Last month, SPARK was featured in Duty Free News International discussing the current state of affairs of the travel retail industry and our goals to put ESG priorities first. Please check out the article here and below:
Spark Group of Companies Founder & President Heidi Van Roon has called on the travel retail industry to create an alignment between “industry and community” by putting environmental, social and governance (ESG) priorities at the heart of a “modernised human resources agenda”.
“Well implemented ESG values are the baseline for the recovery and these include a substantially modernised Human Resources agenda,” Van Roon said in a statement. “Future workplace cultures need to be competitively positioned today to support and attract winning teams. This will not happen by chance, it needs to be a boardroom decision.”
She believes travel retail can be a “career of choice” for people, but says change is needed to create a framework for “consistency, quality, value, economies of scale, relationships, digitalisation and accountability”.
CleanCo Campaign Success
Great coverage by Mark Lane of the Moodie Davitt Report about our participation in a campaign for emerging UK no/lo spirit brand CleanCo in United Airlines Club lounges across four US airports. What an amazing team. It was an
Fragrance Beauty Advisor – English / Mandarin PT
We always enjoy recruiting through our network. Perhaps you or someone you know is interested in a temporary fragrance Beauty Advisor position at WDF YVR from April 3rd to June 7th. This opportunity is suited for someone with beauty/fragrance
2022 Summit of the Americas
Join SPARK at the 2022 Summit of the Americas. The Summit of the Americas is the International Association of Airport and Duty Free Stores annual show and will return as an in-person event! The International Association of Airport Duty
Recent Posts
Alignment between industry and community in HR
Last month, SPARK was featured in Duty Free News International discussing the current state of affairs of the travel retail industry and our goals to put ESG priorities first. Please check out the article
A powerful and poignant contribution to Travel Retail United humanitarian fund for Ukraine
For a cause that is so near and dear to SPARK, we wanted to share coverage by The Moodie Davitt report on our recent donation to the Travel Retail United*, the humanitarian fundraising project
CleanCo Campaign Success
Great coverage by Mark Lane of the Moodie Davitt Report about our participation in a campaign for emerging UK no/lo spirit brand CleanCo in United Airlines Club lounges across four US airports. What an
Fragrance Beauty Advisor – English / Mandarin PT
We always enjoy recruiting through our network. Perhaps you or someone you know is interested in a temporary fragrance Beauty Advisor position at WDF YVR from April 3rd to June 7th. This opportunity is
2022 Summit of the Americas
Join SPARK at the 2022 Summit of the Americas. The Summit of the Americas is the International Association of Airport and Duty Free Stores annual show and will return as an in-person event! The
Ready for a Sales & Marketing challenge in US airports?
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Join SPARK at the Virtual Travel Retail Expo October 11-15
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Virtual Summit of the Americas Summary
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SPARK at the Virtual Summit of Americas
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If ever there was a time to collaborate and align our strengths, it is now.
“If ever there was a time to collaborate and align our strengths, it is now” – SPARK President Heidi Van Roon sounds rallying call ahead of Summit of the Americas by Martin Moodie martin@moodiedavittreport.com
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Sparking a New Airport Retail Staffing Solution for Maximising Sales
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SPARK shortlisted for the 2021 DFNI Americas Awards Team of the Year
We are delighted to announce that SPARK has been shortlisted for the 2021 DFNI Americas Awards Team of the Year category. Jessie, Sabrina, Agnes, Candy, Maggie, Shannon, Holly, Fanni, Jenny and Anne have all been selected
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Virtual Summit of the Americas
How can the Travel Retail Industry begin to recover from the most complex crisis in history? These and many other questions will be covered at the upcoming Virtual Summit of the Americas from April 5-9, 2021.
Stars of 2020
Coverage from the Moodie Davitt Report: Stars of 2020: Heidi Van Roon’s retail heroines Spark hope amid the gloom of COVID-19: Continuing our Stars of 2020 series, we see how the brand ambassadors trained for airport retail by the SPARK Group of Companies and their leader have kept smiling behind the mask, in this most challenging of years.
Brands and Retail Theatre: A Bigger or Lesser Choice?
Watch the webinar hosted by Peter Marshall, TRUnblocked and our own Heidi Van Roon discuss airport and travel retail.
Adapting The Front Line Team for the Retail Revolution
The roles of all customer-facing staff have become more important than ever. Market shifts that once spanned a decade have happened in six short months. The retail industry, and particularly luxury travel retail is undergoing an unprecedented revolution and we are at the very beginning of it. It is a time for retailers and brands to adapt to every customer-facing function. With retailers restructuring, the onus will be on brands to ensure a people-positive experience for their customers.
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Purple Cow: Remarkable Brand Power
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Airport Update – August 2020
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August 2020 Travel Retail Market Update
It is a pleasure to bring you a collection of Canada and USA Travel Retail insights. As our precious industry deals with this unprecedented crisis, we hope the collection informs some of the recovery
June 2020 Travel Retail Market Update
Among the silver linings throughout this industry crisis is the proliferation of excellent publications, it is encouraging to see information sharing from the experts. While aviation has dropped to historically low levels, the industry pulse among passionate leaders continues strong and healthy.
Embracing The Challenge Against The Odds
Here we are, amid an industry crisis that is encountering unprecedented headwinds. In a few short months, the industry has experienced a setback that could not have been anticipated in degree and in kind. Metaphorically speaking, the headwinds are so strong, we need to pedal downhill just to stay on the bike and in the game. Physically, emotionally, socially, and professionally seemingly unsurmountable challenges loom large. Exhaustion, hunger, pain and delays will take their toll.
The Road to Recovery – Virtual Travel Retail Expo
Throughout the live 5-day Virtual Travel Retail Expo 2020, the Symposium Hall and Workshop Rooms will host industry dialogue around the theme ‘Road to Recovery’, exploring how the travel retail channel will (or should) look in the future. The powerful line-up of speakers includes our very own Heidi Van Roon.
Airport Update – June 2020
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How can we accelerate Travel Retail’s recovery?
The rebound of the travel retail industry will need to quickly embrace the increased customer expectation of a seamless, omnichannel experience where the customer determines how they interact with the brand.
SPARK Careers in Travel Retail Virtual Information Session
Travel Retail offers diverse and dynamic career paths in the duty-free areas of airport terminals, cruise ships and international border shops where global retailers and global brands depend on aspiring professionals. SPARK is committed to
Moodie Davitt Virtual Travel Retail Expo
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Airport Update – May 2020
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Post COVID-19: The Trinity Initiative
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Investments supporting the people's assets of an organization are the surest guarantee of continued innovation, creativity and newfound success.
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May 2020 Travel Retail Market Update
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March 2020 Travel Retail Market Update
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A Word from Our Founder and President
There’s one thing you need to know about me: I love sales and I love people. What motivates me—what motivates everybody at SPARK —is discovering how an exceptional sales organization can create win-win-win outcomes for staff, retailers, brands and customers.