Portland Design, one of the world’s leading design agencies, and trunblocked.com, travel retail’s most influential blog, have joined forces to launch two webinars on September 15 and 16, 2020.
‘’The future focus theme is key’’, states Ibrahim Ibrahim, Managing Director of Portland. ‘’We are not going to focus on what is wrong with the business. Our priority is only to look forward and the two days major on what is bold, new and innovative thinking, covering the entire airport experience. However difficult, COVID-19 has created a situation where airports need to re-purpose themselves and re-imagine the consumer experience. So, we will be looking at all the elements revolving around the consumer’s experience - both the operational process and the commercial components of the holistic experience. We will also explore new commercial models. The new reality is that airports will have to deliver more convenient and compelling experiences aligned with new types of revenue’’.
‘’There will be elements that will surprise many, too’’, adds Peter Marshall, founder of trunblocked.com. ‘’And they may make uncomfortable viewing. Many webinars we have looked at these past months have been little more than talking shops, going nowhere fast. We are taking the bull by the horns and intend to tackle the principle issues facing the industry head on. How? Well, we’ll be featuring some of the best talent in the industry - airport CEOs, Commercial Directors, institutional investors, major brands, designers, renowned airport consultants and digital gurus. These, together with key players from outside the business - consumer behaviourists, international mall operators, social media specialists and a global online search company - will combine to create a forum that has real substance and bite.
It will be a very fast-moving event designed to help trigger the one thing this industry needs most - the will to change. Portland and trunblocked.com’s thinking is fully aligned’’. forum that has real substance and bite.
Full details of the programme will be published w/c June 29. There will be a ceiling of 1000 registrants for each day.
The first ‘live’ event, combining studio, on-location filming and Zoom is on Tuesday, September 15 between 1000 and 1200 UK time. The second event is on Wednesday September 16 between 1500 and 1700 UK time.
‘’This is essentially a ‘free-to-air’ two-part webinar series’’, adds Lewis Allen, Portland’s Director of Environments. ‘’There is no charity that directly connects with the travel retail business. So we thought it would be a great idea to create bursaries for people from disadvantaged and diverse backgrounds from outside the business who are seeking to join the travel retail industry as a career, or for those that have recently joined the business. All we are asking is that when everyone registers, they include a fee of 25 GBP - or more if they choose - to go towards funding this worthy industry project’’. Details will follow next week.
‘’I am sure this will be one of the most exciting conversations we will be involved in for some time’’, concludes Ibrahim. ‘’Everyone involved understands how pivotal this event could be in exploring and, hopefully, redefining the travel retail business’’.
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