Support for the inaugural Moodie Davitt Virtual Travel Retail Expo continues to grow as new partnerships are announced and as exhibitors highlight the role that the event will play in connecting the travel retail community this year.
Newly confirmed partners include French premium beauty house L’Occitane, powerful tobacco group Imperial Brands, Italian men’s fashionwear label Camicissima, consumer technology specialist Nuwave Channel Partners and Irish spirits company Walsh Whiskey.
The unique 5-day ‘live’ Expo, followed by a 30-day showcase (click here to register) begins on 12 October, just after the conclusion of the Chinese Golden Week holidays. It features a star-studded series of activities across the five days, including a Symposium, category workshops and a new consumer research initiative.
“The entire travel retail team will be proud to share the amazing path achieved by Filorga over the last ten years, and we look forward to presenting to all the retailers around the world our future cutting-edge retail experience and to showcasing our novelties on our amazing virtual stand.” – Filorga Global Travel Retail Director Nicolas Rimeau
The first-ever Virtual Travel Retail Expo has attracted strong support from global brand houses to smaller independents
“We’re a resilient and innovative industry – something highlighted by how rapidly the Virtual Travel Retail Expo has been developed and embraced” – Rituals Travel Retail Director Neil Ebbutt
There has been strong, positive reaction to the event from across the industry; we feature a selection of comments from recently signed partners here:
Filorga Global Travel Retail Director Nicolas Rimeau said: “The Moodie Davitt Virtual Expo is an outstanding example of the much-needed innovation spirit that will demonstrate once again the incredible resilience and dynamism of the travel retail industry.
“Innovation has been at the core of Filorga’s DNA for over 40 years. We are thrilled, honoured and excited to be part of the first edition of the Moodie Davitt Virtual Expo as a Gold Partner. The entire travel retail team will be proud to share the amazing path achieved by Filorga over the last ten years, and we look forward to presenting to all the retailers around the world our future cutting-edge retail experience and to showcasing our novelties on our amazing virtual stand.”
Rituals Travel Retail Director Neil Ebbutt said: “The cancellation of physical events this year has clearly made connectivity a challenge, but we’re a resilient and innovative industry – something highlighted by how rapidly the Virtual Travel Retail Expo has been developed and embraced. For Rituals it will provide a platform to engage with existing and potential new partners around the globe by bringing our unique brand ethos to life in the digital domain.”
Victorinox Head of Travel Retail Thomas Bodenmann said: “Embracing digital platforms has long been recognised as vital to our industry’s future, so what better time to do this than the present, during such a crucial and challenging period? The travel retail team at Victorinox is looking forward to engaging with our partners at the Virtual Travel Retail Expo, and playing our role in helping the industry come together and chart a road to recovery.”
The countdown to travel retail’s first Virtual Expo continues
“There is an exciting sense of innovation about the whole concept and the organisers are leaving no stone unturned to make this a landmark event for the travel retail sector. Virtual events will be important for business development, not just now, but, in my opinion, permanently.” – Nuwave Channel Partners CEO Hoj Parmar
Proximo Spirits Head of Global Travel Retail Roy Summers said: “Proximo Spirits are delighted to showcase our leading portfolio of tequila, Irish whiskey and rum brands in the first ever Moodie Davitt Virtual Expo. This opportunity allows us to present our portfolio in a compelling way to global travel retail harnessing a new digital platform.”
Au Coeur de Luxe, a pioneer in digital education for travel retail staff, said it “welcomes this initiative with great enthusiasm and high expectations. We see the Virtual Travel Retail Expo as an opportunity to showcase the latest updates of our e-learning tools and strengthen our partnerships.”
Hoj Parmar, CEO of Nuwave Channel Partners, said: “I have been following the development of Moodie Davitt’s Virtual Travel Retail Expo with great interest during this uncertain of time for all us who are involved in travel retail, right from the first day it was announced. It’s great to join a growing list of some of the finest brands in the channel as a partner and exhibitor, as we look to take our profile to a new level.
“I see it as a real oasis of a showcase for our expanding product mix, from our core ranges of electronics and gadgets through to our newer lines for the COVID-19 era including air passenger safety kits and our recently-launched 100% sustainable Natura mask.
“There is an exciting sense of innovation about the whole concept and the organisers are leaving no stone unturned to make this a landmark event for the travel retail sector. Virtual events will be important for business development, not just now, but, in my opinion, permanently.
“The line-up of buyers already announced made it an event we felt we could not miss and we look forward to playing our part in a showcase which we expect to become an integral part of the travel retail calendar.”
As reported, China Duty Free Group and The SEVA Group are Diamond Partners of the event. Platinum Partners include Beam Suntory; Pernod Ricard Global Travel Retail; Parfums Christian Dior; Whyte & Mackay; Shiseido Travel Retail; Clarins; Duty Free Global, KrisShop, Puig, SK-II and JTI.
More partnerships across Diamond, Platinum, Gold and Silver categories will be announced in coming days.