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T he brand-new Innovation Square promises to be an undoubted highlight of TFWA World Exhibition & Conference 2025. Spanning an impressive 400sqm and located at the very forefront of this year’s exhibition on the parvis, it is dedicated to innovation in technology, the retail experience, sustainability, and much more. “The Innovation Square is much more than an exhibition space,” says Philippe Margueritte, TFWA President. “It’s a lighthouse for innovation that will provide a platform for us to share, inspire and push boundaries.” Innovation is not an option – it is essential to the future success of the duty free and travel retail industry, as captured in the theme of this year’s event – ‘Exploring New Horizons’. “TFWA is committed to helping the industry learn, explore best practice and showcase new developments, and our global Cannes show provides travel retail professionals with a valuable opportunity to reflect on how we break from the routine, surprise our audience and reimagine what the travel experience can be,” Margueritte explains. “That is where Innovation Square comes in – as a space devoted to enabling travel retail to move forward and become more agile, more dynamic and more connected than ever before.” The Innovation Square will play host to two market insight workshops, each perfectly aligned with themes to inspire in the current commercial and political climate, and with speakers who have been carefully selected to provide a learning programme that is both relevant and practical. ‘World in Flux: travel retail amid today’s geopolitical realities’ will explore how the industry is reacting to an increasingly unpredictable global environment, while ‘Next Horizon: charting the future of travel retail’ will take a holistic view of the long-term role of duty free and travel retail. “Underpinned by findings from the latest industry research, both sessions promise to deliver invaluable and timely insight,” Margueritte shares. Avolta – a company renowned for its innovative approach to business – will be lead partner in this exciting new venture. “They’ll operate the space, showcasing new concepts and approaches from their brand partners during the daytime, welcoming delegates throughout the week,” says Margueritte. Meanwhile, two After Hours partners will host delegates and industry leaders for private by-invitation-only events in Innovation Square: • Monday 29 September, 18:00-21:00 – Lacoste Evening Event • Wednesday 1 October, 18:00-21:00 – Sterling Perfumes Evening Event From the kick-off with TFWA World Conference on Monday morning to saying goodbye to the last visitors on Thursday, Margueritte adds that innovation will run as a thread across the week. “My hopes for this year’s event are that those who come to Cannes not only leave inspired, but that they also take away knowledge and experience that will make a real and measurable difference to their business – whether this is in the form of new relationships they have forged, new learnings they have discovered or simply enhanced excitement for the future of our industry.” – a platform to share, inspire and push boundaries Innovation Square A spirit of innovation will permeate throughout TFWA World Exhibition & Conference 2025. This is exemplified by the new Innovation Square concept. In this interview, Philippe Margueritte, TFWA President, explains how Innovation Square is much more than an exhibition space – “it’s a lighthouse for innovation”. Philippe Margueritte, TFWA President: “The Innovation Square is much more than an exhibition space. It’s a lighthouse for innovation that will provide a platform for us to share, inspire and push boundaries.” Prev i ew September 2025 3 T F W A D A I L Y