INTERNATIONAL. The Virtual Travel Retail Expo (11-15 October) is featuring a total of 28 engagement sessions from 20 companies in the new-look Experience Arena, one of the event’s most exciting and engaging components.
Attendees can attend the sessions live or watch them ‘on demand’ at any point during the week or in the six-week, post-event ‘encore’ period that follows. We will also be showcasing them in the future on our website.
Visitor registration is open here. 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 features a diverse line-up of presentations across categories. Each presenting brand promises to wow Expo attendees with dynamic and interactive digital events. The Experience Arena is also hosting several virtual lounges for networking and serving 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 are streamed to a global audience. Below we present the full agenda for days 3 to 5 of the Virtual Travel Retail Expo.
Day 3: 13 October, Wednesday
One Red Kite: People Power – Recruiting for the Travel Retail Industry
15:00 SGT / 08:00 GMT +1
In this illuminating Experience Arena Session, One Red Kite Director Jill Brocklebank will shine the light on ‘The People Factor of Travel Retail’. The session will discuss the role and value of people in the channel and what that means in the reshaped world in which we live and work. The session asks what will recruiting look like in the future and what challenges are being faced in the market now?
Brocklebank has had a long career within the travel retail sector, working for World Duty Free before moving on to The Estée Lauder Companies. Passionate about people, she established a bespoke travel retail recruitment service, where she connects the right talents to the right businesses in the industry.
Nestlé International Travel Retail: Beyond Sustainability
19:00 SGT | 12:00 GMT+1
Nestlé International Travel Retail (NITR) General Manager Stewart Dryburgh and Global Sustainability Manager Confectionery & Ice Cream Stephane Detaille will take audiences through Nestlé’s impressive confectionery sustainability journey.
This session will explore how regeneration is building Nestlé’s vision beyond sustainability, underlining the power of food to enhance the quality of life. Dryburgh and Detaille will share NITR’s commitment to use its global scale, resources, and expertise to contribute to a healthier future for people and the planet.
Mondelez WTR – Championing Sustainability in Travel Retail Through Trusted Partnerships
20:00 SGT | 13:00 GMT+1
In this roundtable session, Mondelez WTR, CircleSquare and Gebr Heinemann will discuss how — through shared passion, trust and commitment — they are progressing more sustainable practices in the travel retail channel, using the recent zero-waste Cocoa Life activation at Oslo Airport as an example.
The activation was a first for Mondelez WTR globally, and the confectionery giant hopes to inspire even greater advances in how sustainability is prioritised in the channel.
The session will feature Mondelez WTR Senior Business Development Manager Iris Litschauer, CircleSquare Account Director Abby Loadeer and Gebr. Heinemann Category Manager Frank D. Hansen.
The Rise of Super Premium Tequila
21:00 SGT | 14:00 GMT+1
Global market leader Patrón Tequila invites Expo attendees to discover why tequila is the second fastest-growing spirit category in global travel retail.
Led by Patrón Tequila Global Senior Marketing Director Matthew Sykes, this session will reveal how Patrón makes its handcrafted tequila at La Hacienda Patrón, how to best enjoy it and share the story of the company’s journey over the years. It will also outline the biggest developments in the exciting and dynamic tequila category in travel retail.
Day 4: 14 October, Thursday
Jägermeister: A live masterclass with Global Brand Ambassado Nils Boese
16:00 SGT / 09:00 GMT +1
Jägermeister is inviting Expo attendees to join a live virtual masterclass and discover the story behind this world-renowned brand.
Led by Jägermeister Global Brand Ambassador Nils Boese, who will be broadcasting live from Berlin, the interactive masterclass will reveal the secrets behind the brand’s recipe and its 12-month ageing process. It will also showcase the Jägermeister, Jägermeister Manifest and Jägermeister Cold Brew Coffee expressions.
Lagardère Travel Retail: Digitalisation Opportunities in Travel Retail
17:00 SGT / 10:00 GMT +1 = live
While the travel retail sector has historically relied on business travel and tourist traffic, the global pandemic has caused a profound shift. With those travellers still facing constraints even in the post-COVID period, how does Lagardère Travel Retail maximise opportunities in digitalisation and beat the competition?
Led by Lagardère travel Retail North Asia CIO Zhu Gang, this session will explore what benefits the travel retail community can gain by advancing its digital credentials.
Gang was appointed Lagardère North Asia CIO in July 2021 and oversees IT function and digital strategy, leading the roll-out of Lagardère’s digital transformation.
Gang has accumulated 24 years of experience in IT. Before joining Lagardère Travel Retail, Gang held leadership roles in well-respected global companies such as L’Oréal, GE, Richemont and Shiseido.
The Dalmore Ensemble Collection — A Multi-Sensory Virtual Experience
18:00 SGT / 11:00 GMT+1
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.
Ahmad Tea – Tea Discovery Experience
19:00 SGT | 12:00 GMT+1
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.
Q&A – ‘How Digital has Changed and is Set to Change Further the Landscape of Global Travel Retail’
21:00 SGT | 14:00 GMT+1
This fascinating Experience Arena session will introduce audiences to PartnerWise and its esteemed panel of experts from digital, technology, organisation design and talent within travel retail and wider sectors such as global beauty.
It will feature a compelling Q&A session with the PartnerWise panel, exploring their career experiences and vision to address questions from the audience.
The panel comprises PartnerWise Managing Partner and Founder Ian Williams; Partner and Co-Founder Jenny Dodds; Partner Global Beauty David Pickles; Consultant John Moriarty and Consultant Dan Binder. The session promises to provide thought-provoking insight into the current and future digital landscape and opportunities within global travel retail.
Duty Free Global’s After Show Social
22:00 SGT | 15:00 GMT+1
Join Duty Free Global Founder Barry Geoghegan’s for a casual end of show social where the independent drinks specialist will share news from friends in the industry with a beverage or two!
Day 5 – 15 October
The Consumer-Driven Digital Revolution: A Look at the Insights Driving Change
16:00 SGT | 09:00 GMT+1
Philip Morris International invites Expo attendees to join in an illuminating session, where the tobacco specialist will deep dive into the data-driven insights that drive its retail experience.
The tobacco industry, traditionally supported by brand building and consumer engagement efforts by shopfloor staff, has been forced to pivot radically because of Covid-19. The pandemic and resulting changes in consumer behaviour were the catalyst for a complete rethink of PMI’s consumer experience strategy in the context of the ‘New Normal’.
This session, led by Head of Commercial Planning (Middle East & Africa) Anthony Fysh and Head of Consumer Journey Duty Free Ksenia Klenova, will trace the evolution of PMI’s omni-channel digital deployment.
Q&A – How Digital has Changed and is Set to Change Further the Landscape of Global Travel Retail
19:00 SGT | 12:00 GMT+1
This fascinating Experience Arena session will introduce audiences to PartnerWise and its esteemed panel of experts from digital, technology, organisation design and talent within travel retail and wider sectors such as global beauty. It will feature a compelling Q&A session with the PartnerWise panel, exploring their career experiences and vision to address questions from the audience.
The panel comprises PartnerWise Managing Partner and Founder Ian Williams; Partner and Co-Founder Jenny Dodds; Partner Global Beauty David Pickles; Consultant John Moriarty and Consultant Dan Binder. It promises to provide thought-provoking insight into the current and future digital landscape and opportunities within global travel retail.