TFWA world exhibition and conference information board
The Tax Free World Association (www.TFWA.com) World Exhibition and Conference due to be held in Cannes, France 2nd - 6th October 2022 will, once again, be the flagship exhibition for our industry. The show is must for anyone involved in the global travel retail sector !
Show opening times
3rd October : 12.00 hrs - 18.30 hrs
4th October : 09.00 hrs - 18.30 hrs
5th October : 09.00 hrs - 18.30 hrs
6th October : 09.00 hrs - 17.00 hrs
Google maps : Link for Cannes and the surrounding area
Over the next 3 months we will be providing free independent / unaffliated advice via our team of TFWA show veterans who have attended a combination of 70+ shows in Cannes over various roles.
Direct questions that are not answered on this page can be emailed in confidence to info@jes-travelretail.com or via the contact form below.
This page will be updated on a regular basis so please return to find out the latest nugget of advice, details of social events, conferences, restaurant tips and information on how to get the most of the show.
Watch the official TFWA World Exhibition and conference video below, courtesy of the TFWA YouTube channel : Click here to subscribe.
When does the pre show work begin ... Pre Registration is now open, click here,
If you are a first time attendee then you will need to contact TFWA to register an account after which you will be able to register for tickets. Any issues you can contact the TFWA organisation via the following email addresses : visitors@tfwa.com or registration@tfwa.com .
Note : TFWA is a French registered company and therefore under French tax law all invoices will include French VAT for tickets (10%) ... prices shown online, namely Euro 198,00 for pre registration include the 10% VAT fee. We can unfortunately not advise on local VAT reimbursement procedures however in our home country of German we can confirm that reimbursement is possible via the Elster portal.
Where is Cannes ... Google maps link for Cannes and the surrounding area
What can we do now ... we recommend you book accommodation as quickly as possible and sites like www.booking.com are useful as they still have a number of hotels and private rentals that offer free cancellation up to 30 days before the show.
Are there discounts for travelling to the show ... TFWA have negotiated with Air France, KLM and their code sharing flight discounts of up to 15%. with details shown on the TFWA website :
Event ID: 38581AF
Link : Click here
Period: 25/09/2022 - 13/10/2022
Event : NICE
The TFWA website also has additional information about travelling options including the TFWA partner for helicopter transfers Azur Hélicoptère.
Where is Cannes airport ... nowhere, Cannes doesn't have an airport so you will need to fly into Nice. The TFWA provide on the days prior to the show beginning and the Monday in addition to the final day a free shuttle bus service for show ticket holders which departs from Nice airport and stops at all the major hotels plus the Palais des Festivals. The multilingual TFWA staff are located in the arrivals hall, land side terminal areas and in the outside areas so they are easy to find.
The details for the shuttle services including returning to Nice airport are as follows :
1st October : Airport transfer only to the Palais des Festivals in Cannes
Depart every hour at the hour from 12.00 to 20.00 for Terminals 1 & 2
2nd - 3rd October : Each Airport Terminal Sunday from 08:00 to 20:00, Monday 08:00 to 19:00 last departure from the airport Terminal 1 & Terminal 2
Shuttle service departs every 30 minutes to Cannes from 12.00 to 20.00 for Terminals 1 & 2
6th October : From the Palais des Festivals (Pantiero) to Nice airport every hour, from 15:00 to 20:00
7th October : From the Palais des Festivals (Pantiero): every hour, from 07:00 to 12:00
A detailed list of drop off and pick up points is available here.
If you are not able to use the TFWA shuttle service then there are regular bus options (Express bus 210 from terminal 1 in the high season) and which runs twice an hour between 08:00 - 20:00 with the journey time approximately 50 minutes. We will be making timetables available via this page over the next weeks.
Helicopter and limousine options are also available for those who want that little extra luxury.
Suntransfers give online quotations for private transfers without initially having to give personal details or flight details.
There is now a Nice Saint-Augustin railway station with a link to from Nice Airport and Cannes. You have a short 10 minutes walk from T1, or catch a free tram from T1 or T2. This line will run up to three trains per hour and the journey only takes 22 minutes!
Here is a link fron Nice airport : Click here
Where should we stay ... a classic mistake is to misjudge the length of the famous Bouvelard de La Croisette (Croisette) along the sea front as whilst the walk is scenic take into account that temperatures will be high even at the beginning of October, you will be wearing trade fair clothes and more than likely be loaded down with samples and catalogues. A walk along the Croisette in the morning is nice, returning after the show to get changed is tiring, walking back to have dinner/drinks is hard work and the the walk back again to sleep is foot based torture.
When looking at accommodation outside of Cannes take into account taxi fares as 4 trips a day will, over the course of the show, be considerable.
Best locations are the old town, Bd. Carnot or the streets parallel to the Croisette although if arriving by car take into account that parking options in Cannes are very limited within walking distance of these area although if you can find parking then rates are "standard" for such a location at approximately Euro 24,00 per day.
For those looking at attending with a larger number of staff there are options to rent out villas in the surrounding area and these not only prove to be more cost effective but also gives staff a superb opportunity to enjoy the down time in amazing surroundings.
