Left to right: Nick Webb, head of luxury, fashion and media; Chris Annetts, retail and service proposition director; and Martin Gibney, retail and commercial manager
London Heathrow Airport has won two titles at this year’s Frontier awards including Airport Operator of the Year and Marketing Campaign of the Year.
The Frontier awards are dedicated to recognizing innovation and excellence within the travel retail industry and were held as part of the Tax Free World Association (TFWA) Exhibition and Conference in Cannes, France.
The Marketing Campaign of the Year honor was awarded to the airport for Heathrow’s Pimms and Croquet promotion during summer 2015, where passengers had the opportunity for a game of Pimms-themed croquet during their journey through the airport. The campaign was also given cross-channel marketing support and key restaurants added Pimms-inspired dishes to their menu giving dining passengers the opportunity to experience the best of the classic British beverage. Heathrow fought off competition from Incheon International Airport in South Korea and Budapest Airport in Hungary to win the category.
The Airport Operator of the Year award recognized London Heathrow’s £18m (US$m) investment in retail spaces over the past two years. The introduction of a Louis Vuitton store in Terminal 5 (T5), one of only two locations in the world, was highlighted by the airport. To compliment this, the opening of Fortnum & Mason’s first ever standalone champagne bar was also developed to create a quintessentially British sense of place at the airport. Heathrow beat Helsinki Airport in Finland and Nice Cote d’Azur Airport in France to the award.
Chris Annetts, retail and service proposition director, Heathrow Airport, said, “Over the last two years we have worked incredibly hard to ensure Heathrow’s retail experience excites our passengers and enhances their journey through the airport. We are really pleased that this work has been recognized not only by our colleagues in the industry but also by our customers.”
