INTERNATIONAL. Impressive new exhibitor and visitor facilities and an extension of the event’s extensive Corporate Social Responsibility Programme have been unveiled for the inaugural Moodie Davitt Virtual Travel Retail Expo.
The unique 5-day ‘live’ event, 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. Early bird rates for exhibitor bookings expire on 1 June.
The event has been created by The Moodie Davitt Report together with its official Virtual Stand & Experience partner FILTR. The integrated design and communications agency has conceived the virtual environment and user experience, and will be providing account management and stand curation services to every exhibitor.
New additions created this month include a Help Centre to talk all visitors through the Virtual Experience and to provide around-the-clock assistance; and the Association Lounge, including extensive facilities made available free of charge to key trade associations to enable them to promote their events, services, policies and membership drives and chat live with industry members.
The Asia Pacific Travel Retail Association (APTRA) and South American Duty Free Association ASUTIL have already embraced the initiative and all key trade associations such as TFWA, ACI, the Duty Free World Council, ETRC, IAADFS and others are welcome.
In related news, FILTR has pledged to donate 5% of all design fees from the Virtual Travel Retail Expo 2020 to ImpactHK (link to https://impacthk.org/) – the 2020 nominated charity of Women in Travel Retail (WiTR). ImpactHK (scroll down for full details) joins cleft charity Smile Train and Moodie Davitt sustainability initiative The Trinity Forest Project as beneficiaries of the event.
Additionally, a multi-dimensional Press Centre has also been introduced. The Moodie Davitt Report is inviting selected, high-quality B2B and B2C media houses and journalists to become Preferred Media Partners, while also encouraging (through a soon to be appointed official agency) leading KOLs.
The Moodie Davitt Virtual Travel Retail Expo 2020 Press Centre is hosted and managed by FILTR. This is a complimentary service for all exhibitors and their representatives, as well as (approved) registered press. FILTR Account Manager (and former Moodie Davitt Senior Editor Helen Pawson) has been appointed Press Office Manager.
Silver, Gold and Platinum exhibitors will benefit from the following services:
• Press Resource Library: Each exhibitor may display up to 200MB of press material (releases, images, videos etc.) for access by the registered press.
• Press Database: Each exhibitor will have access to the press database to make contact and schedule on-stand meetings, including notifications of which members of the press are online at any moment during the Expo.
• Media Rack: Virtual Travel Retail Expo preferred media partners will be displaying their show issue e-magazines inside the Press Centre. Exhibitors can view and download these free of charge.
• Live Updates: Push messages will be sent out to notify delegates of activities taking place in the Expo. Exhibitors can utilise this service to make a wider audience aware of their live activities.
• Live Chat: Instant messaging with a dedicated Press Centre Manager for any media queries, questions or issues.
• Social Media Live: A live stream of conference hashtags across LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram (hosted within the Press Centre environment).
• Reporting: Each exhibitor will receive a post-event report of which members of the press downloaded their material from the Press Resource Library.
Preferred Media Partners will also benefit from complimentary services, including:
• Expo Press Materials: Frequent and timely pre-, during and post-event press releases and communication.
• Press Conferences: Opening and closing Expo virtual press conference and individual exhibitor’s events.
• Press Resource Library: Unlimited downloads of the exhibitor press material.
• Interview Rooms: Scheduling and facilitation of live interviews with non-exhibitor delegates, subject to agreement of all parties.
• Live Updates: Push messages will be sent out to notify press of activities taking place in the Expo. Exhibitors can utilise this service to make press aware of their live activities.
• Live Chat: Instant messaging with a dedicated Press Centre Manager for any media queries, questions or issues.
• Social Media Live: A live stream of conference hashtags across LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram (hosted within the Press Centre environment).
Preferred Media Partners to date include Jing Daily and Jing Travel, Larry Warsh’s acclaimed multi-lingual B2B and B2C titles for the Chinese luxury, shopping, travel retail and tourism sectors; popular Chinese WeChat consumer platform Globuy and Jason Cao’s Shanghai-based Duty Free Expert.
Among the travel retail specialists, Lois Pasternak’s Travel Market Insider; and Hibah Noor’s Americas, Asia & Gulf-Africa Duty Free & Travel Retailing Magazine have also signed as Preferred Media Partners, committed not only to help raise awareness of the Expo but also of the individual exhibitors’ activities.
Both Lois and Hibah devoted extensive coverage to the event in their most recent editions, highlighting the fact that they will now each be able to offer an October ‘Show issue’ to their readers, who will simply have to click on the respective front covers in a well signposted dedicated media area.
Alex Smith’s highly rated Global Drinks Intel is the Preferred Partner in B2B drinks media. And Peter Marshall of Marshall Arts (and founder of popular, influential and sometimes irreverant travel retail website TRUnblocked) will be providing film services to exhibitors who require them at special Expo rates.
 Virtual Travel Retail Expo 2020 to support the WiTR 2020 charity: ImpactHKOfficial Virtual Stand & Experience Partner FILTR has pledged to donate 5% of all design fees from the Virtual Travel Retail Expo 2020 to ImpactHK (link to https://impacthk.org/) – the 2020 nominated charity of Women in Travel Retail (WiTR).
ImpactHK supports homeless in Hong Kong with a particular focus on women and the aged. Females on the streets, as in many other cities, are particularly vulnerable and susceptible to abuse and attack.  The charity aims to provide a rehabilitative support programme that is entirely holistic in its approach, offering: counselling, financial advice, mentorship, nutritional advice, physical activity, language learning and job opportunities. WiTR is raising funds this year to help create an emergency shelter where women can be housed in a safe place until more permanent housing can be found. Alex Cook, FILTR Co-Founder & Managing Director, said: “In tough times like these the most vulnerable in society often become even more isolated. FILTR is pleased to bring our support to some of those most in need, through the excellent work of ImpactHK.” Jeff Rotmeyer, Founder of ImpactHK, commented to WiTR: “We are truly grateful to the travel retail community for supporting our charity and the important work we do in ensuring that dozens of homeless females are given a safe place off the streets. Together with your support we will save more lives and give women a happy, healthy future.”
|
Further strong CSR credentials
As reported, The Moodie Davitt Report is to fund a life-changing cleft operation performed by international charity Smile Train for every exhibitor at the Virtual Travel Retail Expo.
Smile Train has supported over 1.5 million cleft surgeries since 1999. Every five minutes Smile Train-supported cleft treatment helps a child in need. Some 200,000 babies are born every year with cleft lips and/or palates. US$250 funds the cost of the 45-minute cleft surgery that transforms the life of a child – and that of his or her family.
Underlining the Virtual Travel Retail Expo’s CSR and eco-friendly credentials (no travel involved, no shipping, no stand construction or breakdown, no product wastage etc), The Moodie Davitt Report will also be planting one tree for each registered buyer as part of The Trinity Forest Project – a tree-planting initiative we unveiled at The Trinity Forum in Doha last October.
