INTERNATIONAL. In the culmination of an extraordinary travel retail competition – and to the inaugural Virtual Travel Retail Expo – Long Haul Spa and Make Sure were today named as the joint grand prize winners of The QDF Factor. 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, including a dedicated eZine.
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.
The competition was a partnership between The Moodie Davitt Report and Qatar Duty Free to encourage and champion creativity 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.
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.”
As reported, all ten finalists in The QDF Factor have secured a six-month listing with Qatar Duty Free, as revealed in a stunning announcement by Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive His Excellency Akbar Al Baker on Monday.
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
Musleh said, “We are very happy that the ten finalists are now going to be listed at Qatar Duty Free. Following His Excellency’s kind gesture on Monday, we want to ensure all finalists that each listing will get a prime location. We will do our utmost best 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.”
Commenting on the success of the Moodie Davitt Virtual Travel Retail Expo, Musleh added, “What a fantastic Expo week it has been. Huge congratulations to The Moodie Davitt Report and FILTR who have turned a lot of doubters into believers with the success of the Virtual Travel Retail Expo. A lot of people asked if they could do it, and they certainly did.”
The Moodie Davitt Report Founder & Chairman Martin Moodie said, “Qatar Duty Free has been so generous that we felt we had to share in that spirit of generosity. I’m delighted to announce that we will be awarding both winners a US$50,000 advertising campaign and granting our runner-up Article 22 a US$25,000 campaign. We shall also be giving all ten The QDF Factor finalists double-page spreads in our post-Expo issue.”
The Moodie Davitt Report President Dermot Davitt closed the Expo’s final Knowledge Hub session by saying, “Thank you to Qatar Duty Free for being a great partner throughout this entire project. I would also like to thank them for their knowledge and belief in the Virtual Travel Retail Expo from initial concept to execution.
“We may be closing the Knowledge Hub, but certainly not the Virtual Travel Retail Expo as we now transition to our 30-day follow-up showcase. Visitor and exhibitors can continue to host meetings and showcase their latest products. Now that’s what I call added value.”
The QDF Factor entries were judged on a range of criteria including innovation, corporate social responsibility, presentation, commercial viability and overall quality.
