FRANCE. Attendance at the TFWA World Exhibition in Cannes had already passed 2018’s total attendance 24 hours before the end of the show, the organisers said.
As of midday on Thursday (3 October), 7,215 delegates had visited the show, a +3.2% increase compared to the same time in 2018 and a figure already higher than the total number of visitors that year.
Of the delegates, 2,183 were from duty free and travel retail operators, a figure flat compared to the 2,182 in 2018, and 610 operator companies were represented. Meanwhile, 205 attendees were landlords, a -8% drop on the 224 seen in 2018.
The TFWA World Conference, which took place on Monday, was the best attended yet, the association said, with 2,003 people attending. The Innovation in Action Workshop on Tuesday had 325 attendees (+5% on the equivalent Digital Focus Workshop in 2018) and 246 (+1%) attended Wednesday’s Inflight Focus Workshop.
Commenting on the show, TFWA President Alain Maingreaud said: “The mood was very positive and we could feel a lot of energy, optimism and dynamism in the participants.”
The first TFWA Innovation Lab had 2,196 visitors, as of midday on Thursday, a number substantially higher than the 1,522 that attended the Digital Village in 2018. Maingreaud said the decision to move the Innovation Lab from the Gare Maritime to a location in the same complex as the Exhibition had been well received.
The Opening Cocktail was this year at the new location of Port Canto, in part because of building work taking place on the Cannes seafront. This allowed more people to attend what was a larger venue and 2,273 (+37%) went to the event. Maingreaud confirmed that the building work on the seafront will be completed by next year’s event and that the association is yet to decide on whether to return to Carlton Beach for the 2020 Opening Cocktail.
Looking ahead to next year, the TFWA has confirmed that the 2020 TFWA World Exhibition & Conference will take place from 27 September until 2 October.
