TRBusiness and m1nd-set are delighted to announce that a raft of leading travel retail stakeholders have joined the sponsor line-up for the inaugural Travel Retail Consumer Forum (TRCF) which will take place on 20-22 September at the Hilton London Paddington Hotel.

By investing in the Travel Retail Consumer Forum, Gold Sponsors, Altia and Koskenkorva are playing their part in bringing back physical events to the travel retail industry.

Altia, a leading Nordic alcohol beverage company operating in the Nordic and Baltic regions, houses brands such as O.P. Anderson, Larsen, Chill Out, Blossa, Xanté, Jaloviina, Leijona, Explorer and Grönstedts.

Confectionery brands Ritter Sport and Leonidas will be coffee break sponsors, while E. Gluck, Anne Klein, Armitron and Torgoen comprise the limited number of exhibitors who stand to benefit from face-to-face meetings with buyers in an ‘intimate’ setting.

“I believe we all agree, we are a people industry (personal connections, casual conversations and networking opportunities are key),” said William Legallais, Leonidas Global Travel Retail Sales Manager. “I found the idea of gathering physically at the end of September to be a fantastic opportunity to reconnect with colleagues.

“Leonidas is the perfect partner in bringing moments of happiness back into people’s lives, and we intend to keep on ‘bringing back the smiles’ across travel retail where possible.”

CONFERENCE AGENDA

TRBusiness and m1nd-set are curating an entirely exclusive one-off consumer research campaign worth an incredible six figures in value.

This will crystallise a number of important topics: Post-Covid mega trends affecting purchasing behaviours; category-specific intelligence, in-store design and shopping drivers; sustainability; e-commerce; health and wellbeing; the luxury offer; and region-specific focuses including insights on domestic tourism.

Delivered under the slogan ‘Research, Reconnect, Re1magine’, the TR Consumer Forum’s tailored agenda is illustrative of both parties’ cast-iron commitment to helping the industry collaborate and rebuild successfully – in a physical setting – after an incredibly testing 18 months for businesses across the globe.

‘AN OPPORTUNITY NOT TO BE MISSED’

“We are extremely excited to be part of the Travel Retail Consumer Forum,” said Rob Robertaccio, Senior Vice President, Global & Travel Retail Sales, E. Gluck Corp.

“As of now, this is the first in-person industry event and we thought it was incredibly important to put our support behind it.

“We felt that the value of being able to connect with top industry executives early on in the re-start phase and prior to TFWA Cannes was too much of an opportunity to pass up.”

E. Gluck will be one of a limited number of exhibitors at the forum. “We thought this would be a great way to show off what we do in an intimate way,” added Robertaccio. “Even more exciting to us though, is that we will be showing our WITHit brand of wearable accessories to the industry for the first time.”

CONSUMERS AT THE CENTRE OF EVERYTHING

Jan Pasold, Ritter Sport Managing Director Global Travel Retail, believes that nothing can replace physical interaction. “Especially for a medium-sized, family-owned company, it is in our DNA to work close together and this can be done the best way when seeing and meeting in-person.”

He said that consumer research has always been important, but that now that the landscape is constantly changing, especially with regards to consumer behaviour due to the pandemic, “it is essential to get a better understanding of consumer needs in order to provide and develop products or activities which fulfil their needs”.

“The consumer has to be the centre of everything we are doing, regardless if it is a brand or retailer. Only together can we get the travelling consumer back into the stores and convert them into shoppers.

“Therefore we as an industry have to learn from the past in order not to make the same mistakes. We really believe in true partnerships with the retailers hence together we have to put the consumer at the centre of all our activities. Only that guarantees us a bright future in our industry and a triple-win situation, for the consumer, retailer and the brand. That won’t work without knowing what the consumers want, hence the need for this crucial research and data.”

Delegates will enjoy ample opportunities to network with new and existing business partners, exhibitors and conduct in-depth business discussions over the two days of business, with lunches and coffee breaks included.

An Opening Cocktail will also take place on Monday 20 September.

BOOK WITH CONFIDENCE

The Travel Retail Consumer Forum will take place at the Hilton London Paddington hotel, conveniently located near the city centre.

Importantly, TRBusiness is offering all delegates a ‘book with confidence guarantee’ should they be unable to attend due to Covid-19 restrictions.

The early bird registration fee is £495, which will be valid until 31 July. After that date, the standard rate of £595 will apply.

In the unlikely event that the Travel Retail Consumer Forum is postponed, the registration fee will be automatically carried over to permit entry to the rescheduled event. Alternatively, a full refund is available.

The offer of a refund will also be extended to those with country-level travel restrictions in place at the time the event is due to take place.

For more information on the programme and for speaking opportunities, please contact [email protected].

For more information about sponsoring these networking events, as well as other sponsorship opportunities, please contact [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] or [email protected]