Blueprint Partner Karl Walter says the travel retail sector craves strategies to boost customer spending and satisfaction, and the EX.CEL Workshop will show how unique, engaging experiences can strengthen customer relationships and foster loyalty, crucial for industry growth
Blueprint, an independent business development consultancy specializing in travel retail, and leading travel retail research agency m1nd-set are joining forces to introduce a new workshop series focused on experiential retail in the global duty free and travel retail sector.
The new series, called “EX.CEL: Experiential Retail Workshop,” will analyze the impact of experiential retail on consumer engagement across the global duty free and travel retail industry. The first edition is scheduled to take place in Cannes on Sunday, September 29, 2024, at the Majestic Hotel from 14:30 to 17:30, ahead of the TFWA World Exhibition & Conference.
This initiative follows the successful roll-out of the GenZ RedY consumer insights workshop launched in 2023, and responds to popular demand from business partners and clients of both m1nd-set and Blueprint.
Helping companies gain insight
Peter Mohn, m1nd-set owner, stated: “There is, without a doubt, a demand for deeper analysis on the transformative impact of immersive, interactive retail activations within the global duty free and travel retail channel. This is what the EX.CEL workshop will help companies to better comprehend, through both the detailed shopper insights we at m1nd-set provide and the best-practice examples, which our partners Blueprint will analyze.”
Anna Marchesini, m1nd-set’s Head of Business Development, commented: “When we launched the GenZ RedY workshop series, we observed the significant appetite within the industry for detailed, quality insights on this high-potential customer segment. As well as the public workshops we have organised in Cannes and Singapore, a considerable number of companies and organisations within the industry have commissioned more bespoke editions, tailored to specific categories or regions, and these have been extremely well received. The intimate, customised format of the workshops means the quality of the data and case-studies provide relevant actionable insights. This is what we aim to provide through the EX.CEL workshop series on experiential retail, starting with the Cannes workshop, ahead of the TFWA’s event.”
Experiential retail benefits
The workshop will showcase the benefits of experiential retail executions both within and beyond the travel retail channel. It will include examples of how extraordinary store environments, in-store experiences and services, and atmospheric elements can drive repeat purchases and customer loyalty. The EX.CEL workshop will draw on examples from within the channel, such as interactive play areas, wines and spirits tastings, educational experiences, national festivals, and celebration activations.
Additionally, the workshop will highlight examples from high-street retail, including sustainable events, community-building initiatives, immersive fashion retail experiences, instore educational workshops, product personalization, and augmented reality initiatives to enhance the customer experience.
Karl Walter, Blueprint Partner, added: “We specialize in supporting airports, retailers and brands engaging with their travelling customers. A critical part of what we do is ‘knowledge transfer.’ We accumulate best-practice knowledge, interpret it and develop relevant call-to-actions that impact customer spend and satisfaction. Through the EX.CEL we deliver comprehensive analysis in terms of creating engaging, immersive and entertaining shopping experiences in the travel retail channel.”
Walter continued, “The travel retail industry has a big appetite for driving customer spend and satisfaction. Therefore, it is imperative that we constantly analyze and debate the impact of differentiated and transformative experiences on an industry level. The EX.CEL Experiential Retail Workshop demonstrates the importance of creating meaningful, memorable, and engaging experiences which in turn develop stronger customer relationships and drive loyalty to the travel retail channel.”
Registration for the event is priced at €299 and includes the detailed report presented at the workshop, as well as refreshments. Registration is now open at https://excel-experential-retail.eventbrite.ch
REGION International
