In major breaking news, Hainan Provincial Bureau of International Economic Development (Hainan IEDB) has become an official co-organiser of the Virtual Travel Retail Expo to be held on 11-15 October, joining founder The Moodie Davitt Report and its digital curation partner FILTR.QINGWA.

Hainan IEDB is also named Host of the Hainan Discovery zone, a highlight of the new-look platform for the 2021 Virtual Travel Retail Expo, the follow-up to the hugely successful October 2020 event, which drew a remarkable audience engagement of 124 exhibitors; 4,373 visitors; and 179,734 stand/suite content views.

The Hainan Discovery zone will showcase all aspects of Hainan’s Free Trade Port programme, with a focus on Hainan duty free retailers, hotels, service companies, brand experiences and the island’s wider tourism and leisure offer. The Hainan Discovery zone will feature a new level of digital engagement and will offer sponsorship, advertising and promotional opportunities for exhibitors and non-exhibitors alike.

IEDB Director General Han Shengjian will deliver a keynote speech at the Expo’s Knowledge Hub on Day One of the Expo.

These renderings from Virtual Travel Retail Expo digital curation partner FILTR.QINGWA underline the excitement that the digital representation of travel retail’s hottest market will create.

A government agency established by the Hainan provincial government in April 2019, IEDB’s mission is to build Hainan as a Free Trade Port in all respects with distinctive Chinese features. Hainan’s burgeoning offshore duty free sector forms a key element of that development programme.

In May, IEDB organised the hugely successful China International Consumer Products Expo (Hainan Expo), which saw 1,505 companies attend with 2,628 brands on show. The event drew over 240,000 visitors including 30,000 buyers.

The event will be repeated annually with 2022 dates to be revealed at the Virtual Travel Retail Expo. The Moodie Davitt Report will help promote and sell the event to a global audience both within and outside the travel retail sector.

Hainan IEDB Director General Han Shengjian said: “The past year since the release of the Master Plan of Hainan Free Trade Port has seen a huge number of global companies and projects landing in Hainan. We are enthusiastic to work together with Moodie Davitt in organising such an event that features the latest development of Hainan as a Free Trade Port, which we believe shall open up new possibilities for international businesses and major players in the travel retail sector.

“By leveraging the zero-tariff policy and low corporate and individual taxes, we are serving a huge and increasing number of world-renowned companies and brands. We have confidence that both the China International Consumer Products Expo in 2022 and the Virtual Travel Retail Expo this October will help speed up the progress of building the International Tourism & Consumption Center and turn the island into an investment hotspot.”

The Moodie Davitt Report Founder & Chairman Martin Moodie said: “We are honoured to partner with Hainan Provincial Bureau of International Economic Development in our Virtual Travel Retail Expo and to welcome the Bureau as Host of the pioneering Hainan Discovery Zone, which will be a highlight of our event. IEDB has achieved extraordinary results in advancing Hainan’s Free Trade Port programme and developing the island into an international tourism and consumption center.

“We intend to champion not only Hainan’s offshore duty free sector but also the province’s wider tourism and leisure sector as our contribution to accelerating the Free Trade Port programme. We will also work tirelessly to promote the Hainan Expo, which proved such a remarkable triumph in May 2021. This will be a landmark global event for many years to come and the 2022 Expo promises to attract even greater interest from international and Chinese companies.”

Underlining his commitment and contribution to Hainan and his extensive coverage of the province’s offshore duty free sector, Martin Moodie was recognised by the Hainan International Media Center’s Overseas Communication Officers programme in May, being appointed to the honorary role of ‘Overseas Communication Officer’ by the Hainan International Media Center.

About the Virtual Travel Retail Expo 2021

The Virtual Travel Retail Expo is the largest digital event in the travel retail industry. It comprises three core elements: Exhibition Hub; Knowledge Hub (Conference & Workshops); Experience Hub (sponsored engagement sessions)

Dates: 11-15 October

Organisers: The Moodie Davitt Report; FILTR.QINGWA; Hainan Provincial Bureau of International Economic Development (Hainan IEDB)

New in 2021: Hainan Discovery Zone, Retailer Emporium and Cruise Jetty exhibition areas; Enhanced user interface/user experience; dual language (English-Chinese); Additional China server; Improved chat function; In-built video call and screen-sharing; Live-streaming (chargeable); and more

About the Hainan Expo

Dates: 7-10 May 2021; 2022 dates to be announced

Hainan is a key link in China’s dual circulation programme and the Hainan Expo underlines that mission and the development of the Hainan Free Trade Port.

The Hainan Expo is an ideal bridge for global consumer goods and enterprises to enter China’s huge consumer market with its 1.4 billion population.

The Expo is also an excellent stage for the world to source high-quality consumer products and for producers of Chinese premium goods to meet global consumers.

Overview

1. Hosts: Ministry of Commerce of China, Hainan Provincial Government

2. The only national level Expo targeting import of consumer products

3. Close reach to largest consumer population and the ideal gateway to the China market

4. Largest premium product show in Asia Pacific

5. First held in May 2021; second annual show to be held in 2022 (dates to be confirmed)

Large-scale participation from leading companies and buyers

+70 Countries & Regions

1,505 companies

2,628 brands

+240,000 visitors

+30,000 buyers and other professional visitors from multiple sectors

Rich & varied activities with eye-catching launches

8 official events

138 commercial events

83 new product launch events

550 new products released

Global media coverage

+163 domestic and foreign media

+1,000 reporters and journalists

+270,000-views coverage of the Expo; Transmission Influence Index hitting 82% on May 6-11

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