TFWA have an official partner for hotel accommodation :
bnetwork – official housing bureau
1 rue raphaël / 06400 Cannes / France
Tel. +33 493 687 600
hotel.tfwa@bnetwork.com
Project Manager
Valérie Spano
valerie.spano@bnetwork.com
Director
Abdelkrim Rguib
abdelkrim.rguib@bnetwork.com
How many staff should we bring .... the million dollar question but here we can assist with staff from our partner programme. Our regional offices offer a number of representatives for your booth including English, German, Spanish, Dutch, Hindi and French native speakers. Rates are available at info@jes-travelretail.com with agreements beginning at 1 day subject to availability.
Apartment shows , good or bad idea ? ... Yes on paper the costs are less than exhibiting and the apartment can also sleep members of staff but we can simply say that excluding very rare occasions apartment shows simply do not work. The reasons why apartment shows are not advisable are in principle weather related :
Nice weather : Clients and prospects dont want to walk to your apartment and stay in the vicinity of the Palais where they can enjoy walking the harbour and probably are enjoying an extended lunch.
Bad weather : Clients and prospects will not want to walk to your apartment and get soaked
Additionally apartment shows exclude all "walk by" business which at the show is a huge source of networking and unscheduled business opportunities.
We fully appreciate that if you dont have a booth then an apartment as a booth in lieu seems like a workable alternative but spend the budget more effectively with a table reserved at one of the cafes nearby where you can hold meetings and clients are by far more likely to turn up.
Is it just a trade show ? ... No the week is a combination of a classic trade fair format but also conferences held by the TFWA office, details are as follows although look at the www.tfwa.com website for more details on the impressive array of speakers :
Mon. 3rd October 09.00 - 11.45 hrs : TFWA World conference - click here
Tues. 4th October 12.30 - 14.00 hrs : TFWA Airport Forum - click here
Speakers and moderators
(Image source : TFWA.com)
To learn more about each of the speakers and moderators click here (bottom of the page) and select the image.
Planning meetings .... We are are now 3 months from the show and it is now that contacts should be informed of your attendance with meeting scheduling taking place 8 - 4 weeks before the show. Meetings planned 4 weeks before the show will be possible but with limited success with key players having meeting calendars nearly fully booked by the beginning of September this year.
Meeting red flags ... beware of the unknown contact that requests a meeting and do your background checks to find if the person/organisation have a genuine interest in travel retail - TFWA have a superb registration that "weeds out" those not genuine visitors but unfortunately some get through the filter. There are always cases of unscrupulous people that request meetings during the show so that they can justify in their company travelling to Cannes based on a calendar full of meetings ... they simply don't turn up on your booth and enjoy a week in the south of France. These "contacts" block valuable windows in your schedule that can be used for more productive contacts.
A simple Linkedin "similar contacts" check can highlight those people that are not genuinely active in our sector ... contact us and we will be happy to cross reference any suspicious contacts against our extensive travel retail contact network.
Service provider red flags .... as with any major international trade fair they are a number of service providers (rental accommodation, logistics, warehousing in Cannes, demonstrators etc. etc.) that claim to be TFWA show experts or TFWA authorised and whilst there are many that are there are also many that are not. We would always recommend checking credentials of service providers and if in doubt contact the TFWA offices to check whether claims of affiliation are genuine.
As a sign of the importance that the organisers place on caution TFWA have a web page dedicated to the subject - click here.
Update 5th August 2022 : TFWA have issued a new statement regarding fraudulent claims by companies that they are connected to the association : Click here to visit the TFWA website.
We strongly recommend that all claims of affliation are checked before commiting to any services or making payments and if in doubt contact TFWA directly at https://www.tfwa.com/contact
What are the COVID rules and restrictions ... The TFWA website (www.tfwa.com) have a superb overview of the rules and therefore we strongly recommend you visit the website : Click here for the link.
Visitors though can be confident that all measures are taken to ensure that the exhibition and conference will actively enforce COVID measures with the Palais GBAC Star Facility registered and a 24 hour medical concierge service (more details at the TFWA website). JES Travel Retail attended the show in 2021 are can confirm that visitors have no reason for concern with both TFWA and the Palais taking every precaution.
Update : The COVID restrictions for France have changed with effect from 1st August 2022 ... you can read the latest release from TFWA at the link here.
"Go green in Cannes" ... This is a campaign promoting the responsible recycling of materials during the show ... download the flyer by TFWA here.
Additional highlights ... Courtesy of the TFWA Linkedin page we have the following information :
"Spanish airport network Aena will present its strategy around the tender of its duty free business for 26 international airports covering more than 80 shops.
This will be the largest duty free tender in the world and will bring together travel retailers, duty free brands and sector specialists from around the globe. The event will take place on Tuesday 4th October at 18:00 in the Hi5 Studio, level 5 of the Palais des Festivals. This invitation only event will last for one hour and will be followed by a champagne cocktail.
