The International Association of Airport Duty Free Stores (IAADFS) is an international trade association that is made up of operators of airport and off-airport duty free stores and suppliers of products to these stores. Criteria for membership in the IAADFS have been established in the IAADFS by-laws to ensure that only authorized duty free companies participate in and benefit from the association's programs. Qualifications for each type of membership are described below.

Membership in IAADFS conveys many benefits to the member company, and these benefits are detailed in the Member Benefits portion of this site. Membership dues are billed annually for the period of July 1 - June 30, and annual membership dues are currently $450.00 per year per company.

Airport Concessionaire Membership
Airport concessionaire membership is open to individuals, corporations or other entities which, for a period of at least six months, have been engaged in the business of ownership or operation of a duty free store in any airport having regularly scheduled international flights. Applicants for airport concessionaire membership are required to submit a completed membership application and either a copy of their airport concession contract or a letter from the airport authority or other appropriate governing body, confirming the applicant’s status as an operator of an airport duty free store and the duration of their contract to operate the store. Click here to download the membership information packet and application form for airport concessionaire membership. 

Associate Supplier Membership
Associate supplier membership is open to individuals, corporations or other entities engaged in the business of manufacturing or selling products to be sold to airport duty free stores for retail sale in those stores, or engaged in the business of supplying services to IAADFS airport concessionaire members. Applicants for supplier membership must presently sell products or services to at least two IAADFS airport concessionaire members or must provide an innovative product or service for the duty free market. Applicants need to submit a completed membership application with at least two letters of reference from IAADFS airport concessionaire members confirming the applicant’s products or services are being supplied to those member companies, and in the case of products, that these products are being sold in their duty free stores as duty free merchandise. Applicants must also supply product information, such as catalogs or brochures. Click here to download the membership information packet and application form for associate supplier membership.

Associate Buyer Membership
Associate buyer membership is open to those individuals, corporations or other entities which, for a period of at least six months, have been engaged in the business of ownership or operation of duty free stores outside of airports, or ownership or operation of another travel retail business, and which have received references from two IAADFS airport concessionaire members, and approval by the IAADFS Board of Directors of the quality and suitability of their products and businesses for their inclusion as members. Applicants for associate buyer membership are required to submit a completed membership application, letters of reference from two IAADFS airport concessionaire members, and either a copy of their duty free concession contract or some other type of government-issued document confirming the applicant’s status as an operator of a duty free store and the duration of their contract to operate the store. Companies interested in applying for associate buyer membership should contact our office for more information and to receive the application form.

Membership Processing
Submitted applications must be complete and must include all required materials before they will be reviewed. Membership applications are initially reviewed by a buyer review committee made up of representatives from the IAADFS board member companies. Once the buyer review committee submits their recommendations to the IAADFS Board of Directors, the Board of Directors makes the final decisions regarding all membership application.  Once an application for membership has been approved, the new members are then eligible to participate in association activities, such as the IAADFS Duty Free Show of the Americas. Membership reviews are typically held 2-3 times each year; please contact the IAADFS office to confirm the deadline for submitting the membership application and other required materials for the next membership review.

Membership Updates
The IAADFS regularly solicits updates from the members in order to keep the association's membership database current and ensure the accuracy of the information contained in the IAADFS Membership and Exhibitor Guide. This publication contains a list of all current IAADFS members including contact information for each company anda list of the company's main contacts. This publication also features detailed information about the brands and services represented by the supplier members for the duty free market worldwide. The IAADFS Membership and Exhibitor Guide is distributed to thousands of industry representatives, including all IAADFS member companies and all buyers who attend the IAADFS Duty Free Show of the Americas.