INTERNATIONAL. Leading drinks group Beam Suntory is to return as a Platinum Partner at this year’s Virtual Travel Retail Expo, to be held on 11-15 October.
The company owns a host of blue-chip brands including Jim Beam, Maker’s Mark and Knob Creek; Suntory whisky, The Yamazaki and Hibiki; Courvoisier; Sipsmith gin; Cruzan rum; Hornitos tequila and many others.
Phil Restall, Managing Director for Global Travel Retail at Beam Suntory, said: “Taking part in The Moodie Davitt Virtual Travel Retail Expo is an unmissable opportunity to support our ambition to become the recognised industry leader for showcasing brands, partnering with customers, and driving mutually beneficial growth during the COVID-19 recovery period and beyond.
“We were proud to be a partner for the inaugural Virtual Expo last year, and look forward to working with Martin and the team again this year to share exciting new innovations and demonstrate Beam Suntory’s holistic approach and commitment to global travel retail.”
Faster, stronger, together: A powerful mantra from Beam Suntory at its Virtual Travel Retail Expo suite in 2020
More exhibitors have hailed the opportunity presented by the second Virtual Expo, after the inaugural event in October 2020 attracted widespread industry acclaim.
Speaking for Miami-based beauty distributor Essence Corp, Vice President Sales Antoine Bona said: “Essence Corp is proud to announce that Bath & Body Works will participate in the Virtual TR Expo 2021. As the newly appointed Global Travel Retail Distributor we believe the Virtual Expo provides us with a great opportunity to present Bath & Body Works outside of the Americas and gauge business opportunities with new travel retail operators.”
On behalf of AuCoeurDuLuxe, a global leader in education for luxury and premium brands, President Laurence Ouaknine stated: “We are thrilled to join the Virtual Travel Retail Expo for another year. Last year’s edition was a great opportunity to meet our partners and build solutions that fit travel retail’s new trends.”
The Exhibition Hall continues to attract more partners, many returning for a second successive year. Forty companies, including retailers, airports, brands, agencies, and distributors have signed up with others poised to do likewise.
KEY IMPROVEMENTS TO VIRTUAL FORMAT
The inaugural Virtual Travel Retail Expo was the key trade event of the 2020 travel retail calendar, attracting over 4,370 unique visitors, who paid over 20,000 visits to the platform. 124 exhibition stands received more than 183,600 impressions and generated 179,700 content clicks.
As reported, The Moodie Davitt Report and FILTR. QINGWA are making several enhancements to the virtual platform used in 2020.
New features and settings including:
- A single integrated platform
- Mobile-responsiveness
- China-friendly configuration
- Personalised event agenda
- Upgraded chat function, with video calling and screen-sharing features
- Integrated webcasting and live-streaming
- Real-time performance analysis
- 360 Virtual Reality environment capabilities
- Real-time suite access control for Platinum exhibitors
- Private stand set-up previewing
Other key elements of the 2021 programme include:
- A six-week ‘encore’ access for exhibitors and visitors at no additional cost;
- A dedicated Retailer Pavilion for airport, downtown, airline, rail and omnichannel retailers;
- A dedicated Cruise Jetty for cruise and ferry retailers
- An Experiential Arena, allowing companies which do not wish to exhibit, high-impact visibility opportunities;
- An enhanced Knowledge Hub programme over five days, featuring many of the sector’s key decision makers, disruptors and innovators; and a dedicated Food & Beverage (FAB) component.
Recognising travel retail and food & beverage Superstars
This month, The Moodie Davitt Report announced the all-important awards categories for its Travel Retail Superstars Awards, a new initiative focused on the vital role of employees, which will take place during the second
The event will be hosted by The Moodie Davitt Report with support from FILTR.Qingwa, and organised in collaboration with a select advisory committee of human resource and training specialists. They include Marcus Griffin, Global Director of People & Culture at Flash Global Logistics in the US and from 2012 until 2020 SVP/Director – Human Resources, Americas & Caribbean at Dufry; and Heidi van Roon, President & Founder of the Spark Group of Companies in Canada, which provides a range of recruitment and staffing services for luxury & airport retailers and brands.
The Travel Retail Superstars Awards, covering employees across airport, airline, downtown store and cruise sectors, will shine the spotlight on the thousands of frontline and behind the scenes heroes and heroines who have helped keep the industry going throughout 2020 and into this year. A separate FAB (Food & Beverage) Superstars Awards will be conducted separately, also during the Virtual Travel Retail Expo.
For more information about becoming an exhibitor or sponsor of the Virtual Travel Retail Expo 2021, please contact Irene Revilla, Publisher, The Moodie Davitt Report (Irene@moodiedavittreport.com) or Sarah Genest, Vice President Sales & Events (Sarah@MoodieDavittReport.com).
