With last week’s announcement of a change of dates for the TFWA Exhibition and Conference in Cannes, many suppliers and industry players are asking who really controls the TFWA. Are decisions being taken solely by the permanent Paris-based staff or along with the volunteer management committee? Have the 520 plus members been asked what they really think and what they really want, this year?
Some people in the Association are pushing ahead to have an in-person exhibition this year, come what may. But exactly who – suppliers, operators or TFWA staff? A few operators and many suppliers are asking this very loaded question. A New York based accessory supplier said to me yesterday: “We all want to meet up and say hello to our friends and our business partners. Some of us want to party, but the majority simply want to talk to buyers. But with so many uncertainties regarding the virus and how well the vaccinations work, there are quite a number of us who are very unsure about the need for a big meeting this year. Many travel retail sales managers are being forced to listen to their HR managers when they say that the company’s insurance policies will not cover them for travel to an exhibition.”
Another friend said: “OK, I am totally fed up with Zoom, but I am also worried about rushing into face-to-face meetings when we really don’t know what the future holds. Will the TFWA guarantee that we will be safe in Cannes? Will they guarantee that we will be safe in the Palais? All the doctors I talk to say everywhere must be well ventilated. My current stand is in the basement of the Palais, which is the worst ventilated place in the world. I really don’t care if they take my temperature when I go into the Palais, but I really want a Doctor to tell me that it is safe to be there and mix with people from different countries, who may have been exposed to strange mutations of the virus. I want someone who really understands how viruses work to tell me that the basement of the Palais is a safe place to be for a week.”
Clearly some guys in the Association are urging caution. A colleague who only said interesting things when I promised not to reveal his name, said that all social activities will be severely curtailed. He also claims that there will be no cocktail party and no gala dinner and that The Scene will not operate this year. No speakers have been announced for the Conference and this may have been cancelled already but will not be announced until just before the event. Strikingly, he claims that this has not been announced because even the guys at the TFWA do not know what will be allowed.
But what about normal life in Cannes? Are there any rules on hotel occupation? In Mexico, most resort hotels are limited to 50% total occupation, rising to 70% if the hotels pass a special sanitary audit. What is the story in Cannes and the south of France? We would also imagine that the TFWA will be lobbying the hotels to ensure that prices are held to sensible levels, at least for this year. What are the rules for eating in restaurants in town? Clearly there will be no team dinners but has anyone clarified how many of us can eat together? Are tables spaced out on the pavement and/or inside? There will be no concerts in Morrison’s Irish Pub but can I get a pint of Guinness? So many uncertainties make many of us nervous and the possible lack of Guinness makes me very sad!
