INTERNATIONAL. The Moodie Davitt Report’s diversification outside travel retail takes a big first step with the launch of Wellbeing World, a Virtual Expo to be held next January.
Wellbeing World is, uniquely, both a consumer and trade event. It takes the form of a ten-day live show (18-31 January) and a month-long follow-up showcase to 26 February.
Themed Eat. Mind. Move. Self. Sleep, it is dedicated to the burgeoning world of wellbeing products & services, from spas and leisure to food and drink; from nutraceuticals to traditional Chinese medicine; all related to themes of physical and mental health. The project is being led by Adele Wolstenhulme, a practising clinical Psycho-neuro-immunologist, nutrition consultant and metabolic balance coach as Wellbeing Director (see her full details below). Associates in other regions will be named soon. For enquries please contact Adele Wolstenhulme at adele@adelewolstenhulme.com or Martin Moodie at Martin@MoodieDavittReport.com
Wellbeing World is part of a stable of events outside travel retail being organised by the newly formed Moodie Davitt Virtual Expo brand, part of Moodie Davitt International. As reported, the new enterprise stemmed from an internal programme called Project Aoraki, designed to explore new opportunities in the face of revenues (though neither demand nor traffic) being hit by the COVID-19 crisis.
Aoraki (3,754 metres or 12,360 feet above sea level) is the highest mountain in The Moodie Davitt Report Founder & Chairman Martin Moodie’s homeland of New Zealand. In the Maori language the name means ‘Piercing through clouds’, perfect symbolism for an initiative designed to scale new heights and break through the dark clouds of COVID-19.
The Moodie Davitt Virtual Expo Company builds on the successful launch of the inaugural Moodie Davitt Virtual Travel Retail Expo to be held in October. That pioneering event features three key platforms – the Knowledge Hub, the Exhibition Hub and the Experience Hub.
It has attracted hugely encouraging support from the travel retail community. China Duty Free Group and The Seva Group are Diamond Partners, while Beam Suntory; Clarins, Duty Free Global, KrisShop, Pernod Ricard Global Travel Retail; Parfums Christian Dior; Whyte & Mackay; Shiseido Travel Retail; Clarins and Duty Free Global have signed as Platinum Partners. Major new names will be revealed during the next few days.
Further confirmed Platinum, Gold and Silver Partners will be named in coming days.
Leading retailers that have committed so far to sending their management and buying teams include Aer Rianta International, China Duty Free Group, CNSC, DFA, DFS Group, Dubai Duty Free, Dufry, Ever Rich Duty Free, Harding, Gebr Heinemann, King Power Group (HK), King Power International (Thailand) and King Power Traveler. They are joined by Lagardère Travel Retail, Landmark Management Services, Lotte Duty Free, Qatar Duty Free, Regent Travel Retail Group, Shenzhen Duty Free, Starboard Cruise Services, and 3Sixty Duty Free. This week they have been joined by AWPL, DR Group (Malaysia), Focus Network Agencies, JR-Heinemann (Israel), Little Switzerland, Mauritius Duty Free Paradise, Montenegro Duty Free, Tourvest with more coming in each day.
The subsequent events to be launched in the first half of 2021 are:
- Beauty Inclusive Virtual Expo – covering the diverse world of beauty products and services from fragrance to makeup and skincare; from professional products to haircare [more details coming soon]
- World of Spirits Virtual Expo – from whisk(e)y to Cognac; Armagnac to Aquavit; Gin to Grappa; and much more besides. Once more targeted at both consumer and trade audiences across domestic and online markets worldwide.
- Followed by a rolling programme of new and established Expos and Symposiums throughout 2021.
To underpin this ambitious roll-out, The Moodie Davitt Report has strengthened its partnership with Singapore headquartered integrated retail design, marketing, and communications agency FILTR across all future Virtual Expos. FILTR, a best-in-class company across all aspects of retail design and brand communication, will provide individual account management for every exhibitors’ Virtual Stand & Experience, curating all Expo environments, installations, and activations to the highest order.
