New-look Experience Arena promises to wow at Virtual Travel Retail Expo

INTERNATIONAL. Next month’s Virtual Travel Retail Expo (11-15 October) will feature 25 engagement sessions in the new-look Experience Arena from 20 brands (five brands have 2 sessions) in one of the event’s most exciting components.

In the weeks leading up to the event, we will be publicising these sessions and inviting attendees to attend them live or ‘on demand’.

Visitor registration is still open for the Virtual Travel Retail Expo (11-15 October). The event is run by The Moodie Davitt Report and FILTR.QINGWA, with co-organiser Hainan Provincial Bureau of International Economic Development. Registration is free for all travel retailers and airport companies.

The Experience Arena programme will feature a diverse line-up of businesses across categories. Each presenting brand promises to wow Expo attendees with dynamic and interactive digital events. The Experience Arena will also host several virtual lounges for networking and serve as a platform to launch, promote and educate visitors about products and services through virtual masterclasses, tastings and live demonstrations.

Either pre-recorded or live, these 30-minute segments will be streamed to a global audience.

The full programme, with registration links, will be revealed in the coming days.

Day 2: 12 October, Tuesday

04:00 GMT | 11:00 SGT | 00:00 EST 

Spark Group of Companies: Activations in a New Retail Era – Designing a New Promotional Framework

How can brands and retailers best prepare for a new in-store and in-person sales and promotional experience while managing costs?

What supports are needed for operational efficiency, effectiveness, and accountability all while keeping consumer behaviour front and centre.

This webinar, led by Spark Founder and President Heidi Van Roon, will outline a new framework that serves the retailer, the brand, the staff, and the consumer with a focus on sales in the retail landscape.

07:00 GMT | 14:00 SGT | 03:00 EST 

Lindt & Sprüngli: Travel the world with Lindt Chocolate

Confectionery company Lindt & Sprüngli invites Expo attendees to virtually experience a day in the life of a Lindt Maître Chocolatier, who are responsible for creating the company’s confectionery products.

The Lindt Maître Chocolatier will give visitors an inside look into how each Lindt chocolate is created.

He will take audiences on a trip around the world and share inspirations behind typical sweet surprises from different regions, using Lindt Chocolates.

11:00 GMT| 18:00 SGT | 07:00 EST

Fekkai: Discover Fekkai Clean Sustainable Hair Care & Styling

Fekkai, one of the world’s first sustainable, professional salon brands to deliver high-performance haircare, will be hosting a virtual Q&A with its Founder Frédéric Fekkai. Attendees are invited to discover the world of Fekkai and learn about its salon-tested collections and its mission to help make the beauty industry cleaner and more sustainable, one bottle at a time. Click here to read our interview with Frédéric Fekkai.

Fekkai will be joined by Commercial Officer Crystal Wood and Head of business Development Courtney Bostick.

Day 4: 14 October, Thursday

11:00 GMT | 18:00 SGT | 07:00 EST

The Dalmore Ensemble Collection — A Multi-Sensory Virtual Experience

Whyte & Mackay is inviting Expo attendees to experience a ‘symphony of sensations’ at The Dalmore Ensemble Collection Virtual Experience. Audiences will see, hear and enjoy the new line by joining Global Single Malt Specialist Stephen Martin, as he reveals the latest travel retail exclusive collection from The Dalmore Distillery.

The three new, beautifully orchestrated Single Malts are presented with bespoke music and art commissioned from award-winning creatives, offering an uplifting, multi-sensory feast for the senses.

13:00 GMT | 20:00 SGT | 09:00 EST 

Ahmad Tea – Tea Discovery Experience

Ahmad Tea Head of Global Marketing Tracey Wakelin, Ahmad Tea Senior Tea Taster Dominic Marriott and Cambridge Tea Consultant Joyce Maina will be sharing the company’s love of extraordinary tea with an immersive and interactive virtual Tea Discovery Experience.

Attendees will be able to explore Ahmad Tea’s wonderful selection of quality teas in this intimate tasting experience. The session draws upon four generations of expertise to seek out the world’s finest tea gardens. It aims to inspire tea drinkers everywhere with Ahmad Tea’s passion, dedication to quality, commitment to community and the environment, and ceaseless exploration of new flavours and blends.