, Chairman, Fulcrum Asset Management; Isabelle Guichot, President & CEO, Balenciaga; Frederick Lukoff, President & CEO, Stella McCartney; Marigay McKee, Fashion & Beauty Director, Harrods Ltd; Marc Puig, Chairman & CEO, Puig; and Martin Wolf, CBE, Chief Economics Commentator, Financial Times.

On the agenda the focus for the 2011 Summit covers many of the economic issues facing the luxury industry such as:

– In a globalised world, where consumers interact with brands in multiple countries, how can a luxury brand balance currency movements with consistent pricing while maintaining cost efficiency?

– Just how high, and low, can a luxury brand stretch its pricing to maximise its market share without affecting its positioning?

– How aggressively, and publicly, should a brand pursue an anti-counterfeiting policy, and what are the costs – literal and metaphorical – and benefits?

– And how significant is the revival of M&A? Is it an industry trend, or a temporary fad, and what kind of entities are the likely targets and most aggressive purchasers?

This is the who’s who “It” luxury summit to attend. Hope luxury brands get the answers they want to sustain and remain profitable in 2011.