Virtual Travel Retail Expo: The QDF Factor
The QDF Factor and the power of ideas
The QDF Factor, an ambitious initiative to encourage newness and innovation, culminated on the final day of the Virtual Travel Retail Expo with the naming of joint winners, Long Haul Spa and Make Sure.
Among the many highlights of the Virtual Travel Retail Expo, the culmination of The QDF Factor stood out for theatre and surprise and reinforced Qatar Duty Free’s commitment to championing industry creativity.
The competition was a partnership between The Moodie Davitt Report and the Doha-based travel retailer to encourage and champion innovation and newness at a time when travel retail needs it most. It attracted a diverse and compelling array of entries and was open to all brands and concepts, both within and outside the travel retail channel.
The QDF Factor announcements (of the short-list on Monday and winners on Friday; see videos this page) book-ended the week neatly. First came the stunning announcement by Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive His Excellency Akbar Al Baker that all ten finalists would receive a six-month listing with Qatar Duty Free at Hamad International Airport, not just the winner.
The ten finalists were:
- Long Haul SPA inflight travel kits
- Make Sure hand sanitiser gel
- Suqqu make up and skin care
- The Perfumist Pro application (by Big Data Solution)
- The Dalmore Ensemble Collection by Whyte & Mackay
- Caribbean Expedition Cognac by Camus
- Somrus Cream Liqueur
- Cihuatán Rum
- Article 22: Jewellery handmade from bomb scrap in Laos
- Kind Bags: made from 100% recycled plastic bottles
Then in the closing official event on Friday 16 October, Long Haul Spa and Make Sure were named as the joint grand prize winners. Ethical jewellery brand Article 22 was named as the third place runner-up.
Long Haul Spa and Make Sure will each receive a complimentary six-month listing and incredible three-month high-profile promotion in Qatar Duty Free’s award-winning offer at Hamad International Airport, in Doha, Qatar. Both winners have also been awarded an additional three-month secondary promotion. They will also each receive a US$50,000 multi-media advertising campaign with The Moodie Davitt Report.
(Left) Sustainable hand-sanitiser brand Make Sure and (right) inflight travel brand Long Haul Spa were named as the joint winners of The QDF Factor
The third-place runner-up, Article 22 will also receive a secondary promotion courtesy of Qatar Duty Free. It was also awarded a US$25,000 multi-media advertising campaign with The Moodie Davitt Report.
Announcing the results, Qatar Duty Free Vice President of Operations Thabet Musleh said: “We are beyond humbled by The QDF Factor journey. What this competition demonstrated is that travel retail really is the perfect shop window for innovation. We heard a lot about digital and ecommerce this week, but let’s not forget about the physical retail space where customers can touch, feel and really experience products. That’s what the industry is all about.”
He added: “We are very happy that the ten finalists are now going to be listed at Qatar Duty Free. Following His Excellency’s kind gesture, we want to ensure all finalists that each listing will get a prime location. We will do our utmost to showcase each finalist to the millions of passengers who go through Hamad International Airport. I urge my fellow retailers to check out these products as they really deserve to be showcased in travel retail.”
Ethical brand Article 22 Jewellery was announced as the third-place runner-up
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The Moodie Davitt eZine Issue 285 | 4 November 2020
The Moodie Davitt eZine is published 15 times per year by The Moodie Davitt Report (Moodie International Ltd). © All material is copyright and cannot be reproduced without the permission of the Publisher. To find out more visit www.moodiedavittreport.com and to subscribe, please e-mail sinead@moodiedavittreport.com