Following the difficult decision by TFWA to cancel the 2020 TFWA Asia Pacific Conference & Exhibition, TRBusiness can confirm that the Travel Retail Awards ceremony will be relocated to London in June. The precise date and venue will be communicated in the near future.

The Awards ceremony, which will take place at a prestigious London hotel, will be preceded by a complimentary half-day seminar during which TRBusiness will host the inaugural Travel Retail Sustainability Forum (TRSF) meeting, initially planned to take place during the 2020 Duty Free & Travel Retail Summit of the Americas, also cancelled due to concerns over the Coronavirus.

The TRSF agenda will discuss some of the many challenges facing the travel retail sector on single-use plastic waste and address the solutions and opportunities for the industry, with focused perspectives from suppliers, retailers and other stakeholders.

The session will preview some of the excellent nominations submitted for the Best Green Initiative at an Airport Award, the first-time winner of which will be announced later during the evening Awards ceremony.

DETAILED CONSUMER INSIGHTS

The seminar will also feature a detailed consumer insights presentation from TRBusiness’ research partner m1nd-set drawn from the panel of 5000 consumers who are currently (at the time of writing) casting their votes on the awards nominations.

A record 17 companies sponsoring the 2020 Travel Retail Awards, will benefit from the extended showcasing throughout the day and evening.

Changi Airport has signed up for the third consecutive year as Headline Sponsor of the 2020 Awards.

Platinum sponsors include Distell, Duty Free Innovation, Foreo, Furla, Mars Wrigley and Moroccanoil and as Gold sponsors for this year are Bluedog, Cabeau, Champagne Laurent Perrier, Chupa Chups/Mentos, Duty Free Experts, Hanse Distribution, Lindt & Sprugli, Pink Fish, Swarovski and Treasury Wine Estates.

Ticket prices to the event will not change; the £245 ticket for the Awards ceremony will apply to both the dinner and seminar, which will be preceded by a networking buffet lunch. Finalists in the 2020 Travel Retail Awards, to be announced in the latter part of March, all receive a complimentary ticket to the awards ceremony.

‘OUT OF ADVERSITY COMES OPPORTUNITY’

TRBusiness Owner and joint Managing Director, Nigel Hardy (left) commented: “As Benjamin Franklin said – ‘Out of adversity comes opportunity’.

“While we empathise with TFWA and its members for the difficult decision the association has had to take, we fully support it and understand the concern for the health and safety of all industry colleagues.

“The London event will enable stakeholders to come together for a highly insightful and educational afternoon as well as the networking lunch before the third annual awards dinner gets underway.”

“We are confident and optimistic, that governments around the world will continue to take wise precautionary measures to contain the Coronavirus and that infection rates will continue to fall.”

For further information, please contact: [email protected], [email protected] or [email protected].