INTERNATIONAL. The Moodie Davitt Report is marking its 15th anniversary year with the opening of an Asia Pacific Bureau in Hong Kong and the appointment of a UK Managing Editor.
The Moodie Davitt Report (then The Moodie Report) was launched in September 2002 as a weekly pdf, without images or advertising, e-mailed free of charge to the travel retail channel.
Its subscription-free status and complete focus on digital media in year one broke the industry B2B publishing mould, bringing high-quality business intelligence to a global marketplace instantly and accurately.
Within a further year it became the overall market leader in both readership and advertising terms, a position it has since enhanced with the launch of a diverse suite of multi-media platforms, including print (also in digital format), e-Zines, e-Newsletters, Blogs, corporate books, research studies, video and podcasts as well as two much-respected events, The Trinity Forum and The Airport Food & Beverage (FAB) Conference & Awards, and The Moodie Davitt Digital Awards.
To underline that leadership, the company today announces the creation of a Hong Kong-based Asia Pacific Bureau, led by Founder & Chairman Martin Moodie who will divide his time between London and Hong Kong.
The London editorial team will be led by Ben Sillitoe, appointed to the new role of Managing Editor, reporting to Moodie and Galway, Ireland-based President (and company Co-Owner) Dermot Davitt.
Sillitoe, an Honours graduate in English Language from the University of Manchester, was the Founding Editor of Essential Retail, a well-regarded online title produced in association with Europe’s leading retail event Retail Business Technology Expo (RTBE). He is also a former Editor of Retail Gazette.
Announcing the moves today, Martin Moodie said: “For any start-up company, each anniversary is an occasion for celebration. But 15 years is a particularly satisfying landmark for us, a time to celebrate a compelling journey that we could have barely dreamed of when we took those first few steps.
“But in so many ways the journey has just begun. We have hugely exciting plans for the near-future, including some more industry firsts. Key to reinforcing our leadership and our reader service is having a stronger presence in the all-critical Asia Pacific region, where the strength of our relationships and coverage is vital to us. The pace of industry evolution is startling and we plan to be constantly in among the mix, on location reporting on the key industry developments.
“To ensure we can deliver on our new business development plans and maintain the quality of our existing product range, I am delighted that Ben Sillitoe, a highly talented Editor with strong experience of related retail sectors, including e-Commerce, is joining us. He will play a key role in complementing Dermot and me, and in leading our talented team of journalists.
Note: The Moodie Davitt Report is about far more than the effort of its two principals. The talented and committed team, which has given more than 140 years combined service to the company, includes* (in chronological order of joining):
Martin Moodie – April 2002
Jon Elphick – May 2003
Dilantha Fernando – June 2003
Ray Heath – February 2004
Claire Wates – April 2005
Dermot Davitt – April 2006
Matt Willey – March 2007
Sarah Genest – September 2007
Sinead Moodie – April 2008
Colleen Morgan – September 2011
Richard Jell – July 2012
Helen Pawson – August 2012
Victoria Bowskill – August 2012
Declan Moodie – October 2012
Connie Magner – January 2014
Jason Holland – November 2014
Clare Austin – September 2015
Alba Loprieno – January 2017
Ben Sillitoe – February 2017
*With outstanding contributions along the way from former employees Bob Wilby, Rebecca Mann, Mandy Sime, Melody Ng and John Rimmer.
