The TFWA World Exhibition & Conference 2026 set a new attendance record for the second year in a row, drawing 8,011 visitors from 185 countries to Cannes from September 27 to October 1, 2026. The event featured 482 exhibiting companies across 26,266 square meters of exhibition space, with 54 companies exhibiting in Cannes for the first time.
Visitors came from across the globe with the majority, 56%, representing Europe. Asia-Oceania accounted for 17% of attendees, followed by the Middle East at 12%, the Americas at 11%, and Africa comprising 4%. Duty-free and travel retail operators, agents, and distributors made up
65% of the visitor profile.
Business engagement was significant, with nearly 2,000 meetings facilitated through the ONE2ONE service between exhibitors and industry professionals. Pernod Ricard Americas General Manager Greg Ford emphasized the event’s role in strengthening business relationships and creating new opportunities, citing the quality of meetings as encouraging for future priorities.
The opening TFWA World Conference attracted 1,517 attendees and included a State of the Industry presentation by TFWA President Sarah Branquinho. Four workshops held during the event drew 278 participants in total. TFWA Managing Director Charlène Tourneaux moderated sessions and highlighted the valuable insights and engagement during the
workshops.
Start-Up Day, supported by Mondelēz, featured 10 emerging companies spotlighting innovation within the travel retail sector. Levita Magic’s Sales Director Stéphanie Hourlay described the event as a positive experience, noting it offered opportunities to share their vision and connect with the community.
TFWA announced its newly elected Management Committee and Board for the 2026-2028 term, representing 40 companies within the travel retail industry. Leadership roles include Jean-Pierre Bombet (Spa Development / Be Relax) as Vice-President Finance, Priscilla Haibe de Walque (Payot) as Vice-President Corporate, Irene Giatra (Estée Lauder Companies) as Vice-President Commercial, Alessio Crivelli (EssilorLuxottica) as Vice-President Marketing, and
Sam Gerber (WorldConnect) as Vice-President Conference & Research.
Networking events drew strong participation, with the Opening Cocktail on Carlton Beach hosting over 3,000 guests and the TFWA Lounge attracting more than 2,700 visitors on the final evening. Newly elected Vice-President Commercial Irene Giatra noted the importance of these informal settings for fostering relationships and generating new ideas within an industry built on connections.
Social impact initiatives included the fourth edition of the ‘Yes We Cannes!’ Handisport event, organized with Stade Toulousain Handisport and m1nd-set, promoting inclusion via adaptive sports. Additionally, the #KickCancerThon challenge raised €15,022 for cancer research at The
Royal Marsden Hospital, logging 1,502 kilometers cycled by delegates on stationary bikes outside the Palais des Festivals.
On September 28, 2026, TFWA renewed its partnership with SEMEC, securing Cannes as the venue for the Exhibition & Conference for at least three more years starting in 2027. The next TFWA World Exhibition & Conference is scheduled for October 3-7, 2027.
TFWA President Sarah Branquinho underscored the event’s sustained relevance with a new record attendance, and stressed the need for collaboration and innovation to convert travel growth into sustainable travel retail development in the coming years.
