TRTradeshow organisers say that ‘quality, not quantity’ summed up the feeling of exhibitors at the second TRTradeshow, which took place at the Gatwick South Hilton hotel, last week.

 

TRT made the decision to approach not just inflight retail players, but also members of the rail and marine retail industries this time round.

Although the visitor list was dominated by those operating in the inflight retail industry, exhibitors felt no less satisfied with the turnout. [TRT says it will also invite those from the airport retail industry to attend next year].

 

“Quality not quantity summed up the feeling of exhibitors, that key decision-makers were there and they had quality time to showcase their products and services,” says TRT UK MD Christine Martin.

 

On the second day of the show, visitors and exhibitors were treated to an attention-holding keynote speech from Marketing Speaker, Geoff Ramm, who presented the central ideas published in his book Celebrity Service.

 

During his presentation, Ramm asked audience members what they might do if they had to serve a celebrity customer tomorrow. He then suggested that putting this additional effort into every customer-interaction could have a major business-altering effect.

 

On the final morning of the exhibition, TRBusiness magazine hosted a Question Time-inspired panel session – back by popular demand – which, yet again provided attendees with a forum for open and honest debate.

 

“The TRBusiness ‘Question Time’ style panel discussion was lively and intense and tackled real issues,” added Martin. “Once again this session could have run over, due to the level of participation and we are considering extending this session for 2016.”

 

Back in August TRBusiness invited the inflight, marine and rail TR industries to send in their questions anonymously. These were the put to the panel at September’s workshop.

 

At the workshop itself, TRBusiness was pleasantly surprised by the level of audience interaction. On more than one occasion, delegates verbally jostled with one another to ask a question or make valuable comments.

 

The distinguished panel in the firing line comprised: Fin Casey, Managing Director at LS travel retail UK & Ireland; Katy Mason, Tourvest Inflight Retail Services UK Buying Manager and finally Anna Berezhnaya, Sales Director at Hanse Distribution.

 

During the panel session, Tourvest’s Katy Mason, quite rightly called for increased data sharing from airlines, which would enable concessionaires to target consumers with relevant products/offers.

 

“If the airlines are more willing to engage and work with concessionaires and to develop their own inflight retail, I think there is a huge opportunity, because the penetration of sales, at this moment, is so low.

 

“I was shocked when I came into this industry, from High-Street retail, that such a low percentage of people even purchase on flights and that means that there is a huge opportunity to grow.”

 

One audience member suggested that it was the job of suppliers to educate the industry – namely the airlines – about how the likes of giant retail chains (such as Tesco) share data. “This way you can build a strategy rather than just putting a product on a page and hoping it will sell.”

 

John Baumgartner, Director of Business Development at Nordic travel retail specialist Inflight Service Europe AB – who was a panellist last year – was keen to defend some of the airlines that his company works with, stating that ‘some of them’ are very good at sharing their data.

 

For the full report pick up the October edition of TRBusiness magazine.