TFWA CANNES PREVIEW: WHAT TO EXPECT The future is bright… if we can protect it


In the 34th year of the TFWA World Exhibition & Conference, prospects for the duty free & travel retail industry have ‘rarely seemed brighter’, says the trade association. Charlotte Turner provides this useful guide and comprehensive run down of what delegates can expect at this October’s event in Cannes.


F


ollowing last year’s TFWA World Exhibition and Conference, TFWA President Erik Juul-


Mortensen said he believed this industry had ‘everything to hope for’ if it could capitalise on advancements in digital technology and address numerous challenges both internally and externally . “A thriving global tourism


industry, allied to investment in aviation infrastructure, has driven passenger traffic all over the world,” says the organisation. “And the quality of duty free stores – whether at airports, onboard ferries and cruiselines or downtown – has never been higher. “[However] the geopolitical


balance in key regions is fragile, as is consumer confidence in some important markets. Excessive regulation is a constant menace and our industry must keep pace with a consumer that is ever more demanding, with expectations shaped by the seamless retail experience they enjoy online and on mobile.” The 2018 TFWA World Conference,


which will take place on 1 October just prior to the opening of the exhibition, promises to address these very issues. As is customary, the conference


will be opened by TFWA President Erik Juul-Mortensen, with his annual State of the Industry address. As reported by TRBusiness, Juul- Mortensen will stand down as


President after almost 19 years, when his term expires in mid-December. [An exclusive interview with Juul- Mortensen will appear in the October issue of TRBusiness]. “In what will be his final address to


the industry in Cannes, he will take a look back at how far our industry has come since its humble beginnings, and look ahead at the progress it must make in order to fulfil its potential,” says the TFWA. In a departure from the normal


speaker line-up, a panel of senior retail executives including Dufry CEO Julián Díaz, Lagardère Travel Retail CEO Dag Rasmussen and King Power International Senior Executive Vice President Susan Whelan will further debate the issues that the duty free & travel retail industry


TFWA Cannes 2017 in numbers


• There were 302 pre-arranged meetings arranged via the ONE2ONE service, an increase of +38% from the previous year. For the TFWA Digital Village, 163 pre-arranged meetings were planned. • Last year, over 6,800 visitors


SEPTEMBER 2018


attended the TFWA World Exhibition & Conference, an increase of +6% from the previous year. • The exhibition occupied a total of 22,607sq m, with 514 exhibiting companies across 490 stands and 16 official boats in the Harbour Village.


must address if it is to prosper. “The panel will explore how our


industry can and must adapt to a rapidly changing retail environment, addressing issues


including


digitalisation, the product offer and the business model,” says TFWA. In the second part of the


conference, the audience will hear from former Secretary General of NATO, Anders Fogh Rasmussen and


“Excessive regulation is a constant menace and our industry must keep pace with a consumer that is ever more demanding, with expectations shaped by the seamless retail experience they enjoy online and on mobile.”


TFWA


Above: Last year’s exhibition marked the 70th anniversary of the duty free industry. Source: TFWA/ Nathalie Oundjian.


Source: TFWA/ Nathalie Oundjian


TRBUSINESS 27


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78