ASIA PACIFIC: ETHOS FARM
Business Development. Founder of the ISPY Awards and
ISPY Academy, the appointment of Martin bolstered the learning and development sector of Ethos Farm, which offers staff engagement and training solutions to GTR.
An inspired appointment Alington tells TRBusiness: “Teaming up with Christine has been a joy. We have been able to put our heads together and really drive learning standards in the industry. That is the most important part.” The establishment of the
company’s Asia Pacific joint venture is a perfect complement to its thriving business in the Americas. This is not to mention its European
business in the UK in particular, where it recently partnered with global transit design and engineering firm Systra to secure the customer experience contract at London Luton Airport. Outlining Ethos Farm’s Americas
strategy, Alington comments: “Our strategy is to take all the amazing knowledge from the years of running Blackjack and Christine’s amazing years of running ISPY and look at how we can deliver amazing people and learning solutions in the Americas. “In terms of actual people
provision, we have started off with a focus on the North East. “Our Co-Founder of Ethos Farm
Americas, Lauren Walsh is based in New York so it made perfect sense to look at New York John F Kennedy (JFK) as a starting point.” At New York JFK, the company has
built an excellent pool of well-trained destination-focused ambassadors and promoters. Alington says: “We are working fantastically well with International Shoppers in Terminals one, five and eight and DFS in Terminal 4. “What has been so great is
that not only do we know about providing brilliant people, but we have also been able to build these brilliant learning and development solutions.” People are the differentiator,
emphasises Alington. “If you put people out there who are not well equipped to succeed you are fighting a losing battle.
OCTOBER 2019
“You will not only lose sales, but potentially create a really bad brand experience. You must have great people and great training.” In conversation with TRBusiness
Martin says the customer journey is often discussed but the staff journey is not spoken about. She also reiterates the value and
importance of engaged sales staff. “If they are not promoting your brands, products and services professionally from a point of knowledge, then it is not only a waste of time, but very costly. People who feel valued tend to add value.”
Focusing on the Americas Alington reveals Ethos Farm is to deploy staff at Newark International Airport in the coming months and also work with brands in the airport’s Dufry Group store. “The size and scale of the Americas
is enormous. When you look at the distances between certain locations, you wonder how brands can afford to hold face-to-face trainings, which are clearly a must-have. “It is hard to continuously arrange
the logistics and pay out for people to all come to a particular location. “Everything we do is to
supplement that to try and make really accessible solutions that help people learn and ensure people on the shop-floor create a really brilliant customer experience.” In addition to focusing on the
Americas (North East and the West Coast), the company is working on some interesting projects in terms of Ethics. Martin reveals how a conversation
with an industry friend around two years ago sparked plans to work
“If they are not promoting your brands, products and services professionally from a point of knowledge, then it is not only a waste of time, but very costly. People who feel valued tend to add value.”
Christine Martin, Director, Business Development, Ethos Farm
with a children’s charity and develop an awareness programme around child trafficking. This would then be pushed out to the duty free & travel retail industry. “My industry friend told us a
story of how a flight attendant on an American airline felt the relationship between an adult and a child did not seem right. “The flight attendant radioed
ahead and asked security to meet the aircraft on the ground. The gentleman was subsequently questioned and arrested at the airport and the child was saved from being trafficked.” Another focus for Ethos Farm is
hidden disability training. Martin explains: “Stansted Airport, for example, is doing amazing things with their hidden disability programme and we are working with several UK airports and airlines to drive awareness and enhance understanding. “Ultimately, everyone in
this industry has the chance to make a difference to everyone’s experience when they are travelling; this doesn’t stop throughout duty free and travel retail.” «
Ethos Farm’s roadmap to success. TRBUSINESS 87
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