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Juul-Mortensen opens 37th TFWA World Exhibition & Conference

03 October 2022 By Jessica Mason

The global travel retail sector was welcomed to Carlton Beach Club in Cannes last night ahead of the TFWA World Exhibition & Conference.

The event, which was pouring Laurent Perrier Champagne for attendees alongside a host of other brands and saw main sponsor Qatar Duty Free support it, took up residence at sunset on the beach and welcomed old friends and newcomers to the GTR location.

This morning, TFWA president Erik Juul-Mortensen offered visitors “a very warm welcome to the 37th TFWA World Exhibition & Conference” in what he pointed out was “the second since our Covid-enforced break in 2020”.

Juul-Mortensen said: “With duty free & travel retail getting back up to speed, you will find this year’s edition closer in scale to our pre-pandemic Cannes events” and added: “I hope you were able to enjoy last night’s Get Together at the Carlton Beach” and encouraged guests to “take advantage of the After-Work and Night-Time sessions at the TFWA Lounge in the same location” as a means of networking.

Juul-Mortensen explained: “As you will see when the exhibition doors open at midday, exhibitor numbers are getting back towards their historic norms. TFWA i.lab, our showcase for innovation, is back this year, too. And we have a full conference and workshop programme for you this morning and throughout the week.”

He said: “Let me say how good it is to see so many of you here for this year’s event – which coincides, incidentally, with the 75th anniversary of the first airport duty free store, in Shannon Airport in 1947” and added: “business is improving, but both travel and duty free and travel retail still face significant challenges” hinting that those at the TFWA were “truly grateful for the effort” all attendees have made in showing up to support the industry this week.

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