Support from the world’s leading global operators continues to pour in for TRMarketplace – travel retail’s first fully-digital meeting and conference event – which will take place during the original TFWA World Exhibition dates from 28 September to 2 October.

 

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.”

Saba Tahir, the company’s highly respected Senior Vice President of Purchasing, added: “Considering the new norm brought by this pandemic, the TRMarketplace place is a good way to gain access to brand hubs across a multitude of product categories and be able to meet with existing partners, witness new product launches and discover new and innovative brands.

 

TRMARKETPLACE ‘OF GREAT IMPORTANCE’

“It is likely that we will be out of the usual face to face meetings, conferences and exhibitions for some time, so this medium of communication will be of great importance.”

 

 

Gary Chau, Tasa Meng General Manager emphasised that TRMarketplace is a very important event for travel retailers.

 

“This event will help us to gain a better understanding about how the covid-19 pandemic has impacted the travel retail industry across the globe, especially from our business partners. Most of our business partners are working at home due to Covid-19, so this will be good opportunity for us to continue to connect with them.

 

“This is the first ever fully-digital travel retail event, so we feel it is important to support it.”

 

Shilla Duty Free said it believes TRMarketplace is the right platform through which the buying team can meet prestigious suppliers from all over the world.

 

“The most important and attractive aspect we expect from TRMarketplace is that our buyers will have the opportunity to keep updated while they remain working from their home offices safely under the current Covid-19 circumstance.

 

“Not only can this new type of event serve as a place to keep the industry connected, but also to inspire and stimulate retailers and suppliers to share ideas and develop further.”

 

“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,” said Executive Vice President, Asia at 3SixtyDutyFree.

 

“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.”

 

AN IMPRESSIVE ROSTER OF RETAILERS FROM ACROSS THE GLOBE

As reported, among the long list of global operators who have pre-registered for the event we can name the following: Dufry; Lotte Duty Free; Dubai Duty free; 3Sixty; ARI; Flemingo International; Mumbai Duty Free; Harding; King Power Traveler Co Ltd; Tasa Meng Corporation; Iraq Duty Free; Kaner Duty Free among others.

 

In addition, the following airport groups have also committed to attending the event: Singapore Changi Airport (CAG); Tallinn Airport; Budapest; Cairns; Adani Airports (India); Luzon International Premier Airport Development Corporation (Clark International Airport in the Philippines).

 

As announced, pre-registration is now open for retailers, airports, cruise lines, border stores and airlines, who will gain free-of-charge access to the TRMarketplace, which will take place on the dates of the original TFWA Cannes event, 28 September – 2 October.

 

Luigi Battuello, Business Development Director, Non Aviation, SEA Milan Airports, who recently filmed an exclusive video interview with Andrew Pentol for the TRBusiness ‘Adapt & Survive’ series, said: “TRMarketplace is a contemporary and multipurpose platform, designed by primary players of our industry.”

 

“This new solution is able to connect suppliers, retailers and operators like us…It is a perfect opportunity for the sharing of successful practices, an efficient way to keep moving forward. Collective action, internationally, will make a more rapid exit from the Covid-19 crisis possible. Functions such as dedicated ‘brand hubs’, interactive workshops and webinars help to generate positive synergies. Looking forward to meeting up again.”

 

‘INVALUABLE ACCESS TO SUPPLIERS AND NEW PRODUCTS’

“We, at Kaner Duty Free, are looking forward to the TRMarketplace to be held by TRBusiness in September, as we believe it will provide us with invaluable access to suppliers and new products in the TR world; especially in the absence of TFWA this year,” said the Cypriot duty free operator.

“The fact that we can have live business meetings online, face-to-face with the suppliers is a great opportunity, especially from one’s office. We are looking forward to finding out the new, hidden gems (suppliers and products) at this marketplace.

 

“No doubt it will be a great event, like the live webinars TRBusiness has been holding during the pandemic period.”

 

“With the current global situation the TRMarketplace is a great step forward,” said King Power Traveler Hong Kong. “A safe and efficient way to keep moving forward.”

“The global travel retail industry is suffering from the biggest crisis in its history,” said another operator who recently pre-registered for TRMarketplace.

“Those all over the world are encountering similar challenges in running their operations. I expect TRMarketplace will be a perfect opportunity for the sharing of successful practices with colleagues.”

Iraq Duty Free’s General Manager, Fouad A Jabbour also spoke highly of the new platform: “I think that this is an excellent opportunity to reconnect with the suppliers, show faith in the future and with the initiative TRBusiness has created, it proves to suppliers, retailers and operators like us that we can look forward to a better future.”

BRINGING THE ‘BEST-OF-THE-BEST’ TOGETHER

But it’s not just retailers who are advocating the new platform. Exhibitors are quickly recognising the true ingenuity of the platform, its extraordinary value for money, along with its unrivalled Knowledge & Insights programme.

 

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. All interested parties, click below for more information and/or to pre-register.

 

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