“A massive blue ocean opportunity” – Opula aims to bridge gap between lounges & brand experiences
by Mark Lane | 25 May 2026 | mark@moodiedavittreport.com
Opula Founder & CEO Craig Santy says today’s premium travellers spend more time in lounges and connected environments, yet many never meaningfully engage with airport retail and brand experiences. Opula is on a mission to bridge that gap.
USA. American businessman and entrepreneur Craig Santy has launched Opula, an enterprise which aims to transform passive airport passenger dwell time into moments of discovery, interaction and connected commerce across lounges, travel retail, hospitality and premium transportation environments.
Described as an intelligent commerce layer for the premium travel ecosystem, Opula connects premium content, traveller engagement and commerce through a closed-loop platform.
Announcing the launch on LinkedIn, Santy said, “After decades working across branded entertainment, media, technology and measurable commerce, collaborating with global brands, studios, agencies, retailers and celebrity talent, I’m incredibly excited to finally introduce something I’ve been developing and refining for many years: Opula.
“What began as a vision around the future of content, commerce and customer engagement has evolved into what we believe is a massive blue ocean opportunity within the premium travel and travel retail ecosystem.
“The time is now, user behaviour, technological innovation and industry infrastructure are all aligned.
“Most importantly, we now have the right team. A diverse group of experienced leaders across travel retail, lounges, media, technology, branding, production and luxury consumer engagement, all working toward building something designed to create meaningful value for both travellers and the industry itself.”
Santy said today’s premium travellers spend more time in lounges and connected environments, yet many never meaningfully engage with airport retail and brand experiences. Opula has been built to
help bridge that gap.
In related news, Opula has named renowned airport food & beverage design specialist Jo Pennycuick as a Founding Member and Chief Strategy & Growth Officer.
Jo Pennycuick brings more than 25 years’ international experience to Opula, spanning aviation, retail and commercial sectors. The New Zealander has delivered more than 3,500 projects globally while building strategic partnerships and commercial opportunities across the UK, Europe, EEMEA and Asia Pacific.
Her previous roles include Group Head of Store Design and Formats at travel restaurateur SSP Group in London between 2023 and 2025. Her wider career includes founding and leading consultancy and design businesses in both the UK and her native New Zealand.
At Opula, Pennycuick will focus on supporting the growth and global rollout of the business within the aviation lounge and travel sectors, drawing on her expertise in value creation, strategic development, operational delivery and industry connectivity.
Pennycuick said: “After several months of liaison, I am thrilled to officially share my association with Opula.
“Those who know me know that throughout my career I have been driven by building meaningful relationships and connecting people in ways that create stronger businesses, better experiences and lasting commercial outcomes.
“Joining Opula feels like a natural evolution of that work and I am incredibly excited to be working with Craig and the executive team as we bring this vision to life.
“This opportunity brings together many of the areas I have focused on over nearly three decades: business strategy, leadership, customer experience, growth, mentoring and partnership development.
“Combining these aspects enables us to rethink how travellers engage within airport environments and unlock new opportunities across the passenger journey.
“Opula’s ambition is to challenge traditional airport models by creating stronger connections between lounge and retail, delivering better experiences for travellers while creating measurable value for airports, operators and brands.”
Pennycuick added that she will continue to lead Redesign Group UK alongside her new role, supporting the deployment of Opula initiatives into airports globally.