Page 43 - TFWA World Exhibit 2024 Special Edition

INSIDER

John Rimmer offers his industry expertise with new travel retail
consultancy

After more than eleven years with
TFWA, the last six as managing director,
John Rimmer left the global travel retail
association in November 2023. He returns
to Cannes this year with a new advocacy
role, and a wealth of knowledge to offer
anyone with goals of growing their
business in the travel retail channel.
In May, Rimmer announced he
was forming JCR Consulting, which
he tells TMI specializes in advocacy,
communication, business development,
events and tender management for the
global travel retail industry he knows so John Rimmer
well.
Then in July he was named Senior working with, and the fact that it enables Development for Moodie International,
Advisor for Penta Group, where he will me to maintain the contacts with people Deputy Director Business Development
assist with their activities supporting who I enjoyed working with very much for Aelia Group (now Lagardère Travel
the duty free and travel retail sector for during my time at TFWA and before,” he Retail), and Editor at DFNI.
the Washington, DC-based stakeholder says. In Cannes, Rimmer says he looks
solutions firm. “I’m happy to still be in the duty free forward to reconnecting with the many
“My aim was always to take a break and travel retail industry. If I have any people he has met over his years in the
for a little while, which I was pleased to value to offer, it is the knowledge and the industry.
do. There were a couple of projects that I contacts that I built over many years in this “I’ll be seeing a few of Penta’s
did in the first half of the year before the business.” partners and clients in Cannes, and also a
opportunity arose with Penta Group, who Rimmer has been helping companies few of my own. After you take a bit of a
I am working with on advocacy issues with business development and in tender break, hopefully you come out refreshed
relating to duty free and travel retail,” management. and motivated. And that’s definitely my
Rimmer tells TMI. “This is something that I’ve been case. I made a lot of good friends in
“With Penta, I’ll be working closely involved with in the past, helping this industry, and I’m genuinely looking
with MEADFA, hand in hand with their companies develop strategies for forward to seeing them again, and
advocacy group that they established some specific tenders: the communication, the hopefully there may be some business
time ago, on various advocacy issues in the preparation and the business planning, etc.” opportunities out there,” he says.
Middle East and Africa.” Before his role as Managing Director “I think there is something quite
Rimmer is also working on other at TFWA, Rimmer was Conference, special about our industry and I’m really
projects for his new consultancy. Research, and Corporate Affairs Director glad that I’m still part of it.”
“I enjoy the independence, the for the association. He also spent time
customers that I have, the people that I’m as Executive Director – Business

on the skill, knowledge and passion of the are working. And the pipeline for all major operators
onboard teams. This is absolutely at the The optimism that now exists in the to grow in the next years looks to be
forefront of all operators, but it has been cruise industry has never been greater. unsurpassed in both scope and ambition. It
significantly challenging for all to deliver The sheer incredible experiences and is a wonderful time to be part of the cruise
consistently. innovations that new ships are delivering retail industry, and we look forward to
What will improved training deliver? has been nothing short of extraordinary. reaching the potential together.
It can deliver consistent brand certification
and accreditation, improved empathy with
guests, and higher sales across a greater
number of ships for a greater proportion of
the time. Delivering consistency in people
from new hires to experienced colleagues Cruise industry veteran Adrian Pittaway, whose tenure at MSC Cruises as Head of
will be a critical as the industry goes Retail from 2015 and 2023 propelled the cruise line’s innovative retail concessions into an
through another exciting growth period. industry model, launched the Cruise Retail Academy this past June.
Consistency will also overcome some of An online digital hub designed to be a resource for the cruise retail community, it
the fragmentation that we see from the aims to empower onboard retail professionals – which Pittaway calls “shoppies”– with a
remote environments where many staff one-stop shop for training, networking and career advancement opportunities.

43 October 2024