About Red Retail Tours

There are already a series of general retail study tours avaliable to Australian retailers on an annual basis. Most notable amongst these are the tours hosted by the Australian Centre for Retail Studies (Monash University) and the Westfield Study Tour undertaken once per year. Both are long - up to 21 days - cover multiple destinations and cater for over 40 retailers per tour. They are general tours looking at all aspects of retail.

The Red Retail Tours are very different.

Designed as a way to imprint learning through a tailored experience, the Red Retail Tours are a series of three separate tours around three distinct themes. Each tour is 8 days in length, highly focussed on a specific topic and only available to a maximum of 28 retail professionals in the touring party. In addition, each tour aims to visit no more than two cities so that time is concentrated on immersive learning rather than traveling.

The Red Retail Tours are committed to delivering the highest quality, in-depth, experiential learning resource available anywhere in the world. Our aim is to provide pragmatic, implementable ideas, concepts, processes and methodologies to improve the productivity of retail businesses and the performance of individual retail professionals. Our tours are not about either a theoretical, intellectual framework nor a loose series of un-related visits. They are about improving the standard of retail through focussed learning from first hand experience of world's best practice.

The three specific tours are designed to be:

1. Managing Creativity & Brands in Retail - London & Paris - October 2006
2. Managing Sourcing & Supply Chain in Retail - Hong Kong & Shanghai - March 2007
3. Managing Profit Growth in Retail - San Francisco & New York - July 2007

Hosted by leading retail consultant and media commentator Peter James Ryan, the 8 day topic specific tours will provide in-depth learning on each of the subject areas. Detailed workbooks and notes will be provided to all attendees - written by Peter James Ryan and using the Red Communication Australia C.O.M.P.A.S.$ System ®.

In addition, all attendees (of any Red Retail Tour) will gain free access to the Red Retail Tour Alumni Network and a password protected website containing extensive libraries of photographs, video footage, workbooks, case studies and lesson notes. This resource will build over time into an invaluable source of data on world best practice retail learning.

*draft itinerary London & Paris - Oct 14-22

Managing Creativity & Brand in Retail

As the world of retail continues to sophisticate in the ever shrinking global marketplace, increasing importance is being placed on differentiation. Creativity in all aspects of the retail mix is a pre-requisite to continued retail performance. Brand is the new primary asset. Product innovation is the number one stimulation to buy. So what lessons are there to learn? Who does it best and how do they do it? What productivity gains can it generate?

This 8 day Red Retail Tour takes participants to London and Paris - two of the world’s leading centers of creativity and brand management.

Leading retailers and retail thinkers will discuss with us the theory and practice of this important aspect of retail management. We hear the talk, then walk the stores to see and experience first hand the reality of the delivery and make our own conclusions of what works, how it works, what it teaches us and how we can apply the learning.

*at April 2006Attendee cost

The full deposit of AUD$5,000 is payable by no later than June 12 2006 to secure your place.

If for any reason the tour is cancelled, a refund of all monies paid up to cancellation will be repaid in full.

No cancellation by attendees will be accepted after July 1 2006.

The balance of the total tour cost will be due and payable in full by no later than August 31 2006.

To secure your place/s please fill in the attached forms and return along with payment for AUD$5,000 per attendee made payable to Red Communication Australia.

Please note that the tour is strictly limited to 28 fare paying attendees only and is available on a first come first served basis.

Tour Cost per attendee - Virgin Atlantic Upper Class (Business Class)

AUD$18,200+GST plus travel insurance & expenses*

Tour Cost per attendee - Premium Economy Class

AUD$13,700+GST plus travel insurance & expenses*

*PLEASE NOTE: Tour costs are calculated in Australian dollars as of April 2006. They are subject to re-confirmation and/or adjustment closer to the date of departure. Red Communication Australia reserves the right to on-charge attendees for additional costs incurred by currency variation and alterations in airfares, hotel accommodation and transport cost variations demanded by third party operators.

What's included

1. Virgin Atlantic Airfares - Sydney/London return (choice of Premium Economy or Upper Class)
2. Eurostar Rail Travel (First Class) - London/Paris return
3. Single room bed & breakfast at Sanderson Hotel London (or equivalent)
4. Single room bed & breakfast at Hotel Bel-Ami Paris (or equivalent)
5. Ground transfers to presentations, airport/train station to/from hotel by luxury coach
6. Tour opening cocktails
7. Official tour dinner (alcohol at own expense)
8. Taxes as applicable to all inclusions
9. Workbooks & tour summary presentation
10. Official tour merchandise pack
11. Welcome kits in London & Paris
12. Membership to Red Retail Tours Alumni
13. Password protected access to Alumni website resource (including tour notes, video presentations, picture library)

All other expenses are at attendees discretion and cost. Entertainment and restaurant bookings can be made on attendees behalf with advance notice. Please note that travel insurance is mandatory and not included in price. A valid travel insurance policy document must be produced prior to departure or separate cover is available at an additional cost upon request.