TRBusiness and Bluedog Productions are delighted to announce that the brand new website for TRMarketplace – which will be the first fully-digital meeting and conference event for the duty free and travel retail industry –  is now live: www.travelretailmarketplace.com.

 

As well as being able to pre-register, at the new live site those interested in participating in the inaugural TRMarketplace event in September will be able to find everything they need to know in one place, including: all the latest news; the webinar and workshop schedule; essential information about the platform’s features; along with important contact details.

 

As previously reported, the new TRMarketplace platform will be available a full month before the event takes place between 28 September – 2 October, to allow visitors and exhibitors to arrange meetings in advance.

 

After announcing the game-changing new digital platform on 12 May, TRMarketplace has gathered extraordinary momentum in just two months; attracting plaudits from the world’s leading travel retail operators, airports, port authorities, ferry and cruise ship companies, inflight concessionaires, distributors, suppliers and brands.

 

Dubai Duty Free, the world’s largest single-airport travel retailer, believes the platform to be the next logical step and ‘of great importance’ for an industry suffering from a lack of face to face meetings. The company’s Executive Vice Chairman & CEO, Colm McLoughlin, personally applauded the platform from TRBusiness and Bluedog Productions.

“Well done to TRBusiness for taking the initiative to launch TRMarketplace, which will provide the industry with the opportunity to gather virtually and to receive updates and product information in a convenient fashion.

 

“It is great that the industry is once again showing its resilience and creativity by adapting during these difficult times. I am looking forward to catching up with our industry colleagues soon.”

 

FORWARD-THINKING

Nidhi Aggarwal, Assistant General Manager, Marketing & Watch Category at Flemingo Travel Retail ltd told TRBusiness that TRMarketplace is an example of the industry’s ability to continually innovate and adapt. “I think TRMarketplace is a great initiative and kudos to TRBusiness for coming up with this.

 

“We all know that businesses are hit due to Covid-19 and that the travel retail industry will be most affected.

 

“With TFWA Cannes 2020 being cancelled, the recovery of business appears far away…hence, a platform where we can still connect with different brands and other retailers and operators and re-group as an industry is what we need.

 

“In these unprecedented times, all brands and business owners are innovating in their own sense to stay valid and valuable. Hence, I feel it would be great to connect with various brands to see what they have to offer in terms of the newness in their products and newness in technological ways of retailing. Furthermore, I am really looking forward to the seminars/webinars and workshops.

“Since digital is the way forward, it is a great initiative to start now and make one of the most sought after for the travel retail industry in times to come. I must say, it is a very forward looking plan.”

A MUCH-NEEDED SERVICE’

Hwee Ming Lee, Executive Vice President, Asia at 3SixtyDutyFree added: “In the absence of TFWA Asia Pacific and TFWA Cannes, 3Sixty is pleased to participate in this initiative for the industry and allow us to continue to collaborate with each other.”

“TRMarketplace allows 3Sixty to maintain the high level of engagement with suppliers and brands required in our industry to drive our business, and in view of the Covid 19, to do so from the comfort of our offices.

 

“TRMarketplace also allows more executives to take part in the product-selection process and the daily webinars will give more team members access to key industry leaders and stakeholders to gain more industry insights as we are no longer restricted by location. It is a much needed service in this post Cov19 new normal we are living.”

Available for all categories, The TRMarketplace will allow each supplier/brand access to a dedicated ‘brand hub’, where they can showcase their respective product portfolios. Brands can upload all relevant documentation for visitors to browse and download (access restricted). Brands will even be able to facilitate the launch of new products.

 

Click here to find many more testimonials from visitors here.

 

ACCESSIBLE TO ALL

With a fixed price to exhibit of GBP£4,495 (ex VAT) – for every company regardless of size – TRBusiness and Bluedog Productions believe that this opportunity is accessible to all.

 

Buyers, airports, cruise lines, border stores and airlines will be able to gain free-of-charge access to the TRMarketplace as visitors.

“We at Haribo are very pleased and happy to announce that we will take part in the TRMarketplace this fall,” said Elisa Fontana, Marketing Manager Global Travel Retail, Haribo.

 

“It is such an innovative and exciting way of bringing the industry together during these uncertain times. We are looking forward to spreading some virtual happiness to new and existing partners, as well as welcoming the opportunity to showcase our fabulous collection of travel-exclusive sugar confectionery range and to discuss the future development of Haribo in travel retail worldwide.”

Each brand representative can schedule video conferences with retailers and other partners, using the platform’s secure integrated software, alleviating the need to install any third-party add-ons. The number of brand representatives is unlimited.

 

Click here to find many more examples of supplier testimonials here.

 

UNLIMITED CONCURRENT VIDEO CONFERENCES

The number of concurrent video conferences that can take place is also unlimited for each brand.

 

TRMarketplace invites users to take part in daily webinars, where expert moderators and prominent DF&TR executives will dissect pertinent issues facing the industry as a result of Covid-19. Sessions will be relevant to all stakeholders and channels, including airports, airlines, ferries & cruise, border stores and others.

 

TRBusiness and Bluedog Productions have partnered with leading Swiss research company m1nd-set to be the official consumer insights partner for the event. M1nd-set will provide essential and up-to-date data, collected exclusively for TRMarketplace.

 

More information, including a detailed schedule of events, to follow shortly. To find out more about exhibiting, please contact [email protected], [email protected] and [email protected].