INTERNATIONAL. The Moodie Davitt Report today announces the all-important awards categories for its Travel Retail Superstars Awards, a new initiative focused on the vital role of employees, which will take place during the second Virtual Travel Retail Expo (11-15 October).
The event will be hosted by The Moodie Davitt Report with support from Virtual Expo digital, design and communications agency partner, FILTR.Qingwa, and organised in collaboration with a select advisory committee of human resource and training specialists.
They include Marcus Griffin, Global Director of People & Culture at Flash Global Logistics in the US and from 2012 until 2020 SVP/Director – Human Resources, Americas & Caribbean at Dufry; and Heidi van Roon, President & Founder of the Spark Group of Companies in Canada, which provides a range of recruitment and staffing services for luxury & airport retailers and brands.
The Travel Retail Superstars Awards, covering employees across airport, airline, downtown store and cruise sectors, will shine the spotlight on the thousands of frontline and behind the scenes heroes and heroines who have helped keep the industry going throughout 2020 and into this year. A separate FAB (Food & Beverage) Superstars Awards will be conducted separately, also during the Virtual Travel Retail Expo (details later this week).
Each of the five main award categories (see below) is divided into four geographic and three sector sub-categories in order to fully recognise and celebrate a diverse range of employees across the world for their passion, hard work and dedication. Each main award will be divided into the following segments:
Regional
- Europe
- Asia Pacific
- Middle East & Africa
- Americas
Sector
- Shop Floor – Customer Facing
- Logistics/Warehouse
- Back Office – Marketing, HR, IT, Commercial, Procurement
Five key categories
Star Team – An award that celebrates those teams who have pulled together, working seamlessly, enthusiastically and effectively, whilst inspiring each other and those around them. It recognises teams who have gone beyond the call of duty, together, to make a difference and to get the job done to the highest standard.
Star Individual – This award recognises those people who everyone loves to work alongside and encounter in the workplace. For those individuals who always show up both for work and for others, who strive to walk the extra miles from a starting point of integrity and passion, and who communicate with sincerity, friendliness and conviction.
Star Story: Team or Individual – The last 18 months in travel retail have provided many challenges across all businesses in every sector. So this award is for those who have created and been an integral part of workplace stories that put a smile on the face, feed the soul and warm the heart.
Innovation: Team or Individual – Inspiration for new ideas and initiatives can strike anyone at any time, but particularly so in the face of challenges and change. This award is for those who have provided a difference to the business through offering innovative ideas that have been adopted, (especially company-wide), and have led to increased efficiency, improvements, profitability, enhanced customer service etc, at a time when businesses have needed such creativity more than ever.
Humanity, Leadership & Inspiration: Team or Individual – An award that celebrates those who have shown that leadership is an action, not just a position, and who encourage good citizenship through compassion and empathy and responsibility.
Entries to the awards will be accepted from 28 June via a dedicated website where full details on criteria and deadlines will be made available.
Heidi van Roon commented, “It’s a tremendous inspiration to see the strength of the human spirit shine. Considering how dramatically the workplace has changed in the past year, it is so appropriate to launch these awards and to give recognition to those who make all the difference. Exemplary and dedicated service to customers and to each other is the USP of travel retail.
“This human element has been the lifeblood of the industry success and it is the lifeline for the recovery and beyond. Values such as solidarity, effectiveness, kindness and professionalism are what drive the value of who we are individually and collectively and it’s my honour to support this initiative of honouring others.”
Marcus Griffin added; “I’m honoured to be associated with this exciting Moodie Davitt initiative, recognising true leadership within the travel retail industry.
“This is an amazing way to recognise the folks that really make it happen during difficult times. Maintaining a positive outlook and focusing on what will be a brighter future is key to the travel retail come back and these individuals and teams will lead the way.”
Note: In line with the celebration of our industry’s people and the good that they can do, all profits from the Travel Retail Superstars Awards will go to charity. Details of the chosen cause/s will be revealed soon.
For more information about the Travel Retail Superstars Awards and/or the Virtual Travel Retail Expo 2021, please contact Irene Revilla, Publisher, The Moodie Davitt Report (Irene@moodiedavittreport.com) or Sarah Genest, Vice President Sales & Events (Sarah@MoodieDavittReport.com).
The Moodie Davitt Report was inspired by the Aer Rianta International (ARI) 2020 Star Awards, an initiative which recognised that the company’s people are its greatest asset. The global recognition programme this year culminated in a virtual ceremony that recognised and celebrated the tremendous contribution of team members across the globe. Global Star Award Winner 2020 was Francis Uttam Chari Eknath (left), Retail Sales Manager at Muscat Duty Free (Oman Sales & Services LLC). Runners up were Julie Ann Basco (centre), a Merchandiser from Bahrain Duty Free and Svetlana Apostolidou (right), Bacardi Ambassador with Cyprus Airports Duty Free.
Taking the lead: Qatar Duty Free team members have maintained healthy and safe trading environments while managing some of the most eye-catching and high-profile promotions in the industry amid the pandemic
Coming soon, FAB Superstars: Tastes on the Fly’s Antonio Alicea was named FAB Team Member of the Year at the 2019 Airport Food & Beverage (FAB) Awards in Dallas in 2019. The FAB recognition will be built into the Virtual Travel Retail Expo programme.