If you would like more information about the event, please contact aenaevent@alvarezandmarsal.com, María José Cuenda Chamorro, Managing Director Commercial and Real Estate, AENA Aeropuertos SA.
All work and no play ... Certainly not and the TFWA social/networking is as legendary as the show itself whether its the iconic Camel club back in the 90s to the more recent Scene. This year the Scene has been re-named to the "TFWA Lounge" ... watch the video below ...
The TFWA Lounge entry will be included in the ticket price which gives an approximate discount of approximately 20% to previous years. In former years tickets for the Scene could be bought at the venue - although a significantly higher price than when pre booked - so it is unsure whether TFWA Lounge tickets will be able to be bought at the new location.
There are also a number of bars and clubs that the trade show visitors frequent with the Irish bar Morrison's (10 Rue Teisseire, 06400 Cannes) being extremely popular with its 2 bars and outside drinking area.
The TFWA Lounge is sponsored by Qatar Duty Free and all sponsors of the Lounge: Mondelēz International, Santa Margherita Gruppo Vinicolo, The HEINEKEN Company, Duty Free Global Ltd, Quintessential Brands Group, Perfetti Van Melle, Bonne Maman ANDROS and Brown-Forman.
The TFWA Lounge will be open from 18:30 to 21:00 and from 23:00 to 02:00 Monday to Wednesday throughout the TFWA World Exhibition & Conference
If the networking was in any doubt with regards to delegates attending this recent 30th August 2022 poll carried out by TFWA highlights the importance that networking has for those attending the show.
(Image source : TFWA.com / Linkedin)
Gala events ... There are 2 gala events during the exhibition week and these are TRBusiness on the 3rd October 2022 at the Hotel Barrière Le Majestic and on the 5th October the DFNI Frontier awards will be held at the Hotel Martinez. Both the gala events will be highlighting the organisation's 2022 travel retail awards. Both events are superb networking opportunities and for those interested in attending it is recommended to purchase tickets early - Frontier tickets begin at £ 285,00 + VAT for single tickets with half and full table discounts available with no details currently available regarding TRBusiness tickets.
Links :
https://frontierawards.dfnievents.com/frontierawards2022/en/page/2022-homepage
Note : The organisers of the Frontier gala event - Emap - have registered a French company for the gala and therefore under French tax law all invoices will include French VAT (20%). We can unfortunately not advise on local VAT reimbursement procedures however in our home country of German we can confirm that reimbursement is possible via the Elster portal.
View the Frontier finalists here ... congratulations to our clients Brennerei Schraml, ERC Sun Spirits, Love Cocoa and VSPT Wine Group on reaching the finals !
Cafes and restaurants ... the list of cafes and restaurants around Cannes is as you can imagine extensive but for a coffee and excellent networking potential Cafe Roma opposite the Palais is always a good starting point - not the cheapest by far but worth the investment. As with any major town the restaurants are not cheap although with some shopping around you can find menu offers - Euro 30,00 for 3 courses last year was possible - although for any of the restaurants close to the Palais it is recommended to book in advance. We noticed in recent years a new trend of sitting at a table in Cafe Roma with a signing saying for example "Distributor looking for new brands" ... we strongly advise against such blatant marketing in the same way that we advise against approaching red badge holders (indicating a buyer) when they are outside of the halls.
Visiting outside of Cannes ... The south of France is a stunning coast line and there are a number of places that we recommend visiting if you have time before or after the show, here are just a few that we know of :
Monte Carlo, naturally this home to the rich and famous is worth a visit as is a trying your luck in the famous casinos.
Antibes, offers old town enclosed by 16th-century ramparts with the star-shaped Fort Carré that overlooks luxury yachts moored at the Port Vauban marina. The forested Cap d’Antibes peninsula, dotted with grand villas, separates Antibes from Juan-les-Pins and is a stunning drive into the city.
Gasse, the home of perfume and featured in the novel Perfume by Patrick Suskind's the town is worth visiting and we highly recommend the museum (image below) in the old town where you can view the history of perfume.
Nice, where you probably have flown into, was founded by the Greeks and later a retreat for 19th-century European elite with the city having a long tradition of attracting artists. The harbour of Nice is worth a visit as is the nearby market area.
Saint Tropez, if you have any money left after Monte Carlo then visit St Tropez to continue watching the rich and famous, the cafes around St. Tropez provide superb "people watching" potential.
Saint Jean Cap Ferrat is lesser known but equally exclusive as Monte Carlo having in 2012 been named the second most expensive residential location in the world after its more famous neighbour. We can highly recommend the harbour area and path along the coast.
JES Travel Retail are proud to be supporting VSPT Wine Group (green village / H58) during the show.
JES Travel Retail receives no financial payment for recommendations within this page unless clearly shown within the text. Whilst every effort is made to provide accurate information with changing circumstances in the travel retail sector and aspects surrounding the city of Cannes no guarantee is given to the information provided.
Do you have any tips for the show that you would like us to share with the wider travel retail sector, then contact us and help us make the 2022 another fantastic TFWA World Exhibition and Conference.
