Cannes & TFWA World exhibition and Conference information board
Please note that this exclusive JES Travel Retail Consultancy page is an unaffliated independent service page providing advice and information connected to the 2024 Tax Free World Association World Exhibition and conference, the city of Cannes and surrounding area.
This page will be updated on a regular basis so please return to find out the latest advice, details of social events, conferences, restaurant tips and information on how to get the most of the show.
No liability/guarantee is accepted with regards to the information provided and whilst our organisation irst attended the show in 1998 all comments are provided purely from our personal/internal perspective.
Any organisations or locations that are sponsoring their inclusion this page are clearly annotated.
Any questions or sponsoring opportunties on this page can be emailed in confidence to info@jes-travelretail.com or via the contact form below and we will try and help where possible.
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The Tax Free World Association - www.TFWA.com - World Exhibition and Conference is due to be held in Cannes, France 29th September - 3rd Octber 2024 and will once again be the flagship exhibition for our industry. The show is a must for anyone involved in the global travel retail sector !
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A map of the exhibition area can be found here.
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Pre show
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29th Setpember 2024 : 09.00 hrs - 20.00 hrs - Registration Gare Maritime (to the right of the Palais / Casino so a 1 minute walk from the show location. This where you will collect your pre registration ticket but remember to bring ID and your pre registration documentation.
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Show opening times
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30th September : 12.00 hrs - 18.30 hrs
1st October : 09.00 hrs - 18.30 hrs
2nd October : 09.00 hrs - 18.30 hrs
3rd October : 09.00 hrs - 17. 00 hrs
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Google maps : Link for Cannes and the surrounding area here
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​​When does the pre show work begin ... Pre Registration will open shorty after which you should visit the TFWA website as a visitor here. Pre registration is highly recommended as whilst tickets can be purchased on site day - subject to travel retail related activities - rates are extremely high compared to the pre registration levels.
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 - note that this can take a few weeks and evidence of travel retail involvement is required so we recommend you begin the process as soon as registration opens.. Any issues you can contact the TFWA organisation via the following email addresses : visitors@tfwa.com or registration@tfwa.com .
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Note : TFWA is a French registered company and therefore under French tax law all invoices will include French VAT for tickets (10%). 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.
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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.
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Are there discounts for travelling to the show ... TFWA normally negotiate discounts including with Air France, KLM, the details of which we will share when the information is made public.
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The TFWA website also has additional information about travelling options including the TFWA partner for helicopter transfers Azur Hélicoptère.
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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.
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The details for the shuttle services including returning to Nice airport will be published nearer the time including a detailed list of drop off and pick up points.
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If you are not able to use the TFWA shuttle service then there are regular bus options (Bus 81 fromerly referred to as Express Bus 210) leaves from terminal 1 in the high season and which runs every 45 minutes with the journey taking 45 minutes. Single fares are Euro 19,00 (valid April 2024).
Tickets can be purchased online niceairportexpress.com, at the airport or directly from the driver.
Ticket windows are opened daily 08:00-19:30 at terminal 1 (bus station Exit A0) & terminal 2 (between Exits A2/A3).
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A download of the Bus 81 information sheet here .
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Click here to visit the Nice fancile website page regarding the bus options.
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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.
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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 tram from T1 or T2. This line will run up to three trains per hour and the journey only takes 22 minutes!
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Here is a link from Nice airport : Click here
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Taxis from the centre of Cannes to Nice and vice versa cost approximately Euro 90 each way with Uber costing approximately Euro 75,00 (2023 rates).
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Uber rates can be cheaper than traditional taxis with current April 2024 rates quited at approximately Euro 50,00 although advisable to check nearer the time.
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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 28,00 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.
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TFWA have previously had official partners for hotel accommodation and we will be confirming that this remains valid for 2024 in the next weeks :
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​​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.
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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 can be found nearer the time on this information page or www.tfwa.com.
Planning meetings .... We are are now 5 months from the show and so whilst it is too early to start booking meetings, and most people will not be planning their meetings yet, we advse to begin scheduling meetings from the end of June. 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 at the latest.
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 here and we will be happy to cross reference any suspicious contacts against our extensive travel retail contact network, free of charge.
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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 previously run a web page dedicated to the subject - we will be providing a link in the next weeks.
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​Additional highlights ... up to the time of the show we will be providing details of any special events. If your organisation wishes to promote an event then please contact is at info@jes-travelretail.com.
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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 followed by the hugely popular "TFWA Lounge" located on the beach if front of the Carlton hotel - it is highly recommended !
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More details on the TFWA Lounge to follow.​
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​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.
Other events will feature on this page nearer the time. ​
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Gala events ... There are 2 gala events during the exhibition week - 1st October 2024 - and these are TRBusiness awards at the Hôtel Martinez and the DFNI Frontier awards at the Carlton. Both the gala events will be highlighting the organisation's 2023 travel retail awards. Both events are superb networking opportunities and for those interested in attending it is recommended to purchase tickets early. More details on the related awards, tickets and venues below :
Note : Both gala events are on the 1st October unlike previous years​
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TRB Awards : Click here
Frontier awards : Click here
The organisers of gala events may be registered as a French company 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 Finanzamt's Elster portal.
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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 40,00 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.
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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 :
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Monte Carlo, naturally this home to the rich and famous is worth a visit as is a trying your luck in the famous casinos.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Learn more about Cannes here
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We hope that this was informative and we look forward to providing you with more details on the show over the coming months !
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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 2023 another fantastic TFWA World Exhibition and Conference.
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Many thanks to the TR Go for Gold Awards for supporting this page, for more details visit www.trgoforgoldawards.com.
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Have you visited our connected website JES Travel Retail Jobs recently, the site is the only travel retail exclusive website that is dedicated purely for roles within travel retail and offers a wide variety of roles across 13 travel retail job board, visit JES Travel Retail Jobs
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