Cannes Confidential
With just over three months to go, how would you assess the state of preparations for TFWA World Exhibition 2011?
The cycle of preparations for TFWA World Exhibition starts almost as soon as the previous exhibition has ended so even though the rescheduling to September has entailed extra work, I believe both TFWA and our partners are well-advanced with the planning. We have confirmed keynote speakers, the star attraction at the Le Premium Evening and most of the details of the exhibition. Pre-registration is already open and the majority of the exhibitors have confirmed their stands.
In general, how have exhibitors responded to the revised timeframe for this year’s event? And
what steps has TFWA taken to make them feel comfortable with the new dates?
In general, the response we have received as a result of the change of dates has been positive, although obviously for some it has created problems having plans and new product launches ready in time. We have endeavoured to be as helpful as possible with changes to stand construction and, additionally, in line with our ‘By the Trade, For the Trade’ motto, we have offered a 7.5% discount to all exhibitors this year, which results from our negotiations with the city of Cannes.
Accommodation prices tend to be a hot topic at every Cannes show. Has there been any progress in this area for 2011?
Yes, that is correct, and as an important cost factor I suppose that will always be the case. TFWA always endeavours to negotiate the best possible rates with the hotels and I am pleased to say that we have
secured an excellent commitment from the hotels this year! Most of our official event hotels have agreed to maintain the same rates as October 2010, even though September is a more expensive month in the Cannes calendar, and the rest have increased only by inflation.
Will there be any major new components to this year’s show? If so, what details can you reveal at this stage?
TFWA World Exhibition 2011 follows the same successful format as last year with a half-day conference on Monday, September 19th, with the opening of the exhibition just after that and followed by four days
of exhibition. We are delighted that as keynote speaker this year we have secured Kofi Annan, former secretary-general of the United Nations, which is really exciting. The major new component this year is the return of the seated gala dinner with celebrity entertainment at Le Premium Evening. The performer will be singer-songwriter James Blunt, who is known for his popular music all over the world. We will return to the Palm Beach for that event and also for the opening cocktail primarily because they do it so well with our large numbers.
Securing Kofi Annan is quite a coup for TFWA! For how long has this been ‘in the works’? And who else is on the conference schedule?
We have been in discussion with Kofi Annan’s office since the end of last year and we are
delighted that he has accepted our invitation. In addition, we are very pleased to be able to announce that we have secured as keynote speakers Michele Norsa, CEO of Salvatore Ferragamo, and Stephane Garelli, who is a professor at both the International Institute for Management Development (IMD) and the University of Lausanne. More details of the speakers and topics will follow in the next few weeks.
At the present time, how many new/returning exhibitors are anticipated? And which categories are set to be more extensively represented this time around?
The considerable interest in TFWA World Exhibition remains high this year from new and existing exhibitors seeking stand space. We expect to be able to accommodate about 30 new or returning exhibitors, which represents approximately a 7% turnover compared with between 8 to 10% normally. The balance between the product categories will remain about the same with a strong presence of the fragrances & cosmetics companies followed by the wines & spirits and fashion categories.
What of the long-term future for TFWA WE in Cannes? For how many years is the show committed to the city and is it still possible to envisage a change of location at some point?
TFWA World Exhibition will return to Cannes in 2012 and also 2013, which is the last year of our current contract. We are of course considering and will be considering various options and they are all very carefully assessed in terms of exhibition facilities, costs, accessibility, climate and social opportunities – a whole list of requirements – and we will also be seeking input from our members as part of the process.
Finally, you spoke at last year’s closing press conference of the need to identify future leadership figures for TFWA. Can you update us on progress in this area? And do you envisage seeking re-election as president for 2012 – or is it too early to comment at this stage?
That is correct and I still believe there is that need. However, I also feel that we made good progress as a result of the changes to the Statutes of the Association introduced in October last year. As I am sure you will be aware TFWA has launched a complete review of its strategy which started in December last year. A report will be debated by the Management Committee at its June meeting in Cannes, and as a result a revised strategy for the Association will emerge with a number of issues and actions points to be taken forward. We look forward to sharing this with our members and the industry at large once agreed. As to [my future intentions] it would be premature to comment at the moment.
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