Undoubtedly the most welcome of all the thousands of visitors to this year’s Duty Free Show of the Americas is Paul Pasternak (top left), part of the great husband and wife (Lois, above) team that runs Travel Markets Insider in the US. We have long had much respect for the quality and integrity of ‘Insider‘
Blog
Events
Farewell to Fort Lauderdale
The Moodie Blog is in Fort Lauderdale for the annual Duty Free Show of the Americas – the last one, as it transpires, to be held here. Next year the show returns to its long-time home, Orlando – a wholly pragmatic move by organisers, the International Association of Airport Duty Free Stores (IAADFS). One of
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Events
All smiles in County New York
If there’s one place to be other than Ireland on St Patrick’s Day it has to be New York. This city celebrates its Irish roots like no other. The whole place is a swathe of green and a giant party that began early this morning is set to continue into the wee small hours of tomorrow.
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Airports
(Un)welcome to the United States
The Moodie Report is in New York. But for a long time on Sunday night that was in name only. Entering this great city via Newark Liberty Airport is ready-made confirmation that elements of the airport community still treat their passengers (who are customers, remember) as cattle. My heart sank as I entered the check-in
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Airports
CTC-ARI Airports continues to amaze the consumer
Plenty of travel retailers talk the talk about ‘Trinity’ principles – i.e. greater co-operation between industry stakeholders to the benefit of the travelling consumer. But few truly walk the walk like CTC-ARI Airports, the joint venture between CTC (Cyprus Trading Company) and Aer Rianta International–Middle East (ARI-ME), which manages the commercial operations at Larnaca and
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Events
A Consortium of kindness
Sometimes the innate, immense generosity and goodwill of this industry almost overwhelms you. On Tuesday I was asked to attend a meeting in London of the Consortium Travel Retail Club, a grouping of executives active in the UK travel retail sector. Between the members present, there would probably have been a couple of centuries of industry experience,
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Miscellaneous
Can Bahrain Duty Free find another Frontier award-winning formula?
The Moodie Report sees many retailer promotions during the course of a year. One of the best, consistently, in recent years has been Bahrain Duty Free’s annual campaign linked to the Bahrain Formula 1 Grand Prix, first hosted in 2004. That year Bahrain Duty Free won a well-deserved ‘Frontier’ award for ‘Best Marketing Campaign by a Retailer’ after launching
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Miscellaneous
Welsh bounce back from gallic gloom with major musical chairs triumph
Last Friday night may have been a bleak occasion for followers of Welsh rugby as their 2009 Grand Slam dreams were crushed by the French at the Stades de France in Paris. But at least the country’s sporting reputation was proudly upheld by one of travel retail’s most popular figures (and proudest Welshmen) – Alan Edwards, Group
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Miscellaneous
A letter from The Smile Train Co-Founder and President
Less than 48 hours after the Oscars triumph of Smile Pinki, the documentary set in India that tells the story of a little girl with a cleft whose life is transformed by surgery funded by The Smile Train, we received this note from a delighted Brian Mullaney, Co-Founder and President of the charity. It tells
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Miscellaneous
Smile Pinki wins Oscar glory…
Incredible. Just incredible. As I write, in the early hours of the morning London time, Smile Pinki has just won the Oscar for Best Short Documentary at the 2009 Academy Awards in Los Angeles. The true story of a young Indian girl with a cleft lip and palate, directed by American filmmaker Megan Mylan, beat
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Events
“They all call me Pinki now”
It could be a big night for India at the Oscars ceremony in Hollywood on Sunday evening. While most eyes will be on Slumdog Millionaire’s bid for the Best Picture Award, a few hours earlier a less celebrated but perhaps more important film, also set in India, will have its own chance of glory. I’m talking
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Airports
Nuance-Watson (HK) says ‘Can do, no fear’
Would you buy a travel exclusive set from this very keen saleswoman? I know I would. Note the body language; the receptive, listening and attentive posture. Note the way she has the traveller’s eyes directed to the value message. This is a sale you just know is going to be made. Of course, this is no ordinary salesperson
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Miscellaneous
Jameson rolls out the green carpet
Of all the brands in the Irish Distillers stable, Jameson has always had the most recognisable ‘international’ voice. That’s no accident: when Irish Distillers was created in 1966 to band together the remaining products in a badly faltering Irish whiskey industry, Jameson was carefully positioned to appeal to the overseas consumer, with Paddy and Power’s more often the choice of