Treated to a Taittinger Champagne reception and delicious three course meal in the Mappin Pavilion, the lunch was an opportunity to enjoy relaxed networking and the chance to meet old friends and make new contacts. During the proceedings a charity collection was made for the Beacon Centre, Guildford, a specialist supportive and palliative care service, which raised £787, while TRC chairman Richard Thorpe also announced that a donation would be made to the Manchester Dogs Home following the dreadful arson attack there. The cheque will be presented to the Beacon Centre at the TRC’s next meeting in October.
After lunch, the audience was treated to a highly amusing and entertaining speech from guest speaker, Comedian, Writer, Musician and Philanthropist Tony Hawks. He amused guests with his various tales of hitching round Ireland with a fridge, playing the Moldovans at tennis, and regularly being confused with skateboarder Tony Hawk. Guests were then able to look round London Zoo at their leisure, followed by drinks at with TRC members at local pub, The Albert.
Customers attending the event included: jet2.com; Virgin Atlantic Airways, WDF, Condor Ferries, P&O Ferries, Stena Line, DFASS, Tourvest, Harding Retail, Saga, MS Xtra, Ambassadors Choice, My FerryLink & Gate Gourmet.
Said Anthony Faull, Tourvest Buyer British Airways:’Yet again the TRC impressed us with a fantastic day out. This time London Zoo was the unusual venue. A well organised day, spent catching up with friends we don’t get to see everyday. Networking and sipping fine champagne on a sunny afternoon - it was all over far too soon. Looking forward to see how the TRC can top this one next year!’
Added Peter Blatch, Business Development Manager at Macintyre Scott Xtra: ‘The TRC lunch was an excellent and thoroughly enjoyable event in a wonderful location, and great to see such strong support from the industry.'
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| TRC Members at the London Zoo venue. |
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| TRC Chairman, Richard Thorpe, with guest speaker Tony Hawks. |
Concludes Richard Thorpe: ‘Every year we aim to offer our guests a different and unique venue for our events in which they can relax and enjoy great entertainment and industry networking at the same time. The London Zoo proved a wonderful venue and I would like to thank all our guests who took time out to join with us and I would also like to thank the TRC members for helping to stage such a successful day.'
Notes to editors: The Travel Retail Consortium was originally conceived in the late 1960s and formalised in 1971 to further the interests and development of the Travel Retail industry within the UK through the member companies.
Its objectives are to raise standards of business within the Travel Retail industry; promote members products and services; discuss industry issues; and provide social and networking opportunities for key travel retail customers at annual events. The TRC is also active in raising funds for charity.
Meetings are held bi-monthly at members or customer company locations covering industry issues, new operators/services, business opportunities etc . Confidential matters such as margins and terms are NOT discussed.
A fun customer event is held annually and has included Easter Egg making at Wood Norton, aTreasure Hunt in Bath, It’s a Knockout, School Sports Day, Newbury Race Day and wine tasting in Jersey. This is followed by a black tie evening event. Consortium custom is that bacon rolls and coffee served for those still around at 1a.m.
All TRC enquiries should be made via the website (www.travelretailconsortium.co.uk) or info@travelretailconsortium.co.uk.
Current TRC Members: Accolade Wines; Aurora; Coty Prestige Travel Retail and Export; Guinness; Heineken; Imperial Tobacco International; JA Associates (JCI Jewellery, Morgan & Oates); Mars; Remy Cointreau; RT Travel Retail Consultants Ltd; Sekonda; Champagne Taittinger; Twinings
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