The TFWA World Exhibition & Conference 2026 took place in Cannes, France, from September 27 to October 1, attracting 8,011 visitors representing 185 countries. Duty-free and travel retail operators, agents, and distributors accounted for 65% of attendees. Visitors came from Europe (56%), Asia-Oceania (17%), Middle East (12%), Americas (11%), and Africa (4%).
Exhibition and Business Meetings
The event featured 482 exhibiting companies occupying 26,266 square meters of exhibition space, with 54 companies participating for the first time at Cannes. The ONE2ONE meeting platform facilitated nearly 2,000 meetings between exhibitors and industry professionals over the course of the week.
Conference Program and Start-Up Day
The opening session of the TFWA
World Conference recorded 1,517 attendees. Four workshops combined attracted 278 delegates, moderated by TFWA Managing Director Charlène Tourneaux. The Start-Up Day, supported by Mondelēz, showcased 10 emerging businesses. Stéphanie Hourlay, Sales Director at Levita Magic, praised the experience and encouraging conversations at the event.
Leadership Elections and Networking Events
TFWA elected a new Management Committee on September 30 and appointed a new Board on October 1 to serve for the 2026–2028 term. Key board members include Jean-Pierre Bombet (Vice-President Finance), Priscilla Haibe de Walque (Vice-President Corporate), Irene Giatra (Vice-President Commercial), Alessio Crivelli (Vice-President Marketing), and Sam Gerber (Vice-President Conference & Research). Irene Giatra emphasized the
importance of informal networking for generating new ideas and partnerships.
Networking activities saw over 3,000 guests attend the Opening Cocktail at Carlton Beach. The TFWA Lounge attracted more than 2,700 visitors on its final evening, with Qatar Duty Free as the main partner and sponsors including Haribo, Heineken, Lakrids by Bülow, Liviko Crafter’s, Pernod Ricard Global Travel Retail, Pringles, Santa Margherita, Seeberger, Storck, Walker’s Shortbread, and Wonderful Pistachios.
Social Initiatives and Future Plans
The fourth edition of ‘Yes We Cannes!’ Handisport, organized with Stade Toulousain Handisport and m1nd-set, promoted inclusion through adaptive sports. The #KickCancerThon cycling event, launched by The Moodie Davitt Report, achieved a
collective 1,502 kilometers cycled, resulting in a €15,022 donation by TFWA to The Royal Marsden Hospital for cancer research.
TFWA renewed its partnership agreement with SEMEC on September 28, securing Cannes as the venue for the next three editions starting 2027. The next TFWA World Exhibition & Conference is scheduled for October 3-7, 2027, in Cannes.
