• Sri Lanka Retailers Association hosts APRCE 2024, premier event of FAPRA
• Tokyo, Japan, named as host country for next APRCE, to be organised by Japan Retailers Association

Murali Prakash

At a grand ceremony on September 6, 2024, held at Shangri-La Colombo, veteran business leader Murali Prakash was officially appointed as Chairman of the Federation of Asia Pacific Retailers Associations (FAPRA). 

Prakash, a respected figure in the retail industry, will lead the association’s initiatives for the next two years. 
The ceremony, attended by over 350 guests, many of whom were international delegates from the FAPRA member countries, marked a significant transition in leadership.

The formal handover of the chairmanship was conducted by the outgoing Chairman Roy Nicholas Mandey, Chairman of the Indonesian Retail Merchants Association (APRINDO), to Prakash, who previously served as Deputy Chairman of the FAPRA and Immediate Past President of the Sri Lanka Retailers Association (SLRA).
As part of its tradition, the FAPRA empowers a member country every two years to host the Asia Pacific Retailers Convention and Exhibition (APRCE), a premier knowledge-sharing event and exhibition for the retail industry. This year, the SLRA was chosen to host APRCE 2024, a prestigious honour earned four years ago. 

The APRCE 2024 knowledge conclave was held at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH), with an opening reception and gala dinner at Shangri-La Colombo. Attendees included delegates and speakers from 15 countries, mostly representing the FAPRA member nations, as well as prominent Sri Lankan retailers.

During the gala dinner, the next host for the APRCE was officially announced. Tokyo, Japan will serve as the host city for the next APRCE, which will be organised by the Japan Retailers Association (JRA). The FAPRA flag and a scroll containing the event details were ceremonially handed over by Prakash, the newly appointed Chairman of the FAPRA and Convener of APRCE 2024, to Japan Retailers Association Chairman Hirofumi Nomoto.

The FAPRA serves as the apex body for retail associations across the Asia Pacific region. Currently, the FAPRA represents 18 countries and regions, including China, Chinese Taipei, Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam.