Hillary Rodham Clinton Is to Headline the 2024 TFWA World Conference

FIRST UP: Hillary Rodham Clinton will give the keynote address at the opening of the 2024 TFWA World Conference, which is to take place at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes, France, on Sept. 30.

“She will explore the ever-evolving global political landscape and the trends that are impacting the geopolitical environment in which the duty-free and travel retail industry operates,” TFWA said in a statement, referring to the former U.S. secretary of state, former U.S. senator for New York and former U.S. presidential candidate.

Other featured speakers at the opening will include Sam Rad, chief executive officer of meta-media studio Radical Next; Anousheh Ansari, NASA astronaut and the first female private space explorer and chief executive officer of XPrize Foundation, and Erik Juul-Mortensen, TFWA president. The event’s moderator will be Stephen Sackur, broadcaster, journalist and BBC World’s Hardtalk presenter.

The yearly TFWA conference is among the premier gatherings for the duty-free and travel retail industry. The channel, which was valued at $60.72 billion for 2023, according to Fortune Business Insights, is expected to generate unprecedented growth due to emerging travelers and destinations, as well as technological innovations.

“However, global economic and geopolitical uncertainty persists, with conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East,” TFWA said. “Rising inflation and living costs are straining finances worldwide. The clash between globalization and protectionism is intensifying, while artificial intelligence is transforming our daily lives, professions and online.” 

The September event, running from Sept. 29 to Oct. 3, will mark the association’s 40th anniversary year. 

Other former keynote speakers at the TFWA World Conference in Cannes have included legendary journalist Bob Woodward and from U.K. prime minister Tony Blair.