On the Road Again

Slowly but surely, the industry is returning to where it was at the beginning of 2020. And the live celebration of the Tax Free World Association (TFWA) World Exhibition & Conference in Cannes at the end of October is an encouraging milestone for the comeback of our industry.

Albeit with the expected sanitary measures, including proof of vaccination or negative PCR tests to gain entry, the use of facemasks and restricted capacity, the Dufry team was part of the 3,408 visitors who visited the 272 exhibitors across 263 stands;– about half the number seen in 2019. An event characterized by a very positive atmosphere and a general belief that momentum has restarted and we are getting back to where we left off.

Cannes however has not been the only major event that is returning to live celebrations. Dufry also played an important role in the celebration of the Middle East & Africa Duty Free Association (MEADFA) Conference in Dubai in November, where Dufry was one of the main sponsors. Dufry’s Chief Operating Officer for Central and Northern Europe, Russia and Africa, Isabel Zarza, had the chance to share with audience Dufry’s vision of the industry in this part of the world and how the company is facing the recovery of the business. Isaias Díaz, Managing Director Africa, also participated, with a presentation during the “Spotlight on Africa” session.

Finally, towards the end of November, the ACI Latin America and Caribbean / World Annual General Assembly, Conference & Exhibition (WAGA 2021) took place in Cancun, Mexico with almost 350 visitors. René Riedi spoke on a non-aeronautical panel as part of the pre-conference program, and Dufry installed an eye-catching booth at the two-day conference event and used the opportunity to network and gain visibility in the region. The local team managed to sign up nearly 300 Red By Dufry members in the process – a huge congratulations to the colleagues involved; particularly to Álvaro Zabala, and the Area General Manager for Cancún Margarita Cervantes, along with Rodrigo Saldivar, Angelica Rubio and Javier Cortés from her team, for their outstanding efforts and the excellent result.

These events all received positive feedback from those who attended; industry colleagues and businesses embraced these advancements following the pandemic, and look forward to an active 2022 events calendar.