Extraordinary times call for extraordinary solutions and the current pandemic assailing the world is certainly spurring the travel retail channel to search for creative new ways to do business.
The Moodie Davitt Report, for one, has announced plans for a Virtual Travel Retail Expo, to be held on September 9-11, and then on into October, which is attracting important interest throughout the industry. Travel Markets Insider is proud to have signed on as a media partner for this inaugural and ground-breaking event.
The event replaces the 2020 Airport Food & Beverage (FAB) Conference & Awards, previously scheduled for September 2-3 in Istanbul. It will now also integrate the inaugural Sightlines Airport Advertising & Communications Awards & Workshop, and house a retailer and brand pavilion and will take place in September and October.
The organizers report that more than 80 brand companies have registered their interest in taking a ‘Virtual Stand & Experience.’ Travel retailers, food & beverage operators and airport companies have expressed their commitment to attend.
Seva Group is a landmark partner of the event and many leading travel retailers have already committed to sending their full management and buying teams. They include China Duty Free Group, Dubai Duty Free, King Power Group (HK), King Power International (Thailand), King Power Traveler, Ontario Inter-national Airport (California), Qatar Duty Free, Shenzhen Duty Free, 3Sixty Duty Free and Aer Rianta International, and the list grows daily.
Live component & 30-day showcase
The ‘live’ component of the Expo has now been extended to three days (scheduled for Sept. 9-11, but adjustable in light of an evolving COVID-19 situation), followed by a 30-day follow-up showcase when all Virtual Experience Stands will remain online 24 hours per day.
The Travel Retail Virtual Expo, Symposium and Awards event is being driven by VFairs, a long-established 5-star rated virtual event platform. The Moodie Davitt Report has entered into an agreement with VFairs that will enable delegates from all over the world to visit exhibitors, enter a private chat room with them, view products in brochure, video and pictorial form and much more in a private business format. All exhibitors will receive a full ROI analytics and lead report detailing all attendees who visited their virtual stand.
Delegate attendance will be free to airports, retailers and other commercial service providers, and brands, thus ensuring that these key sectors of the travel retail community can get together without having to leave their desks,” said The Moodie Davitt Founder & Chairman Martin Moodie.
“With the COVID-19 outbreak still raging in much of the world and all industry stakeholders reeling from the commercial impact of the related travel crisis, we felt it inappropriate to host our planned physical events as early as September,” he said.
Last week, The Moodie Davitt Report announced that it had appointed Singapore-based integrated retail, marketing and design agency FILTR as its Virtual Stand & Experience Partner for event.
FILTR, which already works with a range of brands across global travel retail, will provide an Account Manager for every exhibitor to guide them through all the technical aspects of the Virtual Stand & Experience creation and ensure that their presentations are curated to a high standard. FILTR will also provide a full press center service at the expo to ensure maximum visibility worldwide for exhibitors.
The Virtual Expo will be zoned by areas such as digital and technology; health & wellbeing; beauty; wines & spirits; hospitality (F&B to lounges to airport hotels); fashion & accessories; confectionery and fine foods; and watches & jewelry.
Accessible pricing
Three Virtual Stand & Experience options are available to suit various budgets, in a pricing structure that very much reflects the difficult times in which the industry finds itself. Pricing tiers are differentiated by number of virtual touchpoints, size and location, starting at US$7,500 for Silver and rising to US$25,000 for Platinum.
There are no hidden costs to provide a high-quality presentation, though if an exhibitor has unique curated needs, additional services are on offer from FILTR.
Strong regional support
Regional trade associations, including ASUTIL and ACI, are also supporting the initiative. ASUTIL for example, is providing complimentary access to the Virtual Expo to all its retail members (exhibitors are encouraged to provide multi-lingual materials on their Virtual Stands). The Moodie Davitt Report has made available free promotional facilities at the Expo to support the membership drives, role and events of leading associations (including TFWA) and will also make a substantial commitment to a nominated sustainability cause under the event’s environmentally friendly credentials.
“This is a show for our times. A complement to existing ‘physical’ shows such as The Trinity Forum and TFWA World Exhibition, it is an environmentally friendly, cost-conscious show that brings together the whole airport eco-system from retail through food & beverage and airport advertising.
“The technology is proven and easily manageable, the cost base hugely attractive, the potential buyer reach vast,” says Martin Moodie.
“We are thrilled with the reaction to date. The industry trusts us to deliver a very different kind of experience and we will do exactly that,” Moodie continues.
Each exhibitor will receive
complimentary advertising in the official Moodie Davitt Virtual Travel Retail Expo Guide as well as maximized publicity through The Moodie Davitt Report and official media partners, which to date include Chinese WeChat B2C platform Globuy, Vane Media of the US, and Travel Markets Insider. Travel retail filmmaker, Peter Marshall of Marshall Arts and TRUnblocked, will be providing bespoke services to those seeking additional video collateral for the Expo at a special exhibitors’ rate.
Note: Exhibitor registration for the Moodie Davitt Virtual Travel Retail Expo opens on April 20. Places are limited. To pre-register your interest in advance as either a delegate (for which registration opens later) or as a potential exhibitor, please contact Gemma Aldridge at Gemma@moodiedavittreport.com and/or Martin Moodie at Martin@MoodieDavittReport.com
A full schedule and program is currently being finalized. Please contact Sarah Genest at Sarah@MoodieDavittReport.com or Martin@MoodieDavittReport.com if interested.