The Moodie Davitt Report Founder & Chairman Martin Moodie said: “It is our intention to be the world’s premier company in the Virtual Expo space, hosting a series of high-class global or regional Expos for trade and consumer audiences; as well as category- and company-specific events and symposiums.
Climbing Mount Difficulty and Piercing through Clouds The provenance of the mountain and the symbolism the name evokes brought to mind another New Zealand mountain that I first mentioned in this Blog way back in 2010, shortly after I had been diagnosed with stomach cancer. The mountain also gave its name to a nearby winery. It was called Mount Difficulty. Read more from The Moodie Blog, including a video announcement by Founder & Chairman Martin Moodie. |
“We’re very excited to have FILTR join us on this journey. Their work on the Moodie Davitt Virtual Travel Retail Expo has been extraordinary, helping us take the initial concept of a Virtual Expo in under two months to a high-class yet easily navigable suite of environments, formats, and experiences.
“Despite the constraints of COVID-19 lockdown, they have worked day and night with us to overcome every obstacle, and to create a fantastically premium experience befitting the image of our industry. The joint knowledge we have gained together will prove priceless as we set out on our next hugely exciting development phase.”
FILTR Co-Founder and Managing Director Alex Cook said: “FILTR embarked on the virtual Expo journey with The Moodie Davitt Report as a necessary redefinition of our business in light of the COVID-19 crisis.
“We quickly discovered genuine and widespread appetite for virtual platforms, which are the perfect application of FILTR’s integrated design, digital, marketing and communications skillsets.
“Working with the Moodie Davitt Virtual Expo Company on a broader range of virtual expos will underpin our long-term growth within and beyond the travel retail channel.”
Adele Wolstenhulme named World Wellbeing Expo Director
Each of the new Expos will have a Project Director, working alongside the Moodie Davitt and FILTR teams. On World Wellbeing, The Moodie Davitt Report has appointed Adele Wolstenhulme, a practising clinical Psycho-neuro-immunologist, nutrition consultant and metabolic balance coach as Wellbeing Director.
Adele is regularly consulted by professional bodies and associations to run international and UK-based exhibitions and practitioner training events, and to consult on the development of ‘food as medicine’ menus. Partners have included The Institute for Functional Medicine, the Alliance for Natural Health International and The British Association of Applied Nutrition & Nutritional Therapy.
Adele, who consulted for The Moodie Davitt Report in 2018, worked as Editor in Chief of Travel Retailer International at Euromoney from 1997 to 2007, where she was also Director of Events and Senior Vice President Business Development, RFH Consumer Insight. She has worked with the BBC and Sky Sports and in 1994 won the Barnett Janner Travel Scholarship in Politics to work as a reporter in post-apartheid South Africa.
She said: “I feel honoured to have been asked by Martin to lead the innovative inaugural Wellbeing World Virtual Expo. This is truly groundbreaking, and for me personally bridges the gap between my early career experience in aviation and international travel retail, and the past 16 years as a consultant and qualified practitioner in health & wellbeing and functional & lifestyle medicine, respectively.
“I’ve always believed that health is a birthright. But it’s clear we’re simply not designed to cope with the ‘weird’ environment we are now living in, as seen through the lens of human evolution. As if the chronic disease burden we’ve been grappling with for the past few decades wasn’t enough – throw in a global pandemic and healthcare systems around the world are visibly buckling under the strain. Never has there been a more critical time to be health-empowered as people, and wellbeing-focused as companies.”
“Besides her expertise and network within the wellbeing space, Adele is a dynamic individual with a tremendous ability to identify and realise new business opportunities,” said Martin Moodie. “I worked with her closely for several years at Euromoney. She is driven, passionate and offers a rare mix of ethics, entrepreneurialism and commercial pragmatism.”
Further associates to the company’s forthcoming events will be named soon.
For any enquiries please contact Martin Moodie at Martin@MoodieDavittReport.com
