Destinations Reimagined
As retail, leisure, hospitality and culture continue to converge, the industry’s most influential leaders are rethinking what defines a successful destination. Ahead of RLI Connect Global 2026 in Newcastle, RLI Owner & Publisher Jayne Rafter explores how experience-led environments, cross-border collaboration and evolving consumer expectations are reshaping the future of destination development on a global scale.
As the global retail and leisure industry continues to evolve at pace, the most successful destinations are no longer defined purely by retail offer or commercial scale. Increasingly, they are being shaped by emotion, immersion and the ability to create meaningful human connection.
Across the globe, owners, developers and brands are reimagining traditional models to create immersive mixed-use ecosystems where retail, hospitality, entertainment, culture and wellness seamlessly converge. Consumers are increasingly drawn to destinations that feel engaging, social and culturally relevant – places designed around lifestyle, discovery and connection rather than transaction alone.
It is within this rapidly changing landscape that RLI Connect Global 2026 will take place from 21-24 September 2026 at St James’ Park, home of Newcastle United Football Club, bringing together an influential international community of owners, developers, investors, retailers and operators shaping the future of experience-led growth.
Presented by RLI – Retail & Leisure International Magazine and held in association with Strategic Partners Cenomi Centers and Sands Retail, this year’s edition of RLI Connect Global will incorporate elements of the postponed RLI Connect MENA event, originally due to take place in Riyadh in April. As a result, the Newcastle gathering will bring together an even broader international audience of owners, developers, investors, retailers and operators from across Europe, the GCC, Asia and the Americas.
“Global markets are now more interconnected than ever before,” says Jayne Rafter, Owner & Publisher of RLI. “The conversations shaping the future of retail and leisure are now truly international. Capital, brands, ideas and experiences are moving fluidly across borders and destinations are increasingly being shaped through collaboration between multiple sectors and international stakeholders.”
The event reflects the growing convergence taking place across the industry, where retail increasingly intersects with tourism, hospitality, sport, entertainment and culture to create entirely new destination models.
“Consumers today are looking for far more than a place to shop,” Rafter continues. “They want environments that create emotion, foster connection and deliver memorable experiences. The industry is moving towards environments that are immersive, community-driven and experience-led and that shift is fundamentally reshaping how projects are conceived and delivered.”
The choice of Newcastle as host city reflects many of the themes driving this transformation. Over recent years, the city has emerged as one of the UK’s most compelling examples of destination-led regeneration, combining retail, culture, sport and hospitality within an increasingly dynamic and experience-driven urban environment.
From the transformation of Eldon Square and the continued evolution of Metrocentre, to the heritage of Fenwick and the arrival of Freight Island Newcastle, the city offers a strong example of how destinations are adapting to changing consumer expectations. Equally significant is the role of St James’ Park as the central venue for the event.
“Sport has become an increasingly important part of the global destination conversation,” says Rafter. “Modern stadiums are no longer simply sporting venues; they are year-round mixed-use ecosystems that combine hospitality, entertainment, tourism and culture. Newcastle provides a highly relevant backdrop for the discussions taking place throughout the event.”
The four-day programme has been designed to combine strategic insight with meaningful commercial engagement.
The event opens on 21 September with an exclusive Opening Experience and Speakers & Partners Dinner inspired by the growing convergence of sport, fashion and culture in shaping modern destinations. Designed as an intimate pre-event gathering, the evening will create opportunities for early relationship-building and strategic dialogue among speakers, partners and invited guests.
The following day, the RLI Connect Global Forum will bring together senior leaders from across retail, development, real estate, luxury, hospitality, leisure and investment for a full day of strategic discussion.
Across four curated panel sessions and a headline fireside conversation, the programme will explore topics including global investment strategies, experience-led destinations, luxury evolution, retail-tourism convergence and mixed-use development.
A major highlight will be the Headline Fireside Chat: Leadership, Stewardship & the Future of Global Retail – an intimate conversation with an industry leader exploring the defining decisions and challenges behind leading at scale in an increasingly complex global landscape.
While strategic insight remains central to the platform, RLI Connect Global continues to differentiate itself through its emphasis on tangible commercial opportunity.
On 23 September, the RLI Connect Deal-Making platform will facilitate structured one-to-one meetings designed to accelerate partnerships and unlock growth opportunities across international markets.
“This is not networking for the sake of networking,” Rafter explains. “The emphasis is very much on precision engagement, bringing together aligned stakeholders, projects and opportunities within a highly curated environment where conversations can translate into meaningful partnerships.”
Participants will explore opportunities spanning franchise expansion, international growth, mixed-use development and cross-border investment partnerships.
The final day of the event shifts from discussion to direct experience, with delegates taking part in a curated Retail Safari exploring Newcastle’s most dynamic retail and leisure destinations, including Metrocentre, Eldon Square, Fenwick and Freight Island Newcastle.
The programme concludes with a Finale Experience at Freight Island Newcastle, bringing together global industry leaders in a distinctive setting designed to deepen relationships and continue the conversations shaping the future of the industry.
Looking ahead, Rafter believes the future of the industry will increasingly belong to destinations capable of blending sectors seamlessly while creating authentic emotional engagement.
“The next generation of successful environments will be those that combine commerce with culture, leisure with lifestyle and experience with long-term value creation,” she says. “As the industry continues to evolve, collaboration, creativity and emotional connection will become increasingly central to how successful places are conceived, delivered and experienced.”
Don’t forget that our Early-Bird Delegate Rate for RLI Connect Global 2026 is available until 30 June.
We look forward to welcoming you to Newcastle this September.
Visit www.rliconnect.com to secure your space.
