A major annual gathering of the global retail industry, which was set to open in Berlin tomorrow (April 21) has been postponed until October, as the cloud of volcanic ash originating in Iceland continues to bring travel chaos.

The World Retail Congress, originally set to run until April 23, expected to record more than 50 per cent more participants than in 2009, as retailers prepared to debate what the future holds for the industry.

Organisers are already in discussion with more than 100 industry experts who were set to gather to resolve the most crucial global issues, and are hopeful that most will be able to participate when the congress convenes later this year.

As previously planned, the congress will take place in Berlin, with confirmed dates for October 2010 to be announced shortly.

The congress is organised by Emap Communications, in association with key sponsors, Deloitte, MasterCard and Oracle. – TradeArabia News Service