The 17th Dubai Dubai Duty Free Golf World Cup saw one of the most popular winners in the event’s history – James Kfouri, General Manager Sales & Marketing for Australian confectionery company Paton’s. Renowned for its famous Macadamia nuts range of chocolates, the company will also now be synonymous with sporting excellence after the Melbourne-based
Events
It’s a tough job but someone’s got to do it…
If you think it’s tough work completing a 10k fun run, then it’s clearly even tougher being one of the race marshalls. At the Miles for Smiles ‘fun run’ at the weekend in Dubai, The Moodie Blog’s exclusive sponsor, Mars International Travel Retail International Consultant Stuart Bull, was obviously finding the workload draining. Time and again
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People
Updating the real industry ‘Trinity’
It is late October 1986. Three young, successful retailers (above) are celebrating three accolades bestowed on a young, successful retail company at the Frontier Awards in Cannes. Dubai Duty Free had won, respectively, Airport Duty Free Operator of the Year (1985) and Best Marketing Campaign by a Retailer (1986), while the man in the centre
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Events
Lady in red
They were probably the best couple of one-liners heard at an industry conference in years. Having listened to Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC) Vice President of Non-Aeronautical Revenues Dan Cappell extolling the merits of outsourcing duty free retailing to DFS, MEDFA conference moderator Dermot Davitt boldly asked Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports (sister company
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Events
The loneliness of the long-distance runner
It’s 32 hours since I completed the Miles for Smiles 10k ‘fun run’ and I feel like my legs have been run over by a Humvee. If I didn’t know it before, I know it now. In a 53 year-old, averagely fit man’s life, 10k goes on forever. Especially when you’ve had two hours sleep
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Events
Final countdown to Miles for Smiles
The Moodie Report has arrived in Dubai and the big day is nearly upon us. On Saturday morning the bus will arrive at the Al Bustan Rotana hotel at the ungodly hour of 6a.m. to pick up the runners in this year’s Miles for Smiles fun run and take them to the course at the
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Miscellaneous
Breaking boundaries on Europe’s borders
It will be fascinating to watch the progress of fledgling duty free business Le Bridge Travel Retail, which opened its first border store – one of five – in recent days, and which is poised to open at the country’s gateway, Chisnau Airport, shortly too. Not only is the company Europe’s newest duty free retailer, but it
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Airports
In whisky heaven
It’s not often (I promise) that I drink 30 year old single malt whisky in the morning. But today was different. Today I died and went to whisky heaven. Actually, make that whisky haven, for that indeed is what the new-look World of Whiskies at London Heathrow Airport Terminal 4 is. It’s experiences like this that
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Events
Black and blue at the San Siro
The Moodie Report Publisher was in Milan for the weekend to watch my beloved All Blacks rugby team play Italy at the magnificent San Siro Stadium. The San Siro is usually associated with football – it is the home of both AC Milan and Inter – but such is the interest in the All Blacks
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Events
Miles (and miles and miles) for Smiles
All around the travel retail world tonight, I suspect, there are some very sore people. I am one of them. The problem (but also the reward) with volunteering to compete in something like ‘Miles for Smiles’, this month’s charity run in Dubai, is that you really have to give it your best shot. And that
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Miscellaneous
Bringing Brazil (and good old gallantry) to Cannes
The innovative “Casa Sagatiba” which made its debut at last month’s TFWA Exhibition in Cannes proved to be a real hit among the industry. By day a base for the Sagatiba brand, by night an exclusive, Brazilian-style lounge bar and garden, the venue offered invited guests sophisticated Sagatiba cocktails, music and an authentic Brazilian BBQ.
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Miscellaneous
Striking (Clogau) Gold with Golf
To celebrate being granted the official licence for jewellery and giftware for the Ryder Cup 2010, Clogau Gold organised an innovative daily four foot putting contest on its stand at last month’s TFWA Exhibition in Cannes. At the end of each day, a luxury prize (a Clogau automatic watch) was awarded to the winning competitor.
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People
Mark Riches unveils new World of Whiskery
Our recent report on Brian Collie’s newly hirsute look in the cause of charity has brought forth news of a similar growth initiative by another leading industry figure. As mentioned, the McArthurGlen Luxury Retail Chairman (and former BAA Group Retail Director) is participating in a fantastically innovative fund-raising campaign to combat the scourge of prostate cancer.