TFWA Cannes 2022: The Good And The Not So Good
Let me start by saying that there was far more good than bad this year. TFWA got the tone exactly right. With just under 6000 visitors by midday on Thursday October 6, this year’s numbers reflect that the business – and its buzz – is back with a bang. Comparisons with last year, even 2019, are fairly pointless. This year really has to be the new benchmark.
The star turn of the conference, according to many, was unquestionably David McWilliams, Adjunct Professor of Global Economics at Trinity College Dublin’s School of Business. Straight-shooting, even spikey, his presentation lit up the room. Clearly not everyone attending fully understood the scope, scale and multi-layered applications that the Metaverse presents, but TR will get there eventually – led first by the brands, as ever.
You could feel the sense of optimism throughout the exhibition spaces. Many exhibitors I spoke to talked about the quality of their meetings and that they had high expectations for 2023. Sure, there were very few Japanese buyers, yet it was good to see that there was a decent presence from China. A couple of exhibitors mentioned that they thought there were fewer actual buyers around, with the major players just sending Board level and one under as attendees, but the TFWA numbers seem good with 2095 representatives from duty free operators and landlords, down only 12% from 2019 levels.
I mentioned the tone from TFWA. The Lounge was a great success as was the opening cocktail. Fireworks were not missed. The only blot on the Cocktail’s landscape (not the drinks) was the quality of the cocktail food. It was of far poorer quality than prior years, where even the waiter felt he had to apologise to us for one of the dishes, featured below. Is there something still moving in it?
