INTERNATIONAL. Visitor registration is growing strongly for what is shaping up to be a highly successful Virtual Travel Retail Expo on 11-15 October.
The Virtual Travel Retail Expo is owned by The Moodie Davitt Report in partnership with digital and design agency FILTR.QINGWA (and co-organised this year by the Hainan Provincial Bureau of International Economic Development).
With the event now just over one month away, several thousand delegates have already signed up to take part, led by representatives from the world’s leading travel retailers, airports, airlines, ferry and cruiseline companies, plus brand owners across multiple categories. More are joining them each day through our registration portal here.
China Duty Free Group (CDFG), China’s and the world’s number one travel retailer by sales in 2020, has registered almost 200 delegates, underlining the faith that the dominant Chinese player is placing in the Virtual Expo as a vehicle to discuss the future with brands and other partners.
As reported, CDFG was recently announced as the Expo’s exclusive Strategic Cooperation Partner. The company will have its own dedicated digital area in the Expo, called CDFG City, where it will showcase some of its most exciting current and planned projects. A gateway presence to CDFG City will feature in both the Hainan Discovery zone (where most of the players in Hainan’s offshore duty free channel will be represented) and the Retailer Emporium.
The CDFG management, buying, branding and merchandising teams will be out in full force at the Expo, both in CDFG City and also visiting the various brand exhibitors. CDFG President Charles Chen will also deliver the morning keynote address in the Knowledge Hub on the first day of the Expo. Click here for more on a powerful Knowledge Hub agenda.
Wangfujing Duty Free, subsidiary of famous Chinese department store company Wangfujing, has registered 72 delegates, having recently signed up as a Gold Partner for the Expo. Other leading players in the China and Hainan offshore duty free market are also sending large delegations as bookings continue to flood in.
All registered airport and retailer visitors for the Virtual Travel Retail Expo will be automatically entered into two Dubai Duty Free prize draws each week from now until the start of the live event.
Participants have the chance to win tickets for the popular Dubai Duty Free Millennium Millionaire and Finest Surprise draws and could capture the grand prizes of US$1 million or a luxury car respectively. Click here to register for the event.
Attendance is free for all exhibitors and sponsors, airports authorities, airlines, cruise and ferry companies, retail and F&B operators, other airport service providers, trade associations and official media partners.
Registration for all other delegates is just US$250 for the live week and six-week encore period.
Many exhibitor partners that have signed up are hailing the engagement opportunity presented by the Virtual Expo, which is underlined by the growing registration figures. See below for comments from several – The Seva Group, William Grant & Sons, Montes Wines and iClick Interactive – that have signed up recently.