Three renowned travel retail identities have joined forces in an innovative new supplier consortium that aims to “seize the moment” amid the COVID-19 crisis by encouraging the industry to embrace new moral standards and collaboration benchmarks, beginning with health and safety products.
The consortium – intriguingly named for1314| a1dil | c3hristoph | d4enz (the meaning and origins of which to be discussed in a forthcoming podcast)* – comprises Adil Raïhani (Chief Enabling Officer at Adil Raïhani Consulting and former Vienna Airport Senior Vice President Center Management); TR6 Owner (and former Cabeau executive) Denz van der List; and Christoph Henkel, the founder of Miami-based wholesale distributor InnoTRI Limited (and former Heinemann Americas Purchasing Director).
Addressing what they describe as a supply chain “meltdown” in the sector, for1314 is focusing firstly on the provision at scale of high-demand, essential health and safety products for front-line workers across all sectors (stretching beyond aviation and travel retail).
“This is not about making money but about building trust,” Raïhani told The Moodie Davitt Report. “We will do that by sourcing the right products and helping our partners deliver the highest possible standards. We bring quality, supply, trusted partners, highest certifications, innovation and technology.”
“Our ambition is clear: to create a safe tomorrow by addressing the problem of today, predicated on global best quality and pricing as well as new and open-sourcing strategies,” the group added.
Speaking on behalf of for1314| a1dil | c3hristoph | d4enz, Raïhani explained the mission. “Lockdown has given us an incredible focus and we’ve achieved 10 years’ work in the space of 100 days,” he said. “The biggest barrier to regaining confidence in the travel and hospitality industries is people’s perceptions of safety and personal control. Therefore we decided to act. Our business model offers best quality and pricing with the most technologically advanced products. We are passing on most of the margin to those in need to address the immorality we are seeing in vastly inflated market rates.”
The COVID-19 recovery range features the latest innovations in medically and military accredited specialist products backed by extensive certification and sourcing verification standards. They are being brought to market through InnoTri’s well-established logistics and distribution platform.
The range includes certified medical grade and washable face masks; sanitising stations; disinfectant tunnels; sneeze protection control suitable for customer service desks and till points. It also features thermal strip sensors for doorways and entry points to enable temperature checks; facial recognition for mask compliance; and unmanned robot technology similar to that launched at several airports in the Middle East.
“This is a global collaboration initiative that will restart the engines of critical global ecosystems. Easy access combined with moral pricing gives businesses an essential life-line. We, you, us – we all want to travel to see our friends and families again.”
for1314| a1dil | c3hristoph | d4enz will also represent the CoDi BOT UGV unmanned robot device, in association with ForTechnologies in Abu Dhabi.
Separately, the CoDi BOT UGV is being piloted from May throughout Abu Dhabi International Airport, including in staff areas and cargo facilities, as well as being used as part of the cabin desterilization processes on passenger aircraft.
“Specifically ensuring aircraft cabins are kept clean and sterile, the CoDi BOT UGV is designed to be able to manouevre through the airplane cabin, which is a unique feature of the product, while ensuring the safety of its operators through remote control capability, using real-time video and high-speed 4G data connection,” said Gary Safady, a partner at ForTechnologies and a world-renowned creator of new-generation technology.
The range selection has prioritised ethically sourced, high-quality standard items from leading global product and tech partners, chosen for their alignment with the social principals of for1314. For example, several of the consortium’s suppliers collaborate with social-working ateliers in their supply chain, including the production of sustainably product packing.
Henkel and van der List concluded: “This is a global collaboration initiative that will restart the engines of critical global ecosystems. Easy access combined with moral pricing gives businesses an essential life-line: meaning operations can resume, people can get back to work, jobs can be saved, and eventually consumers will gain confidence to travel again. We, you, us – we all want to travel to see our friends and families again.”
*Look out for a major Podcast interview with Adil Raïhani coming soon, in which he explains the enigma of the consortium’s name; its genesis, moral credentials and aspirations to change the rules of the supply chain.
Contacts: weR1@for1314.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dvdlist/
