The TFWA World Exhibition & Conference 2026 will take place in Cannes from September 27 to October 1, featuring confirmed participation from top global luxury brands Hermès, Chanel, Estée Lauder, Moët Hennessy, and Zegna. Additional exhibitors include returning and first-time participants such as Fauchon, Pierre Fabre, Crocs, and Molinari Italia.
Pre-Registered Delegates from Retailers, Airports, Airlines and Distributors
Senior executives including CEOs, heads of category, and buyers have pre-registered from major travel retailers like Avolta, Aer Rianta, China Duty Free Group, Dubai Duty Free, Duty Free Americas, and Lagardère Travel Retail. Airport delegates are registered from Fraport, Heathrow Airport, Changi Airport Group, and Istanbul Airport. Representatives from airlines,
cruise, and ferry companies have also confirmed attendance. High numbers of global and regional distributors are expected among the delegates, illustrating broad industry involvement.
Event Schedule and Venues at Palais des Festivals and Carlton Beach
The TFWA World Conference is set for Monday, September 28, from 09:00 to 11:45, featuring keynote presentations addressing major topics in duty free and travel retail. Workshops will take place in Auditorium Jean Mineur on Level 3 of Palais des Festivals on Tuesday, September 29 from 8:00 to 9:00 and 17:00 to 18:00, and Wednesday, September 30 from 10:00 to 11:00 and 15:00 to 16:00. The Opening Cocktail event begins Sunday, September 27 at 19:00 at
Carlton Beach, serving as the informal networking launch for the week.
TFWA Lounge Programming and Partner Contributions
The TFWA Lounge will host after-work sessions from Monday to Wednesday, 18:30 to 21:00. Late-night gatherings will run Monday and Tuesday from 22:00 to 01:00, with Wednesday extended to 02:00. Qatar Duty Free is the Main Partner of the Lounge, which also features contributions from Santa Margherita, Wonderful Pistachios, Pringles, Haribo, Liviko Crafter’s, Pernod Ricard Global Travel Retail’s Drink More Water campaign, Storck, and Seeberger, supporting the Lounge’s role as a networking hub.
Industry Outlook and TFWA President Statement
TFWA President Sarah Branquinho emphasized the event’s role in gathering the global duty free and travel
retail sectors. She noted significant early engagement from exhibitors and delegates despite recent industry challenges, reflecting the resilience of the sector and the importance of exchanging ideas and building partnerships. Branquinho highlighted the event’s focus on meaningful business and dialogue ahead of the week’s activities in Cannes.
